Parmesan Grilled Corn

I hate to admit it, but I'm still kind afraid of my grill.  There are too many knobs.  And I always envision there being some sort of gas leak explosion when I turn it on.  Oh, oh... and when I opened it this most recent time?  SPIDER IN THE GRILL.  Inside of it, directly where I wanted to put my food.  It was a traumatic experience.  Dramatic?  Perhaps. 

But still disgusting. 

This corn, however, is amazing.  I may be weary of the grill but I never miss a chance to give a vegetable a good trashin' up.  Sweet corn is aplenty right now where I live (not to mention dirt cheap) and I've been partial to grilling it in aluminum foil to keep it nice and juicy.  It's delicious plain with some salt and pepper, but what isn't better covered in melted butter and cheese?  Throw some garlic and fresh parsley in the mix and you have a super easy/delicious side for your next cookout. 

Parmesan Grilled Corn:
Makes 6 servings

6 ears of fresh corn
4 tablespoons of butter
2 cloves of garlic, grated or minced
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.  If corn is still in the husk, remove and discard the husk and silks.  Wrap each ear of corn in aluminum foil (don't make the foil too thick - one layer between the corn and the grill is enough).  Grill the corn for about 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes or so to ensure even grilling.  While corn is grilling, melt butter and garlic together in a small bowl in the microwave.  When corn is finished, brush the garlic butter over each ear of corn.  Immediately sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and then garnish with the fresh parsley.  Devour.

Lightened Up Baked Potato Soup

Mother Nature is being sort of mean. Mean, mean.

Spring still hasn't decided to cooperate here in PA.  So even as we approach Easter weekend, I still find myself craving comfort foods to combat the cold weather outside.  Hopefully our local kiddos won't need to be hunting eggs knee deep in snow this year, although I wouldn't be surprised. 

This soup has all the flavors of a restaurant-style loaded baked potato.  It's fast enough for a weeknight, and it won't majorly set you back in your calorie intake since it uses low-fat/low-sodium ingredients whenever possible.  This is good news considering you probably ate about five peanut butter eggs today.  Which is why we're such good friends... great minds think alike.



Lightened Up Baked Potato Soup:
Serves 4-6

4 baking potatoes, about 2.5lbs
3 tablespoons butter, divided
small amount of onion, diced
small amount of celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup flour
5 cups milk (I used skim)
1 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup part-skim shredded cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup fat-free sour cream
6 slices low-sodium bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)

Scrub potatoes under running water and pat dry.  Poke several holes in the potatoes with a fork to vent

Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa

Can we talk about my painfully obvious quinoa kick lately? It might be up there with avocados and anything salted caramel as one of my top food obsessions. Quinoa is often touted a "superfood" because it's high in protein and it's a good source of dietary fiber, iron, and even a little calcium. Because it packs such a nutritional punch, I don't mind throwing cheese on top and calling it a deliciously rounded-out side dish. 

I never used to be very good at side dishes. I spent so much time menu planning for the week for just the main course, that sometimes I forgot that something actually needs to be on the plate with it. I've gotten much better at making creative sides now (goodbye lazily steaming veggies every single day), though I still prefer the quick & easy variety that have some nutrients are are easy to throw together while the main dish is finishing up. I served this with a chicken dish and it was delicious!  I don't even think my husband knew he was eating something healthy.   Mwahaha... trickery.

 

Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa:
Adapted from Closet Cooking
Serves 4

1 cup quinoa, well rinsed
1 3/4 cup vegetable broth, chicken broth or water
2 cups fresh broccoli, chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar
salt and pepper to taste

Add the quinoa, broth/water and broccoli to a boil over medium heat.  Once boiling, cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium low.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the broth has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender (about 15 minutes).  Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted.  Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.