Friday, July 22, 2016

Grilled Corn on the Cob



My two versions of grilled corn on the cob, charred and steamed
There are two ways I really love making corn on the cob and both are on the grill. You can do either of these recipes on a gas or charcoal grill. It just takes the flavors to a whole new level. It pops with freshness and flavor. If you really want to impress your family and friends just give one of these a try. It is also good if you want to add corn to a dish like tacos or are making a corn salsa or chutney. Corn seems to be the one vegetable just about everyone loves. And for us in Florida the first crop comes in just in time for the summer barbecue season. Try all three; yellow, white and bi color. They are all sweet but the white is the sweetest of the three. Once you try this you will crave it, build meals around it! It is so very yummy! :-)


It doesn't look edible but it is the best corn you will ever eat
This is the easiest to cook, but the messiest..but well worth the mess from the extra flavor you get from steaming the corn in its husk. Just gives it a unique taste and adds a little char on the corn. 

Leaving the corn in the husk adds a whole new level of flavor
 So very simple to prepare and cook. Just cut off the extra silks that hang out the top and any small husks that may be dangling. Pour a little olive oil on each ear and rub on entire ear. Place directly on the grill, turn every few minutes. The husk will burn just don't let it flame up. It only takes about 5 minutes a side to cook. Once it is done, carefully remove husk and stalk at bottom. You can either cut it off the cob or stick some corn skewers in each end. To season just slide a stick of butter all over each ear, add salt and pepper to taste. 


Another way to make grilled corn on the cob
 This is a way that everyone will love. Not everyone likes a charred taste, it's a personal preference. But this is corn at its best, sweet, crisp and full of fresh, just picked, corn on the cob flavor. Start with a piece of tin foil for each ear. Big enough to wrap around the corn a few times so the butter doesn't leak out and start a fire and you loose your flavorful butter.  

Put butter on bottom and top for distributed flavor
I start with slicing about six 1/2 teaspoon size pieces of butter for each ear..use real butter, nothing like it. Even though it has more fat it is better for you than margarine, which is just flavored shortening, a trans fat that hardens back up in your body. Yuck!! I like real not imitation. It's like eating instant potatoes over real homemade potatoes. The flavor doesn't even compare and it takes no more time to make real ones than fake ones that have no nutritional value. When did we give up cooking real honest food for fake stuff!? I know it is for convenience but is that really more important than you and your family's health. I am convinced that a lot of our health problems stem from using make believe food over what God intended for us to eat!! But that is my personal opinion. But this is my blog and I get to tell my side of things!! LOL


Roll it up tight so the steam doesn't escape

Place 3 pieces of butter on the tin foil about an inch apart. Put your ear of corn on top of butter then put three more on the top. (As seen in photo) Then add salt, pepper and for a little added flavor garlic salt. Pull one end of tin foil over top of corn to hold butter in place, pull up other end enough to slide all your seasoning toward corn. Then just roll the corn up in the tin foil. Press edges together then fold over top to create a secure seal. You want the steam to build up to cook the corn and infuse the butter and seasonings in the corn. Place on grill and turn every five minutes till all four sides have been over the direct heat. Leave in foil till ready to serve. Just unwrap cut off cob or add corn skewers in each end. Pour remaining butter from foil on the corn. 


Like all my recipes I encourage you to add you own unique touch to it. Make it your own. I am here to give you my recipes but also to encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and try something new. Cooking is fun if you allow it to be. Everything is only as fun and exciting as you make it. Dinner can be the same old same old or you can kick it up a notch by just adding a new flavor to what you are cooking. I'm not sure why, but I just seem to know what flavors go together, maybe it's my willingness to try something different? But if you never try you never know. If it doesn't work this time try something different next time. It's fun sometimes to laugh at your attempts to try something different and it not to always work out. My friend asked me a couple weeks ago if I could please cook something bad so they could tell how good a cook I really was!! LOL  When I did mess up the pepperoni bread I was making for our next dinner, by missing the mix in time on my bread machine, they still thought it was excellent!! I tried to give them something cooked bad, it still turned out good!! Guess I'm just blessed in the kitchen. But you can ask Bill, he has eaten some bad things over the years. Just have fun, make it fun, get the family involved. My friend always helps me in the kitchen and we have a great time laughing while we prepare our meal. Everything is better when enjoyed together and love is present. Always, always do it with love, you friends and family can taste the difference when you do. Without love we are nothing, without giving love we waste our hearts! Janie's philosophy!!  

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

A Few Pics of Upcoming Recipes

Loaded potatoes on the grill

One Hot Mama 

Southern style potato salad
Just a few of the recipes I'm working on for my summer series of fun foods with lots of love!!