Corn Quesadillas in Cilantro Butter

Let’s amp up the basic quesadilla, shall we? A quesadilla is such an ideal lunch or dinner when I need something quick with just a few ingredients but flavored butter on the outside it just magical. It is such a great trick on a grilled cheese too. Cilantro not your thing? Chipotle butter would be fun! Ranch butter sounds delicious with the corn too!

The Three Bite Rule - Corn Quesadilla with Cilantro Butter

No corn? Add in some beans! Maybe a few tomatoes? This is great to make a whole bunch and keep warm in the oven while they cook, or just make one. They reheat in the toaster oven, the oven, or in a skillet too.

Corn Quesadillas in Cilantro Butter
Ingredients:

1-2 ears of corn
3 tablespoons butter (softened)
1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
2 tortillas
1 cup shredded cheddar
1/4 cup mozzarella (or pepper jack)

Directions:
Cook the corn then slice it off the cob.
Mix up the butter and cilantro with a sprinkle of salt.

The Three Bite Rule - Corn Quesadilla in Cilantro Butter

Preheat a large skillet to medium heat and assemble the quesadillas with corn and cheese in each.
Cook the quesadillas in a little bit of olive oil or with a generous spray of nonstick spray and flip once.
When lightly golden, spread on a little cilantro butter and cook for another minute on each side.

The Three Bite Rule - Corn Quesadilla in Cilantro Butter

Let sit for 1-2 minutes before slicing.
Enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Corn Quesadilla in Cilantro Butter

The herby-butter with gooey cheese and the pop of corn for texture all together makes magic. This is super easy but seemingly special. If the cilantro butter cooks too long it gets a little too toasty so start the cook in olive oil or spray. This is great dipped in salsa for acidity.

Lemon Garlic Pasta

Roasted garlic and lemon pair so well for a light but flavorful pasta sauce. Our 7-year old ate about 3 servings and said this was in his top pastas – the 4 year old ate about 2 bites. Make the sauce in advance or just roast the garlic for a head start.

The Three Bite Rule - Lemon Garlic Pasta

Lemon Garlic Pasta
Ingredients:

1 whole garlic bulb
1 pound spaghetti
4 tbs butter
1 lemon, juice and zest
1/2 teaspoon chicken bullion (optional, I used Better Than Bullion paste)
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese
salt & pepper

Directions:
Roast garlic – slice top off the bulb and set in aluminum foil with a drizzle of olive oil and wrap it up. Bake at 350-degrees for ~45 minutes (or an hour if it is very large).
Boil the pasta in salted water.
In a food processor, whip together the garlic, butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, bullion, salt and pepper.

The Three Bite Rule - Lemon Garlic Pasta

Before draining the pasta – reserve a cup of the pasta water. Then mix the garlic butter sauce with the pasta.

The Three Bite Rule - Lemon Garlic Pasta

Mix together well and sprinkle with a last squeeze of lemon juice, pepper and parmesan. If you’d like it more sauce-y, add a splash of pasta water and toss again.

The Three Bite Rule - Lemon Garlic Pasta

Enjoy!

This was so good. It was light but creamy. Lemon seemed great for summer and we love roasted garlic. It screams for pepper and parmesan. The bullion is very optional – it provides some richness and some salt but doesn’t take over the lemon flavor. We ate it as-is but it would pair nicely with skewers of shrimp or chicken or zucchini or tomatoes.

I couldn’t get over how much our 7-year-old ate. The little one wasn’t into it but I’d guess some other time she’d eat her normal amount – it could have been the day or the pasta shape.

August Recap 2022

August wizzed by. We celebrated C’s 4th birthday, went on vacation to the beach, juggled no-camp weeks, and were hotter than we’d like.

In the kitchen, I loved these savory waffles with hashbrowns, sausage, egg, and cheese and will 100% make them again soon. They were the best one-handed breakfast for on-the-go mornings.

The Three Bite Rule - Savory Waffle

These Peach Tea Cocktails were SO good for a light summer drink.

The Three Bite Rule - Peach Tea Cocktail

I made some apps – phyllo cups with ricotta, peach, and basil.

The Three Bite Rule - Peach & Ricotta Phyllo Cups

One last drink – cherry lime refreshers have some sweet cherries, tart lime, and finish with bubbles!

