Alert the Media...I Baked Something!

Hello good people. How goes it?  

I actually made a creation I wanted to take a picture of. Alas my camera was dead, so this is a cell phone pic.

I found it on Pinterest, wasn't really too hard to make.  Here's the tutorial if you'd like to give it a try.  The hardest part was looking for black shoestring licorice, which I failed to find. So tried just cutting up the chocolate Twizzlers.  Not the greatest solution, but it worked.  

In other news...I've completely turned into a Doctor Who fan girl. Anyone else into Doctor Who? I hope so because aside from my family who is trapped with me, I can't find anyone else to talk to about it!

Candles for Sale

So...I think I'm selling candles now...check it out!

https://www.jewelryincandles.com/store/badwolf

Blueberry Shortbread Bars

I know, I know...it's been a while.  I'm just not sure what's up with me.  I still like to cook; I definitely still like to eat.  I certainly miss interacting with all my nice blogger friends.  I'm just lacking something.  Some spark; some driving force.  But I'm certainly not going to beat myself up about it.  I'm told I need to eat less protein, some small kidney issue.  Is there protein in blueberries?  I hope not!  

I love love love blueberries, but they can be just so expensive.  But I splurged today so I could make these delicious shortbread bars for me and my berry-loving son.  These are perfect...not too sweet.  Really lets the blueberries shine.  The recipe calls for chinese five spice, which seemed a bit odd to me.  So I just used nutmeg and added some lemon zest to the dough.  These are perfect with a big glass of iced tea.  

Here's the recipe from Allrecipes

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes 1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder 1 egg yolk 1/2 teaspoon ice water, or more if needed 3/4 cup fresh blueberries

1.	Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place butter cubes in the freezer for 15 minutes.
2.	Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Sprinkle in Chinese five-spice powder.
3.	Cut in frozen butter using a pastry cutter until the butter pieces are about the size of peas. Mix in egg yolk and continue cutting in until thoroughly combined. Drizzle in ice water and stir to combine. The dough should just come together when pinched between your fingers.
4.	Pour about 3/4 of the crumb mixture into an ungreased 9x9-inch baking dish. Press the mixture down firmly using the back of a spoon. Spread blueberries in one layer and sprinkle with remaining crumbly dough.
5.	Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden and sides are crisp and browned, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

So, what's been going on with all of you?  My son graduated eight grade yesterday...on to high school, wow!  My daughter made it through 6th grade, although it was quite a struggle sometimes.  (I have to sing "just keep swimming" in my head quite a bit!)   Planning a couple of camping trips in this summer, and recently celebrated my 16th anniversary in the crazy little town of Jerome, Arizona.  

Sweet Potato Hash with Onions and Feta

This easy veggie dish is one of my most recent Pinterest finds.  Roasting the sweet potatoes this way really brings out their deliciousness on a whole new level.  (although to be honest, I think I used yams)

The whole family approves...I think I've made it 2 or 3 times in the past couple of weeks.  You could absolutely leave off the feta, but it's really nice on there.  

Here's the recipe for you, that comes from Diethood

Ingredients

• Butter for pan
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
• 3 yellow onions, sliced  (I only used one)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1/2-cup to 1-cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450.
• Butter a large baking pan or dish and set aside.
• Add the chopped sweet potatoes, onions, and olive oil in a bowl and mix.
• Season with salt, pepper, and oregano; mix together and place the sweet potatoes on prepared baking dish in a single layer.
• Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking, and cook until potatoes are fork tender.
• Remove from oven and sprinkle with feta cheese.
• Serve.

Caprese Lasagna Roll Ups

I love all things lasagna, in just about any shape or form.  And this version proved to be wonderfully delicious.  I always like finding dinner ideas that don't have meat in them, and I didn't hear any complaints about it at all.

I had to skimp on the basil a bit because when I went outside to get the basil, I found that the frost had gotten it..darn it all!  But it was still quite flavorful, and I loved the homemade marinara that goes with it.

And that broccoli sitting all innocent-like over that is Ina Garten's roasted broccoli.  If you've never tried her version do yourself a favor and do so as soon as possible.  Makes me eat broccoli like I'm popping m&m's...seriously!

