The weather is playing all kinds of tricks on the Midwest, and quite frankly, my taste buds don’t know what to do about it.
After several weeks of rain and cold, when all I wanted to do was curl up with a big bowl of hearty soup, we’re back up into the upper 80s, which has me craving all things fresh! fast! and, gasp, summery!
I figure why fight it, so I did the damn thing and bought sweet corn – the culinary cornerstone of summertime in Iowa – at the grocery store this week. I know. It was $2 for 6 ears and I mentally scolded myself the entire time I shoved the unshucked ears into a bag.
It’s too early in the season for sweet corn! I tried to reason. Lord knows where it came from, not to mention half of it will taste like paste, the other half won’t taste like anything at all, and what will really kill you is that you had to shuck it all to find out!
I hate shucking corn.
Just then I looked up. The sign hanging above the display was splashed with encouraging words like Local! Iowa grown! and ‘Tis the season!…or something like that. Bingo! Apparently, because of the insanely warm winter and spring we’ve had, Iowa farmers are about 6 weeks ahead of schedule, and some sweet corn is now (barely) in season.
Sweet Corn & Quinoa with Honey Lemon Vinaigrette was added to this week’s menu on the spot!
This recipe, loaded with the bright and fresh summertime flavors of sweet corn, tart lemon, and warm honey, has been burning a hole in my back pocket for the past month now, and boy was I glad to have an excuse to make it. 
Start the Sweet Corn & Quinoa by cooking the quinoa. Rinse 1 cup dry quinoa under running water in a fine mesh sieve, then combine it with 2 cups water in a saucepan.
Bring it to a boil then place a lid on top and cook until all the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.
While the quinoa’s doin’ it’s thang, make the Honey Lemon Vinaigrette that’s destined to be drizzled on top of the sweet corn & quinoa. It’s freaking amazing.
Just combine 1 Tablespoon lemon zest, 2 Tablespoons lemon juice,
1 microplaned garlic clove (BTW: this is the treasured microplane I use for zesting citrus fruits, microplaning garlic, etc. I love it!)
and 1 Tablespoon honey.
Add in salt & pepper, then shake it all up, and set it aside for a sec.
Next, chop up 2 green onions, and slice the kernels off of 2 ears sweet corn. OH DEAR SWEET CORN, how I’ve missed you!
The easiest way I know how to cut kernels off an ear of corn without using any fancy gadgets is to slice a strip of kernels off the ear, rotate it, then cut off another strip, etc. This ensures that no corn kernels will go flying around your kitchen!
Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the green onions and corn, season with salt & pepper, and saute for 3 minutes or so. I like my sweet corn crispy, but you can cook it longer than that if you want softer kernels.
Add the cooked quinoa on top, then pour on the Honey Lemon Vinaigrette.
Turn off the heat, then mix everything together so that each morsel is thoroughly covered in its sweet-tart lusciousness.
Taste, add more salt & pepper if necessary, then devour the creamy, citrusy-sweet concoction.
Sweet Corn & Quinoa with Honey Lemon Vinaigrette
Serves 3-4
Adapted from Just a Taste
Ingredients:
1 cup dry quinoa
2 cups water
2 Tablespoons butter
2 green onions, sliced
2 ears sweet corn
salt & pepper
For the Honey Lemon Vinaigrette:
1 Tablespoon lemon zest
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove, microplaned or finely minced
1 Tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions:
- Rinse quinoa thoroughly under running water in a fine mesh sieve. Combine with water in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then place a lid on top and cook until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients for the Honey Lemon Vinaigrette in a mason jar or small bowl, then shake or whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add green onions and sweet corn, season with salt & pepper, then saute until corn is tender, about 3 minutes. Add in cooked quinoa and Honey Lemon Vinaigrette, then toss thoroughly to combine. Taste, add more salt & pepper if necessary, then serve.
This is summer. Right here, in this very bowl. 8)
The corn and honey are fresh and sweet, while the zest and juice from the lemon are clean and tangy. Creamy, salty butter wraps everything together into an unbelievably satisfying bite.
Sweet Corn & Quinoa is good piping hot, warm, or cold out of the refrigerator. Not that I couldn’t keep my fork out the leftovers at all stages of the cool down process and would know for certain, or anything…
If you can’t find good sweet corn in your area yet, put this in your recipe file for a couple months down the road, or try using frozen-then-thawed corn. Trader Joes’ frozen sweet corn is really, really good!
~~~~~
Which food are you most looking forward to devouring this summer?
I am waiting on pins and needles for watermelon and peaches!
Made this today…sooo good! Even better eating it later as the dressing really soaks in! Yum!
[...] originally saw this recipe on Iowa Girl Eats. If you’ve never been to her site I highly recommend it. She is always making simple and [...]
MmmMmm this sounds really good and I will definitely be making this really soon! LOVE corn and quinoa, never had the 2 together for some reason..I am excited for all summer fruits and veggies too! Thanks for the great recipe =)
Yum!! Made this earlier today for supper tonight and I keep sneaking a spoonful every time I walk by. There may not be any left by supper time. Thanks for the recipe!
Made this for dinner last night. Immediately dubbed “the best quinoa ever” by my bf!! Soooo good!
