No Need to Sneak in Hot Stuff

Change is good. A few years ago, if I saw a recipe that called for anything remotely spicy, I would skip over it because of the husband's dislike of fiery foods. However, over time I weaned him onto slightly spicy foods. It started with using the full amount of black pepper in a recipe, then adding green, yellow, and red peppers, followed by crushed red pepper or hot sauce. Sometimes I warned him and other times I would not tell him and waited for a reaction.

As he recently admitted that he can handle peppers, I have been going back to recipes that I skipped because of his sensitive palate. I've also been packing up our house as we get ready for our move to the suburbs. In this time, I have had a chance to unearth old copies of Cooking Light. I came across what looked like a great pasta with peppers.

It certainly was a great recipe. The corn and the red peppers not only added color to this dish, but it added great flavor. There was a nice harmonious balance with the cumin, onion and cilantro. In our move, we are going to be unable to use our grill. We are moving to a rental while we look for our permanent house and can't use our grill. I discovered that broiling corn tastes great and I think adds to the flavor of corn like grilling does.

I am still trying to work of some weight through diet and exercise. I ate the recommended serving size of this dish (1 cup) and it was filling. The weight loss plan is going well. The trick for me is moderating the portion sizes of what I eat as well as "banking" my calories for something like cheese or sweets. Ah, responsibility....

Rotini with Corn and Roasted Red Pepper with Avocado (adapted from Cooking Light June 2006)
Printable Recipe
2 red bell peppers
2 ears shucked corn
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
13.25 oz whole wheat rotini pasta
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 chopped peeled avocado
3 cooked chicken breasts (I grilled on the George Foreman)
3/4 queso fresco

1. Pre-heat broiler
2. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Add corn to baking sheet. Broil 18 minutes or until peppers are blackened and corn is lightly browned. Place peppers in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel and coarsely chop. Cut kernels from ears of corn.
3. Meanwhile follow package directions for pasta. Drain pasta and set aside.
   
4. Combine oil, salt, black pepper, and cumin in a large bowl; stir. Add peppers, corn, pasta, and remaining ingredients; toss. Top with cheese.
   

Yield: about 8 servings