Roasted Corn Salad

Last weekend, we made a great roasted corn salad as an accompaniment to our black beans and rice dinner.  It has the right amount of tang, tasted really fresh and had a spicy kick to it!  Would definitely make this again.

Ingredients:

2 ears of corn

1/2 jalapeno de-seeded and finely chopped (use less for milder flavor)

1/8 cup of finely chopped red onion

juice of half a lime

salt to taste

freshly ground cumin to taste

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 400 F

Wrap each ear of corn individually in foil, as well as the jalapeno for about 30 minutes

soak the chopped red onion in a bowl of water, to soften the taste

to a mixing bowl, add:

once corn is done, take off of the ears (large chef knife makes it easy)

de-seed and finely chop half of the jalapeno

add in the red onion and lime

then salt & cumin to taste

we used a generous pinch of salt and bit less than 1/8 teaspoon of the cumin to give you a sense

using freshly ground spices definitely makes a huge difference in the flavor, but if you already have some ground up, then you can add a bit more.

it's best to eat this immediately, but if you like things really spicy, let it sit for a while!

here's a photo of the finished product:

Butternut Squash Curry

So I've been on a butternut squash kick, and wanted to make this desi style.  I came across this recipe on a Canadian show last year, added a few of my own ingredients and it is delicious!  You can pair it with naan and yogurt or some rice and achar. Either way, it's a winner!


Ingredients:

• 1 medium sized butternut squash cut into square chunks
• around 1 tspn black mustard seeds
• about 3/4 tspn salt
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1-2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 dried red chilis
• a pinch of turmeric
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons of finely chopped coriander for garnish

Recipe:

• heat oil on medium heat
• add black mustard seeds, once they begin to splutter, add in the bay leaf and dried red chilis, saute for a minute or two, then add in onions
• once onions begin to change color, add in turmeric and garlic and fry for about 3 minutes, then add in squash and a little bit of water so it doesn't stick to the pot. add salt (you can add more or less depending on your taste) and stir it around
• cover and let cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally
• the squash will probably start to get a bit mushy when you stir it around once it's done, but that's fine.  
• remove from heat, add coriander and give it a stir!

Here are some pics of the finished product:

It's got a great sweet and salty taste, with some heat in every bite!  Enjoy!