Creamy Leek and Corn Orzo

If you're lucky enough to have good, sweet local corn this summer, I strongly suggest giving this unique recipe a try. It's free of refined sugars, relatively low in fat per portion, delicious, and a solid vegetarian recipe. This can easily be made vegan by using extra virgin olive oil in place of the butter. It can also be made gluten-free by using your favorite brand of GF orzo. Fresh corn is an absolute must here - if you can't get it, skip this dish altogether because you need the corn "milk" as a critical ingredient. You could serve this as a vegetarian main dish with bread to sop up the sauce, or you could serve it as a side. I almost think this dish could benefit with a tiny sprinkling of a tangy sharp cheese, such as Parmesan - just my opinion, of course!

Creamy Leek and Corn Orzo (Recipe Adapted from Claire Robinson)

2 cups orzo

1 cup finely sliced washed leek (white and light green parts only)

1 - 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 - 2 tbsp. unsalted butter

8 large ears corn, kernels cut and cobs scraped for milk

4 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Cook the pasta according to the package directions in boiling, salted water. Drain and reserve the cooking water.

In another pot of boiling water, blanch the leeks for 1 - 2 minutes, then remove and shock in a bowl of ice water. Drain and set aside.

In a skillet over low heat, melt the butter and add the corn and scraped milk from all 8 cobs. Cook for 1 minute and add about 2 cups of the reserved pasta water. Bring to a simmer and cook until thick and reduced, between 10 and 20  minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more pasta water if it gets too dry. Add the blanched leeks and heat through, about 1 minute.

Add the orzo and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the corn and orzo to a serving bowl, garnish with parsley, and serve immediately.

Serves 6

Baked Pesto Chicken

I just LOVE four and five ingredient recipes. They normally involve ingredients I either have on hand in the pantry or can easily locate at my local grocery store. However, they're not always the cheapest, depending on what it is you need. Thankfully this easy recipe can be made using ingredients found at all grocery stores. It's Italian-themed, but is a good way to use up that pesto you've had sitting around. Plain chicken breasts are coated in pesto, then baked and topped with tomatoes and mozzarella to make a sumptuous, but still quite healthful, meal. Serve with garlic bread and a glass of good red wine for the complete dinner.

Baked Pesto Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

½ cup refrigerated basil pesto

2 - 3 plum tomatoes, sliced (optional)

½ cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with heavy duty foil. Place the chicken and pesto in a medium bowl and toss to coat. Put the chicken on the prepped baking sheet.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center.

Remove from the oven and top with the tomatoes (if using) and the cheese. Return to the oven and bake an additional 3 - 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Serve immediately from the oven with sides of your choice.

Serves 4

Tuna Tortellini

This is a rather strange sort of little recipe that falls in the realm of the 4 ingredients. Prepackaged tortellini is mixed with peas and canned tuna and lightly seasoned with basil to form a quick, but oddly satisfying supper. It's great for when you're in a hurry and you basically need food on the table like, yesterday. I prefer to drain off the oil from my canned tuna, since it sometimes has a weird taste to it, but if you don't have extra virgin olive oil on hand, just used the canned oil. For reference, the Buitoni brand of tortellini is particularly good - you can find it in the refrigerated section of your grocery store (probably near the dairy section).

Tuna Tortellini

1 lb. refrigerated or frozen cheese tortellini

2 cups frozen baby peas

1 (12 oz.) can tuna, packed in olive oil

½ tsp. dried basil leaves

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Cook the tortellini in boiling salted water until tender, adding the peas for the last minute of cooking. Drain well.

Meanwhile, drain the tuna, reserving 3 tbsp. of the oil. If you don't want to use the oil in which the tuna is packed, you can drain the tuna, then use around 3 tbsp. fresh extra virgin olive oil. Return the tortellini and peas to the pot and add the tuna along with the reserved (or fresh) oil, basil, salt and pepper to taste. Heat through, stirring gently.

