Summer Corn & Vegetable Soup

Let's face it, when the temperature outside begins to approach 100 degrees, soup is probably the last thing on your mind for dinner. But I encourage you, friends, don't rule it out! This soup is great for the summer because it uses a wide variety of fresh summer veggies, it can be served luke-warm, and it doesn't require hours of simmering on the stove. In fact, it only needs to boil once, and the whole thing can be ready from start to finish in about 30 minutes! Who doesn't love that? And the flavor cannot be beat. This soup is light and fresh, with a lovely creamy consistency and just a hint of sweetness from the summer corn. I highly encourage you - especially if you've got a garden at home threatening to take over your backyard - make this soup! It just might be the most surprisingly satisfying meal you'll have this summer.

Grilled Southwest Chicken Salad

There's something about grilled corn that really gets my juices flowing.

I mean, look at those sexy, perfectly charred ears of deliciousness. Nothing screams summer to me like sweet, smokey grilled corn. Mmm.

Usually, that would be the end of the story. Beautiful fresh corn on the cob would go onto the grill to become slightly charred and ultra sweet, and then I'd promptly stuff my face with all the epic summer flavor my little tummy could handle. But for some reason, this time I decided to share the amazingness of the grilled corn... with lightly grilled bell pepper, black beans, chicken, and fresh cilantro. And more green chili-chipotle sour cream dressing than I should probably admit, let's be honest.

Even though this salad is comprised of relatively simple ingredients, the combination was quite extraordinary. Black beans and corn are some of my favorite salad toppings to begin with, but grilling the corn and bell pepper took the flavors to a whole new level of awesome. It took an otherwise unimpressive salad and turned it into a dish that tastes as quintessentially of summer as a wedge of watermelon and a glass of iced tea. The dressing - which I created completely ad lib, adding a little bit of this and a little bit of that until the flavor resembled what I had in mind - is creamy without being heavy, and tasty without being overwhelmingly spicy.

But perhaps the most exciting thing about this salad is that it's completely versatile. Don't like red bell peppers? Leave them out! Craving a little avocado? Add a few slices, or, better yet, mix it into the dressing! This salad was completely spontaneous and perfectly fit my cravings at the time, but I love knowing that I could easily tweak it to fulfill whatever cravings I may have tomorrow.

Corn Bread Muffins

What a game this weekend, eh? I didn't really have my heart set on either team winning this year's super bowl - my fall schedule kept me too busy to keep up with football this season. But no matter which team you were rooting for you've gotta admit, it was an entertaining game at least!

I know it's a little late to be posting a game-worthy recipe... the super bowl (and football season) is over, afterall. But, still, I can't quit thinking about that delicious chili my girlfriend Dawn made for game day, and how well these little corn bread muffins went with it.

This recipe is sooo worth making more than just once a year. These savory little muffins are perfect for serving with chili or stew or soup... or anything, for that matter! I'll be the first to admit they are a bit dry, but I think that's what makes them go so well with any bowl of steaming broth. And with just a hint of sugar, this corn bread recipe can easily become a sweet breakfast or dessert... top with a little butter and honey or maple syrup, and enjoy!

Normally, if I'm baking for just Dane and I, I pour all of the batter into a greased pie plate and eat it in pie-like slices, but I find that muffins are perfect for gatherings since everyone can just grab one or two without having to worry about slicing it. One batch makes about 10-12 muffins, depending on how much batter you use for each, so I usually double the recipe if I'm planning to take them somewhere. No one wants to run out, after all!