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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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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Raise your hand if you think you are getting enough veggies and whole grains in your diet?  Anybody?  Seeing no hands, I’m going to assume that we could all use more veggies and whole grains in our diet.  Doesn’t that seem to be the mantra of the health food movement lately?  Eat more vegetables.  Eat more whole grains.  This super simple, delicious soup is the perfect answer to that seemingly hefty requirement.

Advertising this soup as the Healthiest Thing You Will Eat This Week does it a disservice.  It also happens to be creamy, chewy, filling and perfectly delicious.  It’s the kind of soup you would order at a restaurant, fall in love with immediately, tell all your friends about and then drive twenty-minutes out of your way to pick up on the way home for dinner one night.  It’s that good.

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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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Ever try something that is so perfectly ready for adaptation that you instantly begin dreaming of ways to make it better?  A chocolate chip cookie leads you to a dark chocolate cherry cookie.  Or a piece of pumpkin pie leads you to spiced sweet potato pie.  Well, that was my experience with zucchini boats.  So versatile.  So healthy.  So easy.  So many possibilities!

Zucchini makes a perfect vessel for a variety of fillings.  The insides of the zucchini are easy to scoop out, leaving a sturdy shell that is just asking to be heaped full of delicious goodness.  Choose from an Italian filling with tomato sauce, peppers and topped with mozzarella cheese or a Southwestern filling with black beans, green chilies and topped with cheddar cheese (and sour cream!).  With all these flavor combos, you will never again be screaming “What can I do with all this zucchini?!?!”

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Meet my new favorite side dish.  In case I haven’t mentioned it lately, I’ve been a little short on time these days.  An elaborate side dish that requires lots of dicing and chopping and stewing is beyond my realm of thinking at the moment.  Give me something fast, deliciously creamy and oh, can it please be relatively healthy too?  Awesome.

A simple side dish that is packed with protein, fiber and happens to be incredibly flavorful, this will quickly become a staple in your recipe arsenal.  The sauteed garlic and rosemary paired with the smooth, creamy white beans create a dish that will rival plain ol’ mashed potatoes any day.  I hate to say it, but this may be the mistress that breaks up the eternal marriage of Steak and Potatoes! Gasp! Oh, the horror!

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Have you heard about this big football game that’s coming up next week?  It’s this once-a-year excuse to go all out, throw dietary caution to the wind and eat massive quantities of wings, dips and chips.  Or is that only at my house?  From what I understand, this is a nationwide phenomenon.  In case you are suffering from a last minute panic about what to make for the big game, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite football appropriate recipes, starting with this so-good-you’ll-want-to-eat-it-with-a-spoon onion dip.

I know that it’s so simple to grab a packet of powdery nothingness to whip up a batch of onion dip, but who is excited about telling their guests that the dip they are consuming at a furious pace came from a powder?  Astronauts eat food that comes from a powder.  Us earth dwellers should expect better.  This dip is so far beyond powder-based dips that you will never go back.  This takes traditional onion dip and cranks the volume up to Irrationally Good.  You may have to hide your spoons.

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