Serve immediately. If desired, sprinkle each serving with a little freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Serves 4

Fragrant Lemon Grass and Ginger Pork Patties

Again with Asian-themed food! This time, I've whipped up something different. It's a burger, but not your typical burger. For starters, it's made with ground pork instead of beef, chicken or turkey. Fresh flavors from ginger and lemongrass form the basis of this burger. Lemongrass is a new ingredient for me to use, but it's great. It lends a good citrus zing to whatever you're adding it. These burgers are naturally gluten-free, free from refined sugars, and are rather low in fat - remember, just because it's pork does not mean it's extremely high in fat as compared to beef. The burgers are lightly pan-fried in a little bit of canola oil, but if you don't want to add any additional fat, you can dry fry them or use a little nonstick cooking spray.

Fragrant Lemon Grass and Ginger Pork Patties

1 lb. ground pork

1 tbsp. grated fresh ginger

1 lemon grass stalk

2 tbsp. canola oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Put the pork in a bowl and add the ginger. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the tough outer layers from the lemongrass stalk and discard. Chop the center part as finely as possible and mix into the pork. Use your hands to blend everything well. Shape into four patties and chill for about 20 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large, nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the patties and fry for 3 - 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.

Serve on burger buns with thick slices of tomato, lettuce and a splash of chili sauce (recommended:  Sriracha).

Serves 4

Aromatic Noodles with Lime-Peanut Sauce

I'll admit that I'm on an Asian-themed cooking spree right now. I guess it must be the rash of persistent, hot weather that's driving me to it. Or else I'm just still a total whore for Asian food. Whatever the reason, this unique dish is comprised of crisp, green vegetables accompanying a rich, spicy peanut sauce. You can always adjust how spicy the sauce is by adding more or less crushed red pepper flakes. It can also be made gluten-free by using your favorite GF spaghetti noodles and using GF reduced sodium tamari. This recipe is also extremely low in refined sugars. Enjoy on the hottest of days or have anytime you're in the mood for some quick, easy Asian food!

Aromatic Noodles with Lime Peanut Sauce (Recipe Adapted from Ellie Krieger)

¾ box (12 oz.) spinach linguine or whole-wheat spaghetti

2 cups (around 9 oz.) broccoli florets

2 cups (about 6 oz.) snow peas, trimmed

2 cups (about 6 oz.) edamame

½ cup unsalted peanuts

½ cup Smuckers Natural creamy peanut butter

¼ cup reduced sodium soy sauce

¼ cup water

2 tbsp. rice vinegar

2 tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 scallion (white and green parts), cut into pieces

¾" piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

2 tbsp. firmly packed brown sugar

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (or more, to taste)

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and rinse under cold running water.

While the pasta is cooking, put the broccoli in a steamer basket over a large pot of boiling water and steam it for 3 minutes. Add the snow peas and edamame and steam for 2 minutes more, until all the vegetables are crisp-tender.

Toast the peanuts in a small dry skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, 3 - 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool.

Make the sauce by puréeing the peanut butter, soy sauce, water, vinegar, lime juice, scallion, ginger, brown sugar and red pepper in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Right before serving, toss the pasta with ¾ cup of the peanut sauce. Divide between 6 serving bowls and top each serving with the vegetables. Drizzle the remaining sauce over the vegetables. Coarsely chop the peanuts, sprinkle them on top, and serve.

Serves 6

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

Pulled chicken/pork/beef may seem like the ubiquitous summer party food, but honestly, it's good at any time of year. What could be better than whipping up a big pot full of pulled chicken during the coldest days of winter? Granted, winter is still a ways off, but don't miss out on making a delicious meal for your friends and family. This is a healthier version of pulled chicken, using boneless, skinless chicken instead of using skin-on chicken. It's also made using the grill and stovetop (or oven and stovetop, if you've no grill) instead of waiting hours for it to cook in a crockpot. Prepare to empty out your spice cabinet, because this chicken is highly flavored with a ton of different seasonings...but in the end, you get a sweet and smoky product that can be served on hard rolls, salad greens, baked potatoes, and in tortilla shells, as shown here. Add a few thin slices of pickle and your barbecue will be complete! This recipe is gluten-free and low in refined sugars, so don't feel bad about coming back for seconds.

