Basil Pesto Corn

My dear friends Billy and Joe shared their dinner with me a few weekends ago. This corn was so delicious, I had to make it so Amy could try it. Billy's mother is a wonderful cook and always keeps fresh pesto in the fridge. Oh how we would love to have fresh pesto always on hand! For now our slowly growing basil plant on our porch will do. Enjoy this quick and easy spin on traditional corn!

Ingredients:

• 2 ears of corn, shucked
• 1/4 tbsp. pesto

Directions:

Cut the corn kernels off the cob. Put the corn in a skillet and stir in the pesto. Saute over medium heat for approx. 5 minutes or until the corn is soft.

It's that easy!

Yield: 2 servings

Southwestern Chicken and Parmesan Basil Frites

Southwestern Chicken adapted from: Cheap, Healthy, Good

Parmesan Basil Frites adapted from: Love & Olive Oil

This southwestern chicken recipe is a fun twist to your average chicken dish. Black beans, corn, and salsa are any easy combo with chicken tenderloin. Wrapping it all up in a packet of foil really enhances the taste. And you know we love red (new) potatoes, so for a side to our chicken we tried out these parmesan basil french fries that you bake in the oven. They were simple and so good, with some of our favorite flavors - garlic and basil.

SW Chicken

Ingredients:

• 3 12x18-inch rectangles aluminum foil
• 6 boneless skinless chicken tenderloins
• ¾ cup canned black beans, draine
• ¾ cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
• ¾ cup chunky salsa

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Salt and pepper tenderloins. Place two tenderloins in the middle of each sheet of tin foil. Top each with 1/4 cup beans, 1/4 cup corn, and 1/4 cup salsa.

Seal the foil packets. Bring the long ends together and double fold them. Then double fold sides. Don’t seal too tight, leaving space for them to steam while baking.

Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and allow them to cool for a couple of minutes. Remove from foil and serve.

Baked Parmesan Basil Frites

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tsps. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. dried basil
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 3 medium red potatoes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Slice potatoes into 1/4-inch fries. In a large bowl, combine parmesan, olive oil, basil, and garlic powder. Add fries to the bowl and toss to coat.

Coat a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Spread fries evenly on a single level. Bake for 15 minutes, flip, and bake for another 20 minutes, or until desired crispiness.

Yield: 3 servings

Black Bean and Corn Quinoa

Adapted from BigOven.

So far the only dish we've cooked using quinoa was Greek-inspired. Thanks to my Aunt Jane for sharing this recipe with me, we have now cooked another successful meal using quinoa - this time southwestern-themed with black beans, corn, and cilantro. This is a quick meal that could easily be enjoyed with chips and salsa, or made into a side dish with tacos or quesadillas.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 2 15-oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic; saute until lightly browned.

Pour quinoa into the saucepan and cover with broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to medium heat. Simmer 20 minutes.

Stir in the frozen corn and continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

Yield: 4 servings