Roasted Corn & Grilled Peaches

I don't have regular access to an outdoor grill. My life is so hard. However, I do have an oven and a grill pan so I can still make tasty summer produce  treats like roasted corn on the cob and grilled peaches. Observe!

Roasted corn on the cob:

Preheat your oven to 350 and then put your ears of corn (husks still on) on the middle rack. Roast for 40 minutes. Leaving the husks on acts like natures tin foil! As an added bonus, roasting makes it super easy to get all of the corn silk off before serving. Add a little salt, pepper and butter and eat.

Grilled peaches:

Heat your grill pan or grill to medium high. Slice peach or peaches into quarters and brush lightly with canola oil or butter. Sprinkle peaches with cinnamon and then grill about 5 minutes per side. I served mine with blueberry Greek yogurt and it was pretty, pretty, pretty good.

Veggiewich

I made the best veggie sandwich for lunch the other day and again for dinner tonight. I want to eat one everyday forever. I used those weird sandwich thins for bread because I wanted something between a bagel and regular bread, but a pita would work too. And then you wouldn't have to have bought something called "sandwich thins" which kind of makes me feel like the bread people punk'd me. Anyway, I roasted a couple red pepper slices while I was getting my other fixings together and it is totally worth it. Just brush a couple of pepper sections with olive oil and broil 'em in your toaster oven. Spread mustard on one side of your bread and hummus on the other so they become a delicious glue that holds the other ingredients in place. Pile on cucumber slices, pickles, sliced tomato, and cheddar cheese. Slice your sandwich in half and admire it's artistry. Eat like Mr. Fox having french toast, or chew at a normal, relaxed, human pace. Your choice.

Black beans & brownies

I had a huge dilemma the other day. I really wanted a brownie sundae and had the ice cream, but no brownies. I really had to weigh my options and think the situation through. Should I buy a box mix, preferably a cheapy one and use that? Or should I make them from scratch? Or should I go back to school and get my masters, move to a less expensive city, fix up an arts and crafts style bungalow and get a dog? In the end I decided to give this brownie recipe from one of my issues of Martha Stewart Everyday Food a try. Black beans keep the brownies super moist and slightly less bad for you. If instead of making brownies, I had gotten certified for teaching, I would give them an A+.

You’ll need:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1/4 cup black beans, rinsed, drained, and mashed with a fork until smooth

(on the site it suggests pureeing the beans in a food processor, but I found it was tough to do with such a small amount)

3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (1/2 cup)

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped (1/3 cup)

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 large eggs, plus 1 large egg white

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter or grease a 9-inch square baking pan (I used an 8-inch} and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine butter, bean puree, and chocolates and microwave in 30-second increments, stirring each time, until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes. Use an oven mitt or dishrag to take the bowl out of the oven when you’re checking it-the bowl will be hot! Whisk in sugar, eggs and egg white, and vanilla until smooth. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir into chocolate mixture until just combined. Pour batter into pan; smooth top. Bake until top is cracked and a toothpick inserted in center has moist crumbs attached, about 25 minutes (center will seem undercooked but will set further as it cools). I baked mine for about 28 or 29 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Using parchment, lift brownie from pan and cut into squares.