Indian Summer Fresh Corn Salad

Yum

So we are switching gears around here once again.

We had about a week and a half of great fall weather and then BAM! here comes the heat again.  It's been in the mid nineties all week long.  I can't keep up.  I've been cooking some great fall comfy food and now it's too hot to cook inside.  What's a girl to do?  

Get out and grill again!  I would call this Indian Summer for sure.  This is typical of Southern California but mother nature was really sneaky this year, giving us that teaser of really cool weather.

So when I think of Indian Summer I think of corn.  We LOVE corn and use it some many ways.  Since we are grilling our main dish (Spicy Apricot Glazed Chicken - recipe to come) I wanted to please MGG with a salad.  One mixed with fresh corn kernels.  Yum!

INDIAN SUMMER FRESH CORN SALAD

MGG loves a good spinach salad so why not mix in some corn, along with the typical tomato and cucumber.  Dress it with a light citrus vinaigrette and you have one heck of a side dish.  Perfect for an Indian Summer, or anytime.

NOTE:  I often freeze summer corn so we can have fresh corn on the cob during the winter!

So go forth and make this perfectly delicious salad that highlights fresh summer corn.  It's easy and tastes oh so fresh!

Enjoy!

Indian Summer Fresh Corn Salad


Serves 4

Ingredients:

Dressing:
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons fresh snipped cilantro
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Salad:
2 ears fresh sweet corn, cooked
1 cup fresh baby spinach
3//4 cup cucumber, diced
1 medium tomato, diced

Instructions:

In a mason jar combine dressing ingredients and shake vigorously to combine.

Cut the corn from the cob and add it to a large bowl. Add the spinach, cucumber, and tomato. Toss to combine. Drizzle dressing over until lightly dressed. (You will most likely have leftover dressing,) Serve at room temperature.

Sirloin Steak Tips with Black Pepper Mushroom Gravy

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Go figure!  I've had internet connection issues all week.

We recently moved and had our new internet/cable/phone service set up and everything was running dandy for about a week.  Then BAM!  my internet connection decided to go glafunky on me and it would go on an off about every 3 minutes.  UGH!  I couldn't get anything done.  Thank god for cell phones!  Using that as a failsafe was great but try to write a blog post on a phone.  Ummmm, nope!

So the nice techy guy came out and fixed us all up!   Who would have thought that it was wireless connection problems because the house was large and service in all the rooms just wasn't happening!

So now I'm back in business which brings me to my recipe today.  Moving is a pain.  I hate it!  If I never see another box I'd be in heaven.  Seriously.  So when you have to work during the day, come home and unpack some boxes, and then MGG comes home and looks at me like "What's for dinner?"  Ugh again!  I need some quick meals.  How about some comfort food that you can make in 30 minutes?  Yaaaaaaaaaaaassssss!

Sirloin Steak Tips with Black Pepper Mushroom Gravy

Let's do some sort of steak and gravy over mashed potatoes.  Sounds good and comforting to me!  Now, I've made several versions of steak tips before such as my Beef Stroganoff with Horseradish Sour Cream and my Beef Burgundy Stew, however I wanted something similar but fast!  How about a 30 minute meal?  Yes, you can have a delicious, succulent dish of steak tips smothered in a black pepper mushroom gravy in just 30 minutes.  Oh man!  Just give me the bowl already!

The trick is to buy a sirloin steak and cut it yourself into cubes.  Cook it until it is medium so that it remains juicy and tender, then make the black pepper mushroom gravy.  Simple as that.  Oh, and use leftover mashed potatoes, or buy some.  So much quicker.  You want nice hot potatoes on the bottom so they soak up all that meaty, juicy gravy.  The flavors are to die for.

So as promised this was done in 30 minutes.  MGG was a happy camper and all turned out right in the world.  Internet connection included!

Enjoy!





Sirloin Steak Tips with Black Pepper Mushroom Gravy

1 pound top sirloin steak, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

1 (8 oz) package pre-sliced baby bella mushrooms

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 fresh thyme sprigs

Hot cooked mashed potatoes

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steak and sauté for 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan to a plate and keep covered.

Melt butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes, stirring often.   Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in soy sauce. Sprinkle flour over mushroom mixture.  Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly.

Add the pepper, salt, and thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes or until thickened. Return beef and any juices back to the skillet.  Continue to cook another 1-2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Discard thyme sprigs.

Serve over hot mashed potatoes.

Lemon Herb Grilled Shrimp and Scallops

Yum

I've been remiss in posting this week and I'm sorry for that, but between 105 degree weather with 80% humidity (Hawaii anyone!) with sporadic thunderstorms, and then all of a sudden it's 80 (which is cool for this time of year) I had to go and get sick!

Yep...

I did it...I got a painful sore throat, which I NEVER get.  So I've been off my game a little.

So to make it up to you I'm going to share a GREAT recipe with you for some late summer grilling!  I don't post many seafood recipes here on Slice of Southern, but MGG loves seafood.  Me, not so much.  So every now and then we satisfy his cravings and cook up a wonderful fish dish for him.  I'll usually cook chicken for my self using the same flavorings so we have a nice, easy, and tasty dinner that's similar.  

So he requested shrimp and scallops this time around.  Grilled ones!  So I immediately thought of using a wonderful lemon and herb sauce as the basis for this dish that would compliment the fish well.

LEMON HERB GRILLED SHRIMP AND SCALLOPS

Light lemony flavor combined with bright herbs bring these grilled shrimp and scallops to a whole different level that just screams summer!  

This dish is easy enough to make for a party and can be scaled for an intimate dinner for 2 or 4.  I like easy, quick meals and you can't get much easier that making a basting sauce and grilling some fish.  Fish cooks in no time at all and you'll have dinner on the table in about 15 minutes start to finish!  I did use a specialty pan to help me along.  This Pro Ceramic Shrimp and Scallop Pan  is great to have because is made of ceramic, which retains heat well, and it has these wells that hold the shrimp and scallops and the basting sauce!  Perfect, but you can certainly use any pan you like.

The Lemon Herb basting sauce make this dish special!  Don't forget the sauce...you'll love every bite of this dish, I promise.  Serve it with Beth's Confetti Rice and a piece of grilled bread and you have one heck of a meal!

Enjoy!








Lemon Herb Grilled Shrimp and Scallops

serves 2

1/2 lb 10-12 shrimp
1/2 lb scallops - about 6
salt and pepper

Lemon Herb Basting Sauce:

¼ cup olive oil

juice of 1 lemon  ( 2-3 Tablespoons )
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Preheat your seafood pan for 15 minutes over medium-high heat.  Meanwhile in a medium bowl combine all your Lemon Herb basting ingredients.  Remove 2 Tablespoons to a small cup and set aside.

Add shrimp and scallops to the seafood pan. Cook scallops about 2-3 minutes to brown nicely on each side. Grill shrimp, turning once, cooking until the center is slightly opaque, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. After turning each type of fish, baste with the lemon herb sauce.  Turn one final time and baste again.  Place on a platter and drizzle with reserved lemon herb sauce.  Serve with rice.

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