Here's the lasagna recipe from Cooking Classy

Ingredients

• 8 lasagna noodles, uncooked
• 14 oz freshly shredded, low-moisture part skim Mozzarella cheese, divided
• 3/4 cup Ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg white
• 1/3 cup freshly, finely shredded Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/4 oz)
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3 - 4 medium Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced (about 1/6 inch thick slices)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
• 1 cup marinara sauce, recipe follows
Simple Marinara Sauce
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic finely minced
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to directions listed on package to al dente. Drain pasta (DO NOT rinse with water) and align lasagna noodles in a single layer on a large sheet of parchment or wax paper.
• For filling, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together ricotta cheese and egg white until well blended. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Mix in 12 oz. of the Mozzarella cheese and season with black pepper to taste (I wouldn't recommend seasoning with salt just because the cheeses already have plenty of salt).
• Place 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture over each lasagna noodle and spread into an even layer, going from one end of the lasagna to the other. Align 4 thin tomato slices over cheese mixture then sprinkle fresh basil over top. Snugly roll lasagna noodles to opposite end. Spread about 1/4 cup pasta sauce in the bottom of an 11 x 7 inch baking dish. Align lasagna roll ups, seam side down in dish. Top each roll up with about 2 Tbsp of the pasta sauce (covering edges of pasta so they don't dry out while baking). Sprinkle top with remaining 2 oz. shredded Mozzarella. Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes. Remove from oven, plate pasta and garnish with plenty of basil ribbons. Serve warm.
Simple Marinara Sauce
• Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add onions to hot oil and saute about 3 minutes until soft, adding garlic during last minute of sauteing. Pour in crushed tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture just to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and allow sauce to cook for about 25 - 30 minutes (which will allow some of the water in crushed tomatoes to evaporate) while you prepare pasta and lasagna filling (you can freeze or refrigerate left over sauce in a small airtight container for later use, adding fresh basil if desired).

Skinny Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

So, I've been having hip pain...quite a bit.  I ignored it/dealt with it for almost a year but finally decided to mention it to the doc.  He suggests I may be carrying a bit too much weight around on my aging joints (no way!).  So it pleases me to find a recipe such as this that brings a big a whole lot of deliciousness with a bit less naughtiness. 

These brownie were SO easy to make, and really delicious.  In fact my daughter set aside 3 pieces to take to school and share with her friends.  I like that there is no flour and no oil in them either.  

Here's the recipe...hope you get the chance to make them.

Skinny Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies (from Sally's Baking Addiction)

• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter 
• 6 oz. low fat vanilla yogurt 
• 1/4 cup skim milk (or almond milk)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup sugar (or Splenda)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 8×8 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Place all of the ingredients except for the peanut butter into a blender or food processor.  For easier blending, place the liquid ingredients into the blender first. Blend until mix is smooth and oats are ground up. You will have to stop the blender and scrape down the sides a few times.

Pour batter into prepared baking dish.  Batter will be thin.  Microwave peanut butter for about 30 seconds. Drop melted peanut butter by spoonfuls onto the batter, swirling gently with a knife to create a marbled effect. (Try not to overmix!)

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan.  Brownies will be extra fudgy, so be sure to wait until COMPLETELY cooled.

Cut into 12 squares and enjoy!

Irish Lemon Pudding

So, are you tired of winter?  Are you ready for Jack Frost to take a long walk off a short pier?  Then make yourself a big ol' batch of this lemon pudding and pretend that the sun is smiling down on you.

Personally I'm not sick of winter at all. But I'm in Phoenix and I'm tickled it will be 29 tonight!

I saw this treasure while perusing Pinterest, and added it to my to do list.  Since my friend gave me 2 lemons on Sunday, I knew it was meant to be.  It has a very simple ingredient list, and I have no idea why it's "Irish".  There is no whisky or leprechauns in it.  

Here is the recipe found at The Baker Upstairs.  She doubles her recipe and puts it in a springform pan so it will be pretty.  I'm way too lazy for that, so I just put it in a casserole dish.

2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup flour
2 lemons, zested and juiced
1 1/4 cups milk

Preheat oven to 350. Cream the butter and sugar well. Add the egg yolks one by one, then add the flour. Add the lemon zest and juice, followed by the milk, and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Fold gently into the lemon mixture until incorporated. Pour into a 8-9 inch pie pan or cake pan. Bake for 40 minutes, or until very lightly browned and set. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm with freshly whipped cream.

BTW...I made myself a Facebook page.  I have no idea what I'm doing there. Come join me if you like :)

Chocolate Chip Brownie Chunk Cookies

My husband made these delicious little morsels.  It started when he saw the recipe for Pioneer
Woman's Brownie Bites.  But they didn't turn out quite as pretty as he hoped...in fact they sort of fell apart.  