I made a double batch of the vinaigrette so I could use some as a glaze for grilled chicken. Dinner was a big hit!!
Finally made this for dinner tonight. OMG! Soooo good. I will be making this recipe often this summer.
Kristin – I made this for Ryan last night for one of our vegetarian meals and he LOVED it. He immediately deemed it a keeper which is especially great given that I cooked a horrid meal the night before.
Thanks much – now I’m perusing the other quinoa recipes. Hope all is well!
I found this recipe link on Village Harvest’s facebook page, absolutely amazing (I don’t say that very often!) Well done!
[...] birthday. My mom whipped up a panko crusted grilled salmon and grilled asparagus, and I made Iowa Girl Eats’ Sweet Corn and Quinoa Honey Vinaigrette (incredible and so easy) as a side. After a full weekend of friends, family and fun, boyfriend [...]
[...] Honey Lemon Vinaigrette for the skillet. Yeeeeah…it’s the same dressing I used on the Sweet Corn & Quinoa dish a few weeks ago. I am obsessed with it and can’t help myself, [...]
i am so excited to have found this recipe on Pinterest! Cannot wait to make this. I LOVE quinoa and corn
[...] Serves 3-4 Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats [...]
OMG! I made this tonight with a few modifications. I added chicken and left out the scallions. I had frozen corn and was nervous to use it since fresh sweet corn is delicious but it was still amazing!!!
[...] Sweet Corn & Quinoa with Honey Lemon Vinaigrette From Iowa Girl Eats [...]
Did you cook the corn prior to cutting it off the cob?
No it’s cooked in the skillet.
I just made this for dinner — with the addition of one large squash and one large onion — and it. was. DELICIOUS! My meat-and-potato-eating fiance ate TWO WHOLE BOWLS! Thank you, Kristin! Thank you very much!
I just made this for dinner tonight and I’m curious if it’s better served warm or cold?
I like them both ways – maybe a teeeensy bit better warm, though!
I’ve made this several times now. Last night I made extra of the vinaigrette and used it as a marinade on some chicken breasts to with the quinoa. I basted the chicken with a little more honey plus sweet red chili sauce, and that little bit of extra sweetness and heat seriously took it over the top. I’m going to need to start buying quinoa in bulk!
I made this tonight and it was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good. I definitely think the key here is fresh corn off the cob. I omitted the green onions and added a few splashes of lemon juice after I let the vinaigrette cook in for a bit. I also added shrimp to this and it was an added bonus. My hubby who didn’t like quinoa the first time he tasted it, liked this dish. I have leftovers for work on Monday!
This looks sooo scrumptious!! I LOVE fresh, sweet corn on the cob, I can’t wait to try it! Thanks for posting!
[...] to Iowa Girl Eats I made an amazing Sweet Corn Quinoa recipe. [...]
Made this tonight and LOVED it! Our corn was so sweet that I don’t think I needed the honey. And my quinoa cooked in 20 min. Thanks for the great recipe!!! I only wish I had made a double batch.
Ahh, YUM!!!!! We made this tonight with grilled lemon pepper chicken…. DELISH!!!!!!!
[...] are the links: Kings Hawaiian ham sammies Homemade Potato Chips and Avocado Ranch Dip Roast Beef sweet corn quinoa with honey lemon vinaigrette Greek yogurt strawberry banana bread This entry was posted in Food by admin. Bookmark the [...]
[...] adapted slightly from Iowa Girl Eats [...]
This recipe is EXCELLENT! I served it with salmon that had a chipolte/lime/brown sugar seasoned topping and the two go together wonderfully! This is at the top of my list! I can’t wait to eat the leftovers cold!
[...] Corn and Quinoa Salad [...]
Did you use raw honey or pasteurized honey for this recipe?
Made this tonight! Loved it! Thanks!
[...] and fish once a week since it’s more of a high veggie diet not strictly vegetarian), and Honey-lemon Quinoa. Monday night: Meeting friends at Downtown Disney [...]
I added craisins and it was terrific!
FYI, I think this makes WAY more than 3-4 servings. I’d say more like 8-10. Also, I added probably about four times as much green onions, and I think that worked out well. And since it’s almost winter, I used frozen (thawed) corn — I’d say you’ll need roughly a 12-ounce bag. I had a 16-ounce bag but didn’t use it all. … Thanks for the recipe! It was a big hit at the party I brought it to.
[...] wine or white balsamic vinegar Stir all ingredients together. Finis. Other Quinoa Creations: Sweet Corn and Quinoa with Honey Lemon Vinaigrette from Iowa Girl Eats Quinoa, Avocado, Tomato and Black Bean Salad from The Perfect Pantry Fudgy [...]
I LOVE THIS RECIPE!! I was so happy to find a perfect recipe online after typing in the two ingredients I was hoping to use, quinoa and corn. I didnt have green onions on hand so i substituted cilantro and, with all due respect, it was even better than I can imagine it tasting with green onions. You must give it a try
My mouth thanks you!
Happy Tasty Tuesday! We love this recipe and it is featured on our Delicious Quinoa recipe round-up this week! Thanks so much for sharing!
http://4virtu.com/2013/01/tasty-tuesday-delicious-quinoa-recipes/