corn – Mel's Mosaic

Was in Whole Foods the other day roaming through the chip aisle to grab some pita chips (of course, right?). I always have to see what else is on the shelves that I really don’t need. Well, a couple years ago I had some chips after running a race that were so good! They were just so unique and I haven’t been able to find them again. I couldn’t quite remember what they were, unfortunately, so have been on this endless hunt. I see these sweet potato chips and try them and realize they aren’t quite right. Well, finally I have found what I was looking for! Garden of Eatin’ Butternut Squash Chips! They are and aren’t BS! So good! The bag says NEW, no, they were around a couple years ago and now are finally back! The chips are made with corn, butternut squash and some spice. They have a bit of sweetness, they’re crunchy and something unique to them. I don’t even think they need salsa to pair with them. I did put some hummus on them once or twice, though — the pita chips didn’t have to get all of it, right? They are also gluten free and dairy free. Check them out, let me know what you think. And, if you find them at different stores, let me know.

…might kill the cat, but it only creates a (better) cook.

I had this huge bunch of basil left from a recipe I made yesterday and was trying to figure out what I could/should do with it. Didn’t want tomato-basil salad, pesto wasn’t striking my fancy so decided to walk into my kitchen and see what I could do. I opened the freezer and scanned what was in there that I could be creative with and also looked around the counter. And the wheels starting spinning…

I was going to make a unique (?) dressing with fresh basil, fresh lime juice, shallot, pepper, black sea salt (decided that after the first blend) and a bit of olive oil. Wanted to play with appliances so threw it all in the mini-prep. That’s all it took. WOW!

Then, the ingredients I found — simple, basic, easy and healthy — what other words do I need? Like I said, I found them ‘sitting’ around — some were in the freezer and some were fresh. Sort of mentioned this in another post — use what you have! Corn, tomatoes, edamame, mango, olives.

Put them in a bowl (some of each — no specific quantities or ratios), toss with the dressing. Can we say colorful?

Then I served the salad with some pan seared scallops. Great balance of flavors all around. And, a pretty healthy Sunday night meal. Also, with the rest of my tons of basil, I did make pesto — basil, walnuts, olive oil, S&P — that’s it. Forgot garlic…