But since he's someone who hates waste, he turned a flop into something fantastic. 

Inspired by the recipe found at Picky Palate, he made these delicious cookies that had just the right amount of sweetness and chewy texture.  Perfect with a big glass of ice cold milk.  

Here's the recipe:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup chocolate chips

2 cups cubed prepared brownies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment or silpat liner.

2. Place butter and sugars into the bowl of a stand or electric mixer, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until well combined.

3. Place flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl, mixing to combine. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips and brownie chunks until just combined.

4. Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough onto prepared baking sheet about 1-inch apart. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes until cooked through. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Makes 3 dozen cookies

Bacon and Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

I made these stuffed mushrooms for my son for our Christmas dinner.  He's the mushroom-lovingest kid I know.  I like that they use part of the stems as the stuffing, and also that you can make the filling ahead of time and save it for when you're ready.  

I found the recipe at a site called Mountain Mama Cooks.  

Here's the recipe for you.

Ingredients
8 oz bacon
1/2 cup finely minced sweet onion
1 clove garlic, minced
16 oz white button mushrooms
4 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Using scissors or a sharp knife, cut raw bacon into small pieces. In
a large saute pan, over medium heat, cook bacon until nice and crispy. While bacon is cooking,
remove mushroom stems from caps and chop stems into small pieces. When bacon is done,
remove from pan and set aside; reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon grease and pour the rest from
pan. Saute onion until soft about 5 minutes, scraping up any brown bits on bottom of pan. Add
chopped mushrooms stems and garlic and cook a few minutes longer. Reduce heat to low. Add
cream cheese and parmesan cheese and stir until cheeses are melted. Add reserved chopped
bacon and season to taste with salt and pepper. (Mixture can be made, cooled, and stored,
covered, in the fridge for up to two days.) Remove mixture from heat and stuff each mushroom cap
generously with mixture. Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes or until mushrooms are soft and filling
is nice and hot.


I've linked these mushrooms up to Weekend Potluck.  Go check it out, I've seen lots of yummy stuff there already.

Chocolate Mint Trifle

This trifle was our Christmas dessert, or one of them anyway.  I love how a trifle looks like you've worked really hard, but in reality, you haven't.  

This one is based on the recipe I found at a site called The Cooking Mom.  I did most things the same, except I didn't color my whipped topping green, because it just seemed unnecessary.  And I used chopped up Andes mints instead of  mint baking chips.  

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 box (19.5 ounces) family size brownie mix, prepared according to directions and baked in 9 x13 inch pan
3 cups cold milk
2 boxes (3.4 ounces) instant chocolate pudding
1 container (12 ounces) of frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
a couple drops of green food coloring
1 ½ cups mint baking chips
a few Andes mints, unwrapped
Fresh mint sprig (optional)

Directions:
Cool brownies and cut into 1 to 2 inch cubes. Beat pudding and milk together until it starts to thicken. In another bowl, mix peppermint extract and a few drops of green food coloring into the whipped topping until it turns light green. Place half of the brownie cubes in the bottom of a trifle dish or clear glass bowl. Top with half of the chocolate pudding. Sprinkle on half of the mint chips. Next, carefully spread half of the green whipped topping over mints. Repeat with the remaining brownies, pudding, and mint chips. Cover loosely with plastic and refrigerate until ready to serve. Right before serving remove plastic and decorate the top with a “cloud” of the reserved green whipped topping. Place some whole mints on top and garnish with fresh mint sprig.

Crispy Baked Orange Chicken Wings

Very Merry Christmas to all of you! I can't believe it's been September since I posted anything!  But my daughter got a laptop for Christmas which means I finally have mine all to myself again, so hopefully things will start rolling along a little better now.  

But back to Christmas....I hope you had a wonderful day celebrating with people you love, and hopefully some good food to go along with it.  I decided I didn't really want a regular turkey and dressing type Christmas dinner, so we had appetizers.  Because I love appetizers and always feel guilty stuffing myself with them before the main course.  So it only makes sense to just make them the main course.  We had so many good things...pineapple cheeseball, buffalo chicken dip, apple caramel dip, and these delicious wings that were new to me.  

I really loved these little beauties, and I also love that they are baked and not fried.  It could have something to do with the fact that I've lost the power cord to my deep fryer, and I also just hate the mess.  