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

Chicken:

2 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. chili powder

¾ tsp. cumin

½ tsp. ground chipotle chili powder

½ tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. ground ginger

2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used about 1½ lb. breasts)

Sauce:

2 tsp. canola oil

½ cup finely chopped onion

2 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. dry mustard

¼ tsp. ground allspice

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 cup ketchup

2 tbsp. cider vinegar

1 tbsp. molasses

Sandwich rolls

Hamburger pickle slices

Prepare a grill, or preheat an oven to 350 degrees.

To prepare the chicken, combine the first 7 ingredients in a small bowl. Rub the spice mix evenly over the chicken. Place the chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; cover and grill for 20 minutes or until a thermometer reaches 180 degrees, turning occasionally. Let stand for 5 minutes, then shred with two forks. Alternately, if you are using the oven, place the chicken breasts on a rack coated with cooking spray, then put the rack over a baking sheet. Bake the chicken breasts between 25 - 30 minutes, depending on thickness.

To prepare the sauce, heat the canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in 2 tbsp. brown sugar and the next 5 ingredients (through the cayenne); cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in the ketchup, vinegar and molasses. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Add the shredded chicken to the pan and stir well to coat the chicken with the sauce. Cook for 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Place about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture on the bottom halves of the sandwich rolls; top each serving with a few pickle slices and the top half of the roll. Serve immediately with sides and beverages of your choice.

Serves 8

Thai Beef Rolls

Not really an authentic Thai recipe, but definitely not a completely American creation, these delicious wraps are so fast and easy to make. A simple sauce can be whipped up in about 5 minutes and the layering of ingredients a mere minute or so. If you need a super fast lunch or al fresco supper on the table, this recipe is for you. The sauce...oh, the sauce. It's super zingy from the addition of fresh ginger and freshly minced garlic, slightly sour from fresh lime juice, and complex with the usage of toasted sesame oil. Deli roast beef ensures the wraps won't be too thick, and fresh lettuce, carrots and mint gently cleanse the palate. Forget firing up the stove tonight - make these wraps and don't fuss in the kitchen!

Thai Beef Wraps

1½ tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tbsp. dark toasted sesame oil

1 tbsp. freshly grated ginger

1 tbsp. finely minced garlic

2 tsp. fish sauce (or reduced sodium tamari)

¾ tsp. sugar (or 1 packet Truvia)

2 cups torn Boston lettuce

12 oz. thinly sliced deli roast beef

½ cup matchstick-cut carrots

¼ cup freshly chopped mint

4 (8-inch) flour tortillas

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a small bowl, whisking well. Place the tortillas on a work surface; brush each shell lightly with 2 tsp. of the sauce.

Arrange ½ cup lettuce on each tortilla. Top each with around 3 oz. of the roast beef.

Combine the carrots and the mint. Arrange about 3 tbsp. of the carrot mixture over each serving. Drizzle each serving with about 1 tbsp. of the remaining sauce. Roll them up, slice on the bias, and serve immediately. Two good sides to serve with the wraps are plain rice crackers and sautéed zucchini.

Serves 4

NOTE:  The photo I used shows these wraps made in the small fajita-sized shells, since my local grocery store was out of 8" shells. If you make them using the 8" shells, I strongly recommend doubling the carrot/mint mixture, because if you're like me, you may want to add more of it to your wraps.

This recipe can be made gluten-free if you use your favorite gluten-free wraps and tamari instead of fish sauce or regular soy sauce. Do make sure your roast beef is gluten-free, however!