Corn has gotten a bad rap recently.  With the bad press surrounding high fructose corn syrup and the prevalence of corn derivatives (corn starch, corn oil, not to mention all the derivatives that don’t even have corn in the name) in processed foods, it’s easy to forget how delicious, flavorful and inherently perfect sweet summer corn is.  We spend a lot of time and energy turning corn into something other than corn.  With the last breath of summer quickly slipping into fall, I hope you will take advantage of the harvest season to whip up this simple corn salad.

In its unprocessed form, corn is a the sweet princess of the vegetable community (though technically a grain).  Sweet as candy, it’s hard to classify corn in the same category as carrots or celery.  This simple salad plays up the natural sweetness of fresh corn with apple cider vinegar and some mild onions.  Mixed together with fresh herbs and a perfect seasoning of salt and pepper, this simple corn salad is a reminder of how truly splendid corn can be when it’s allowed to just be corn.

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One pot dinners are priceless when it comes to weeknight dinners.  Magic happens when you can toss everything into one giant pot, throw it in the oven and watch an entire meal come out.  Calling for only a tiny amount of planning (soaking the beans overnight), this recipe needs to be added to your arsenal of one-pot dinners perfect for the chilly fall weather knocking on our door.

A warm bowl of creamy, lemony white beans topped with tender shredded chicken and a zesty dollop of pesto for added kick.  The kind of meal that warms you from the inside out, this is perfect for a family dinner or can be dressed up for a quick dinner party.  Easy, delicious and healthy … what else are you waiting for?

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There is nothing sexy about refried beans.  Nothing.  We all know the famous “Beans, Beans” song.  They are probably one of the Top Five Least Attractive Foods to Photograph.  If you were taken on a first date where the person took you to a place for some “great refried beans,” there probably wouldn’t be a second date.  All that aside, homemade refried beans are freakn’ delicious.

Growing up I refused to eat beans.  They looked gross and tasted even worse.  Of course, my experience was generally limited to cheap restaurant beans which can’t hold a candle to homemade beans.  Once I ventured into the wide world of making my own beans at home, I was an instant convert.  This recipe is beyond simple, delicious and can be whipped up in time to pair with your new favorite salmon tacos.

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I’m embarrassed to admit this, but there was a time in my life when the majority of my meals came in the form for a bar.  Prepackaged, processed food-like substances pressed into tight bars (usually dipped in some type of synthetic chocolate) were easy to eat on the go, cheap enough to buy in bulk and washed down just fine with a Diet Coke.  Now, much older and only slightly wiser, I’ve abandoned those chemical-laden, artificial-everything bars in favor of real foods, but I find myself longing for the convenience and simplicity of a good bar.  Only this time around, I’m a bit more picky.  I want a bar with ingredients I can pronounce.

Oats, almond butter, raisins, apricots, walnuts, almonds.  Yup, I can pronounce all of those!  Saying that these granola bars are ridiculously easy to make it an understatement.  They are simple enough that you could mass produce them in your own kitchen.  No joke.  They are free of any processed sugar, endlessly adaptable and perfect little snacks to take on the go.  Say hello to the new generation of bars!

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This salad is so fancy I feel like I should be charging myself $15 just to eat it.  A bed of baby spinach topped with sliced sirloin steak, sauteed thyme mushrooms, crumbled goat cheese and a hot caramelized onion vinaigrette.  Can’t you just picture that salad gracing the menu of a fancy restaurant?  People like to toss around terms like “flavor profile” and espouse about the combination of flavors in a dish, but all I can say it that this salad is flippin delicious!

Imagine a perfect steakhouse dinner.  Steak.  Mushrooms.  Spinach.  Now, imagine that perfect dinner transformed into a mouth-watering, one-plate salad.  A bed of tender baby spinach wilting under a hot caramelized onion vinaigrette.  Thinly sliced steak paired with earthy thyme mushrooms and melting goat cheese.  With food this good at home, you won’t ever have to go out again!

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Am I the only person who was under the false impression that making a roast chicken was extremely difficult and wildly time consuming?  For years, I was convinced that roasting a chicken (like my more familiar Thanksgiving turkey) was an all day affair.  If you jump over the logical gaps involved in that analogy (i.e. the difference between a 20 pound turkey to feed twelve and a 3 pound chicken to feed, um, two) you will quickly discover what I recently did.  Roast chicken is a simple, delicious and totally doable weeknight dinner.

When I tell you this is the best roast chicken I have ever had, I am not exaggerating.  Succulent, juicy meat that falls off the bone with a perfectly crispy, papery, thin skin you will find it hard to believe that bird came out of your own oven.  If I could FedEx you a sample in the mail I would, but you’ll have to take my word for it.  This recipe will impress your friends, loved ones will begin requesting it be added to the regular recipe rotation and neighbors will pound on your door begging for an invite to dinner.

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Folks, I owe you an apology.  An apology for leaving you hanging for the past few months, for leaving you stranded during the biggest cooking season of the year (gulp), for leaving you wondering what was to become of A Dash of Sass.  I don’t have a good excuse, but a simple explanation: Life! I know I’ve mentioned it before, but being a Grown Up is way harder than it looks!  The balancing act of keeping your head above water at an intense job that mandates long, stressful hours, keeping a kitchen stocked with fresh, healthy ingredients (and doing enough menu planning to actually cook all those fresh ingredients!), staying in touch with friends and family strewn across the country, getting enough sleep and exercise … well, geeze, sometimes it feels like treading water is the best you can do!

I have no idea what happened to the last four months, just vague memories of brief moments of clarity.  So what does one eat while trying to keep pace with this hectic life without resorting to yucky, processed nastiness frequently referred to as fast “food”?  Quinoa.  Lots and lots of quinoa.  Meet my new favorite all-purpose grain.  It cooks up in no time at all, takes on the flavors of whatever else you are cooking with, is high in protein and a perfect way to get plenty of whole grains!

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