Summer Corn Salad

This summer corn salad is one of my favorite barbecue side dishes. Roasting the corn on the grill gives it a beautiful sweet flavor that pairs well with the crispy peppers, onions and cucumbers. A simple balsamic vinaigrette brings the whole dish together. I love serving this salad alongside grilled chicken or fish, and it's not too shabby eaten by itself out of the bowl the next day!
Serves: approximately 8

Ingredients:
6 ears of sweet corn
2 tbsp. butter
1/3 cup diced sweet red pepper
1/3 cup diced cucumber
1/4 cup diced green onion
3/4 cups olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. honey
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt, pepper
2 tbsp. dijon mustard

Assembly:
Soften butter and spread along each ear of corn. Wrap corn in foil and grill, turning periodically, for approximately 40 minutes over medium heat. Allow corn to cool completely, then use a knife to cut off the kernels (hold the ear upright, then remove the kernels top to bottom). Mix with the vegetables. In a mini-Cuisinart or using an immersion blender, blend honey, mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic and oil. Toss most of the dressing with the corn mixture and allow to stand for about 30 minutes. Taste to see if you need to add the remaining dressing before serving (you can also reserve some dressing to serve this salad the next day).

Make 'Em Feel Loved Balsamic Chicken Sandwich

A month or so ago I posted a sandwich recipe that had marinated steak and veggies on a hoagie roll with melted cheese and aioli. I mentioned in that blog post that I make a million different sandwiches that are a variation on this theme: chopped veggies, marinated meat, melted cheese and aioli on a toasted bun. The possibilities are endless! These sandwiches are a great idea if you're short on time or want to make a super cost effective meal to share with friends and family. This sandwich in particular pairs chicken breast (one breast magically serves 2 adults!) marinated in a balsamic vinaigrette, veggies sauteed in a balsamic-brown sugar reduction, melted provalone and fragrant aioli. Delicious!
Ingredients:
2 hoagie rolls, split
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
3 slices of provalone
1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette http://happiestbelly.blogspot.com/2009/04/honey-dijon-balsamic-vinaigrette.html
3 tbsp. basic aioli http://happiestbelly.blogspot.com/2009/05/technique-tuesday-messing-with-mayo.html
6 button or baby bella mushrooms, quartered
1/2 sweet red pepper, diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. light brown sugar
1 tbsp. olive oil
salt, pepper

Assembly:
Marinate chicken in vinaigrette for 15 minutes-3 hours. Grill over medium high heat until juices run clear (4-6 minutes/side depending on thickness). Let chicken rest for 10 minutes before dicing. While chicken rests, saute vegetables in olive oil over medium-high heat. Add vinegar and brown sugar then reduce heat to low. Add salt, pepper to taste. Cook until liquids are almost absobed (about 10 minutes). Add chicken and mix. Add mixture evenly to split rolls. Top with 1 1/2 slice provalone per sandwich. Bake, open-faced, for 5-7 minutes at 375 degrees. Drizzle aioli, press sandwiches closed and serve.

Picnic Pasta Salad

Great for a summer picnic, this pasta salad is light and full of yummy grilled vegetables. The blue cheese can be stored separately with a bag of ice to keep it cold until the salad is served. It's best served a room temperature and is yummy with a variety of different cold sandwiches or just a good, crusty baguette.

Ingredients (serves 4):

1/3-1/2 cup honey dijon balsamic vinaigrette http://happiestbelly.blogspot.com/2009/04/honey-dijon-balsamic-vinaigrette.html
2 cups cooked mini-farfalle
3-4 stalks asparagus with ends removed
1 red pepper
2 tbsp. finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup bleu cheese crumbles

Assembly:
Toss red pepper and asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill red pepper until sides are charred. Place peppers in a paper bag (this will help remove the skins) for a few minutes. Grill asparagus over medium heat until grill marks appear (4-6 minutes, depending on the thickness of the asparagus). Cool and chop asparagus into bite sized pieces. Slice red peppers. Combine farfalle, red pepper, asparagus and red onion. Toss with dressing and top with bleu cheese crumbles.

Honey-Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette

This is my "house" dressing that can be used for a million different dishes. Try it tossed with greens, on pasta salad or as a marinade for chicken/pork. My husband used to be a big Ranch dressing fan, but now he asks for this dressing instead. Typically I make enough for a week and store it in the refrigerator.

HONEY-DIJON BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE
3/4 cup olive oil
2 small cloves of garlic
1/8 to 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (depending on how much you like vinegar!)
1 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
salt, pepper

2-3 leaves of fresh basil (optional)

Combine all ingredients. Use a mini-food processor or immersion blender to emulsify this dressing.