The Three Bite Rule - Cherry Lime Refresher

Plus, I rounded up some no-cook/low-cook Summer dinner ideas.

I have some September recipes in the works – a lemon one and something corny.

The Little Girl:
She’s 4! She loved her birthday of swimming, a unicorn cake, and fun presents. A cold worked it’s way through her (and some of us) a few times but wasn’t Covid so that’s all we can ask for. She’s in her Elsa costume all the time and had her last ballet class. She loved corn on the cob.

The Big Guy:
He loved all the summer camps and wrapped up the summer with 2 weeks of time with the grandparents and home. August had one camp at Mass Audubon Society where he spent all day in the woods or making art – he came home sweaty, dirty, and happy. He’s ready for 2nd grade and for soccer to start. Packing camp lunches was only moderately successful so we’ll all be glad for school lunch again.

Goals:
Year of nail polish! I got a pale pink one
More international food inspiration: do lettuce cups served with sesame noodles count?
More soups/salads: maybe one salad bar night
More apps: Yes! Phyllo cups were fun as the rest of dinner came together
More fun drinks: Yes x2: cherry lime refreshers & peach tea cocktail.
Updating photos: nope
What I’m reading: I read Portrait of a Thief which was ok- kind of a bumbling college student art heist. I was totally enchanted by The Reading List. I listened to A Long Petal of the Sea for bookclub – I learned a ton about the Spanish Civil War, and Cover Story was such a fun non-murdery mystery that left me with lots of questions.
What I’m watching: Renovation Island is back, America’s Got Talent
What I’m listening to: Sounds Like a Cult

Peach & Ricotta in Phyllo Cups

Phyllo cups + cheese + fruit + herb = perfection. Last time I did brie & cranberry & rosemary and now this got a summery twist with ricotta & peach & basil. My peach could have been more ripe, but I was excited and gave it the benefit of the doubt. 

The Three Bite Rule - Peach & Ricotta Phyllo Cups

Peach & Ricotta Phyllo Cups
Ingredients: (serves ~6)

1 package of phyllo cups (usually ~15 per pkg)
1 peach (or plum or cherry)
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
~6 basil leaves
1-2 tbs olive oil

Directions: 
Crisp the phyllo cups according to the package (~4 minutes @ 350 degrees, I used the toaster oven)
Chop the peach into small cubes, chiffonade the basil (roll & slice into ribbons) and toss together with a little olive oil and a dash of pepper
Spoon ricotta into each cup and top with the peach & basil mixture. 
Enjoy! 

The Three Bite Rule - Peach & Ricotta Phyllo Cups

I do wish the peach were more ripe – I mistook ripeness on one side with a bruise. This combo was light and was great together. I threw a few tomatoes & basil into a few too. The kids ate them but might not request them specifically. I honestly thought they’d go more for the tomato but both ate the peach ones. 

It could also go onto a crostini – toast & assemble by the grill! Phyllo cups (freezer section, by pie crust & puff pastry) are just such a perfect bite and take zero effort so my loyalty lies there.

Leftover ricotta? (Freeze it if you’ll cook it) Or use it for: 
a summery pasta with zucchini & mint

tomato ricotta pie

chicken parm turnovers

I often have it on toast/bagels in place of cream cheese!

Cherry Lime Refresher

Bottoms up – cherry season is short so let’s have them every way possible – drinks included! I didn’t spike this one but go for it! This was a perfect mid-afternoon drink to sip while getting some stuff done. I can see this being ideal by the pool or for happy hour.

The Three Bite Rule - Cherry Lime Refresher

This one features some lime juice & simple syrup (or limeade), dark cherries, and topped with a few bubbles.

Cherry Lime Refresher
Ingredients: (for 2 drinks)

~3/4 cup cherries, pitted (fresh or frozen)
1 lime, juiced
2 teaspoons simple syrup
1 1/2 cup ice
1/2 cup bubbles (tonic, soda water, sparkling water, sprite, or soda)

Directions:
Chop the cherries and add to a glass with the lime juice & simple syrup and stir.

The Three Bite Rule - Cherry Lime Refresher

Add in the ice and top with bubbles. Enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Cherry Lime Refresher

I loved this. The cherries are great and so sweet so the lime fits perfectly.

The cherry pitting trick is to push the pit through with a metal straw or a wooden skewer or a chopstick since I never want to track down a 1-task tool. I find dark cherries in the freezer section too.