Grilled Sweet Corn

This is another good recipe for those who are wondering what a vegetarian could possibly throw on the grill for supper. We like to grill corn on the cob in the husks. This requires soaking the ears for at least one hour.
If the corn has a lot of silk you can peel back only the top half layers of husk and remove as much silk as possible. Then rewrap the husks over the corn. Or, you can cut off as much silk as is hanging outside the husks. Usually I just leave it on. Once the corn is grilled the husk and silk remove easily, and that is part of the fun of eating outdoors anyway, and a way to get your guests involved in the fun, too.
Once the silk issue is dealt with, simply put the ears of corn in the sink and fill it with enough water to completely cover, and let them soak. I like to do this on a Sunday just before leaving for church. Then, when we get home and fire up the grill the corn is all ready to go.
Remove the corn from the water and shake to remove excess water. Place on cooking grate and cook on indirect/medium heat for about 25 minutes, turning 3 times. Husks may get brown and shriveled — don’t worry about that.
The corn will be very hot! Wear gloves or use ovenmitts to protect your hands while husking. (Each person husks his own ear of corn, so have a bucket handy for husks).
REMEMBER: organic corn is always your best choice.

*Creamy Herb Dressing, from “More Choices” by Cheryl D. Thomas-Peters, RD and James A Peters, MD, DrPH, RD

Ingredients:
1/2 cup 1 percent tofu, soft
2 Tbsp. tofu or soy or nonfat milk
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 – 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. honey
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. fresh dill or 1/2 – 1 tsp dried dill

1. Combine all ingredients except the dill in the blender and blend until smooth. Scrape the sides of the blender as needed. Add more milk as needed to get a consistency that is quite thin and pourable.*

2. Pour into bowl and stir in dill. Add more lemon juice if a tangier taste is preferred.

Makes 1 cup
prep time: 5 minutes

*This dressing can be made thinner so it’s pourable, or thicker if used for a dip. It can be made with a variety of herbs, preferably fresh herbs for the best flavor.

Broiled Summer Vegetable Wraps

When summer comes everyone wants to grill something delicious and eat outside. Vegetarians are often clueless about what to do when that urge strikes. When your meat-eating friends are grilling steaks and chicken, what are you supposed to do? Nuke another veggie burger?
We have found that grilled or broiled Vegetable Wraps are not only delicious, but beautiful — much more colorful and appetizing than a hunk of brown meat. Plus, you can do all the slicing and dicing the day before and allow the veggies to marinate overnight. The next day you only have to broil or grill them for a few minutes, and they’re ready to wrap.

Ingredients:
Any combination of 1/2 inch sliced zucchini, yellow summer squash, eggplant, and red, green, and/or yellow sweet peppers . (Slice enough to fill a large oblong glass lasagna-type casserole dish).
1 large onion cut into eighths
2 – 3 cloves of thinly sliced fresh garlic

Marinade:
1/3 c olive oil
2 – 3 Tbsps. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. salt
Drizzle marinade mixture over vegetables and gently stir and toss to coat them. (Use more marinade if desired). Cover with plastic wrap and allow to marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day:
Preheat oven on BROIL setting. Spread marinated vegetables on a large PAM-sprayed baking sheet (with sides). Broil for 4 minutes, turn veggies, broil for another 4 minutes. Repeat until done. This doesn’t take too long — about 10 – 15 minutes total. The veggies will be done when they are slightly wilted and browned. — OR —
If you want to use your outdoor gas grill instead of the oven broiler, just put the prepared vegetables on a double thickness of PAM-sprayed heavy-duty aluminum foil. Cover with another double layer foil, and securely seal edges. Place on center grate and turn package over once or twice during cooking.
Serve on whole wheat tortilla wraps with veggie cheese and Creamy Herb Dressing*

Restaurant Review: Bensi

Bensi (Italian restaurant) at The Shoppes at Wyomissing, Woodland Rd., Wyomissing, PA, (610) 375-3222.

Hours- daily: 11:00am – 11:00pm, Fri. and Sat.: 11:00am – midnight

   Bensi is a new restaurant in the Reading area. It is located in the Shoppes at Wyomissing mall which contains a collection of upscale clothing/accessories stores and a couple of other restaurants. The cuisine at Bensi is Italian, and it is open for a casual lunch break while shopping or a special dinner date.

   My daughter and I visited on a Friday afternoon. I couldn’t understand why we were told that there was a 15 minute wait for a table when two thirds of the restaurant was empty, but we were. Our waiter set us up to enjoy the experience with his opening words. When we commented that this was our first time at the restaurant he enthusiastically replied, “You are in for a treat!” , and he handed us their heavy menu.

   We were happy to see that there were many vegetarian options, from unusual salads to creative entrees. If you can’t find something to eat at Bensi you’re just not trying. I ordered the rigatoni with cauliflower, white beans, tomatoes and spinach. My daughter had the penne with vodka sauce. We also ordered side salads, which were huge and very fresh. A crusty loaf of white bread (wish it could have been whole grain) and butter were complementary — we requested olive oil instead of the butter and were promptly accommodated with a dish of olive oil and herbs.

   The serving sizes were generous and the staff pleasant and attentive. We both thought our entrees could have been more highly seasoned — a little soy sauce or pesto would have added some zing to mine. Instead, we made do with the salt and pepper on the table, which was okay. (Maybe they were thinking of folks who are on a salt restricted diet or those who simply prefer to control their own seasonings — I give them the benefit of the doubt). We had plenty leftover to take home, and were too stuffed to even consider dessert. I finished my leftovers the next day with a few spritzes of Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, and that was just what it needed.

    Dinner entrees at Bensi are priced from $10.95 – $24.95. Lunch entrees are a few dollars less. Phone reservations are recommended for parties of 7 or more. I would definitely go back – I can’t wait to try some of the other original menu items that are so unusual for health conscious diners to find in Berks County. I would recommend this restaurant to friends.