Fresh Corn and Pesto Salad

Summer in a dish. Here it is, here it is. And it is tastier than you could have ever imagined.

Fresh is best, and this salad is all that and a bag of chips. Minus the chips.

Fresh Corn and Pesto Salad is the perfect side dish for your next cookout! I'm thinking any Fourth of July spread would be made better with this recipe on the table. All of the greatest gifts of summer are jam packed into one wonderful and tasty salad.

Let's first talk about fresh corn. Crisp and slightly sweet. Perfectly golden. Ugh. Love it. I literally love corn. There, I said it. And when you can get fresh corn, on the cob, well--what are you waiting for? Make this salad!!

Along with juicy/sweet/crisp corn, cut right off the cob, we are going to throw chopped cherry tomatoes and green bell peppers into a nice, big serving bowl. After a little toss to mix things up, we are going to coat the whole she-bang in a delicious pesto sauce. Traditional pesto is all we need here. The freshness of the basil with the rich bite of pine nuts and the salty tang of parmesan cheese elevates the flavor and send it off the charts.

Enjoy this salad with a burger. Or hot dog. Or grilled sausage. Or a shrimp bake. Anything! I have eaten this salad 3 times in the past week and I think it will be a staple on your summer table as well :-) Enjoy!

Shrimp, Sausage and Peppers

There's nothing more I love than a super quick weeknight meal that is flavorful and satisfying. When you find yourself wishing for just a few more hours in the day, it's meals like this that can make all the difference.

Whenever I go to a NY Mets game, I HAVE to grab myself an Italian sausage and peppers sandwich. Tender, sauteed peppers and sweet onions piled high on top of a crispy grilled sausage. Ugh. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it!

Yes, the Mets are my favorite sports team of all time. I love them even their darkest hours. It's a testament to my dedication and loyalty.

Back to the sausage and peppers...

Last night's dinner was this Shrimp, Sausage and Peppers stir fry. Rich and smokey sausage with sweet peppers and shrimp in a tart, tomato gravy. This meal was perfect as is, but it would also be delicious over rice or served with a crusty bread.

Sweet peppers and thinly sliced onions are sauteed until almost caramelized. This really amps up the flavor and makes you want to give yourself a nice pat on the back.

Brown and crispy sausage and shrimp pack this meal with protein.

A rich tomato gravy pulls the whole thing together. That is, chicken broth, tomato paste, fresh lemon juice and earthy fresh thyme. And it's ready in thirty minutes or less.

That's all it takes! I'm still thinking about this meal, and even had the leftovers for lunch today. I think you're really going to love it.

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

Things just got a little out of hand in my kitchen. I'm not upset about it. I don't think you will be either.

I took Philly Cheesesteak. And I stuffed a pepper with it. Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers.

Oh my god.

OK, so here's the back story.

A couple of weekends ago, I went out to Philadelphia to visit my friend Lauren. We went to college together and continue to keep in touch despite the fact that our work took us to two different cities 6 hours away.

After much discussion about a Philadelphia trip, we finally manned up and made it happen. It's SO easy to procrastinate planning and use the excuse of "I'm too dang busy." Well, my challenge for you is to stop SAYING you're going to go on this vacation, go visit this old friend, or travel to some cool landmark and JUST DO IT. You'll be so much happier after you do.

Now, despite the fact that it was 1 million degrees and rising this weekend, we had an awesome weekend. I requested that we do some super touristy things because I had never been to Philly. We went to the Rocky steps at the art museum, visited the Liberty Bell, took way too many pictures outside old City Hall, and we even went to a Phillies game!

But there was one request I DEMANDED be met.

I had to have one authentic, delicious, gut-busting Philly Cheesesteak.

Lauren oblidged handsomely to this request. I have come to consider her the "Tour Guide of the Year."

We went to her personal favorite cheese steak location, and I can totally see why it tops the list. The name of the spot is Dalessandro's. It was a cute little hole in the wall that held the secret to all my Philly Cheesesteak needs.They have a bunch of different hoagies, but I knew I had to go with a traditional Cheesesteak. Shaved steak, American cheese (this apparently is not necessarily the norm for every cheesesteak...provolone is more common), grilled peppers, grilled onions, and mushrooms on a hoagie roll. It's perfection in a sandwich.

The Sandwich that changed my life...

So the trip to Philly was awesome, and I came home wishing I had regular access to a Dalessandro Cheesesteak. A week ago, it hit me as I was enjoying a stuffed pepper that this was it. This would be the vessel that would satisfy this cheesey, gooey, warm, delicious craving.