So I will cut the chatter and give you the recipe that I found from Just a Taste (via Pinterest).  

For the Chicken:

2½ pounds chicken wings, tips removed, drumettes and flats separated
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For the Sauce:  

1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
2 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
3/4 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup hoisin sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Rinse wings and drumettes and pat dry. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with vegetable oil, salt and pepper. Position wings on baking racks in a single layer ensuring that wings aren't touching.

Bake, rotating pan half-way through, until fully cooked, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove wings from oven and transfer to a large bowl.

Add the sesame oil and olive oil to a small saucepot over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes until golden brown.

Add the red pepper flakes, orange marmalade and hoisin sauce, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Pour the orange sauce over the wings, tossing to thoroughly coat, and serve immediately.

I hope you get a chance to try these, maybe New Years?  I've really missed the whole blogging experience and interaction so I'm looking forward to visiting with all of you and seeing your wonderful creations very soon.

Raw Vegan Brownies

As you may have heard me mention, we are trying to some extent to get away from eating quite as much meat and processed foods in general.  We won't talk about the giant pre-packaged cinnamon roll I had this morning...I guess the key word here is trying.  

So this endeavor has me looking for replacements for some of my favorite naughty treats that aren't quite as naughty...hence these raw brownies.

Do they taste like fresh from the oven, decadent, dripping with chocolate brownies?  Well, of course not.  But seriously they're not bad.  If you're someone like me who thinks they have to have their chocolate sweet fix everyday, they are a pretty good alternative.  

Here's the recipe I found at 28 Cooks

1/2 c dried dates

1/2 c dried cherries

1/4 c carob powder (or cocoa powder)

1 c walnuts

3 tbsp agave nectar (or honey)

Process all in food processor until ingredients are well mixed and chopped. Press into a small square baking pan and freeze for 1 hour. Slice brownies into 12 pieces. Store in fridge

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Pinterest sort of inspires and depresses me at the same time.  I see so many things on there I'd love to try to do and I get all fired up.  Then I realize there are so many hours in a day, and there's only so much money, and I continue making excuses why I can't do these things until I have to just go to bed and watch old reruns of M*A*S*H until I recover.  

Occasionally though, I do get up the courage to try somethings I see on there...such as Cauliflower Crust Pizza.  I'll just be honest, I don't really like cauliflower.  I can eat it, but I'd just rather not.  But fixed up this way....I'm all over it.  Once again this got the family seal of approval. 

I did a couple things different from the recipe, and I'll note those below for you.  I didn't realize until after I started the recipe was for one serving, so had to increase the cauliflower to feed us all.   You'll definitely want something else to eat with this, a salad or whatever floats your boat.  But I definitely think it's worth a try!

Here's the recipe with any changes I made from Stick a Fork In It

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower (I used 2 cups)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese*  (I kept the cheese at one cup even though the cauliflower is increased)
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 tsp garlic salt
Olive oil (optional)

Pizza sauce
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Other additional toppings of your choice

Directions:
To rice your cauliflower, take 1 large head of cauliflower, remove the stems and leaves, and chop the florets into chunks. Add to a food processor and pulse just until it looks like rice. Alternatively, you can grate the cauliflower with a cheese grater.

Place the riced cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl, add 1/4 cup water, and microwave for 6-8 minutes, stirring half-way through.

To make the pizza, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a pizza pan or cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine the cauliflower, mozzarella cheese and egg together and stir until well incorporated. Add the oregano, garlic, and garlic salt. Transfer to the cookie sheet, and shape into a 9-inch circle. Brush the crust with olive oil to help it brown in the oven.

Baked at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes, until the crust is browned and cooked through the middle.

Remove the crust from the oven, add your sauce and toppings. Place under a broiler at high heat until the cheese is melted and bubbly. (About 3-4 minutes).

Double Chocolate Cupcakes with Fudgy Chocolate Frosting (Plant-Based)

It was a long, hot summer.  And it's hard to find things to do to keep myself entertained. One can only go to the library so many times, and I love surfing the web as much as the next person but my posterior eventually gets numb.  One of the things I did to entertain myself was watching a few documentaries, and one of my favorites was "Forks Over Knives".  It's a pretty compelling story of how our Western diet has led to the demise of our health (I know, that's not exactly a new revelation) and how we should eschew all things processed and animal based and solely eat a plant-based diet.  (I love the word eschew, I'm so glad I finally got to use it).  

I liked the documentary so much I ended up buying the companion cookbook, and found the recipe for these cupcakes in it.  I'll have to admit it's not quite as easy as opening up a box of cake mix, but it feels really good knowing you're having a treat that's not completely filled with fats, sugar, and preservatives

The family even agreed they were pretty good, and had no idea I was sneaking dried dates into their dessert.  Except for when I told them, I'm terrible at keeping secrets.

Here's the recipe for you should you feel led to try them...

Double Chocolate Cupcakes:

2 oz unsweetened chocolate

1 cup plant based milk (I used almond milk)

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

2/3 cup dry sweetener (prob not the best choice but I used splenda)

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or spelt flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder 

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 and line 12 cup muffin tin.

Melt the chocolate in small bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together milk and vinegar. Let it sit for a few minutes until curdled. Stir in the dry sweetener, applesauce, vanilla, and melted chocolate.

In a seperate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the mixture to the wet ingredients, one half at a time, and beat until no large lumps remain.

Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, filling each cup 3/4 full. Bake 18 to 20 minutes. 

Fudgy Chocolate Frosting

1 cup boiling water

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups pitted dried dates

1 tbsp brown rice syrup*

pinch salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

Put boiling water and cocoa powder in a blender or food processor. Blend on high about 30 seconds. 

Add the dates, brown rice syrup, and salt to the blender. Blend until smooth. Add the vanilla and blend until combined.

Transfer mixture to an airtight container and chill completely, at least 3 hours until it becomes firm and spreadable. 

I found the brown rice syrup at Sprouts Farmers' Market, but didn't really want to pay 5+ bucks for just one tablespoon for this recipe. I had bought some of that new sweetener called Nectresse and just used some of that. Or you could just use splenda.

So, I'm a long way from eating only things produced from the ground, in fact I doubt I'll ever be totally there.  But adding more veggies and eating less meat feels like a step in the right direction.  

Zucchini Scallion Cakes

Well hello there...it's been a while, I know.  No excuses other than it's been so hot I just haven't cooked that much.  But I saw these little jewels on a great site called Meatless Monday and just had to give them a try.

We really are trying to cut down on the meat intake around here, with no small amount of resistance from the little people.  And they say old people are set in their ways...ha!  I get in a bit of a rut trying to think of veggie main dishes. One can only serve pinto beans so many times before having to hide in shame.  But these cakes are a great way to shake things up a bit.  Come to think of it I think they'd be great with pinto beans!

But seriously, they are easy and delicious.  I hope you'll get a chance to give them a try!

• 1 medium zucchini, grated
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine the grated zucchini, scallions, flour, sugar and salt together in a medium mixing bowl and toss to combine. Add the egg, lemon juice and zest and stir to combine.

Prepare a plate with a layer of paper towels. Place the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Scoop tablespoons of zucchini scallion batter out into the oil, taking care to ensure space between the mounds of batter. You may have to fry the cakes in batches. Cook for about 1 minute on each side, or until the cakes have browned on both sides and are semi-firm. Transfer to the paper towel lined plate and repeat until you are out of batter.

Fresh Corn and Rice Salad

Fresh corn is so awesome this time of year, and you really can't beat having it right off the cob.  But if you're in the mood for something a little different, this salad is a nice way to go.  Especially if you've got some leftover rice you'd like to use up.

please try not to be jealous of my fabulous re-purposed Applebee's bowl

I ran across this recipe at the Better Homes and Gardens website, and did pretty much did everything they did.  Except I didn't have arugula, so just sprinkled some basil on top.  And I used brown rice instead of white.  This is really great leftover, either warm or cold.  

• 4
  ears fresh corn
• 1 1/2
  cups cooked rice, cooled
• 1
  pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1
  cup fresh arugula
• 1
  small red onion, cut in thin wedges
• 1
  jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced
• 2
  tablespoons rice vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 2
  tablespoons olive oil
  
  
  
  . Husk corn and remove silk with a stiff brush; rinse. Cook corn in boiling, lightly salted water for 3 minutes. Remove corn; let cool. Cut corn off the cob in planks (I wasn't very good at the planking thing) Combine cooked rice, tomatoes, arugula, onion and jalapeno pepper. Transfer to serving bowl; top with corn. Drizzle with vinegar and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature. Makes 10 to 12 servings.