Fresh Corn and Spinach Salad

Okay, I must confess - I absolutely HATE cooking. If I didn't have to feed the rest of my family, I would happily live off of cereal and sandwiches with maybe a few frozen dinners thrown in.  Having two picky kids {who can't even be nice picky eaters and dislike the same food}, a special needs man who lives with us who is also very particular about what he eats, and a vegetarian husband doesn't help things.  We tend to have a very limited food repertoire around here...

I do, of course, have lots of fabulous recipes pinned to my Pinterest boards, some great recipe books that I purchased when I was feeling particularly optimistic, and a binder full of magazine pages that I have torn out for "future" use.  Well, I have finally decided to break out some of those recipes and try something new!  Nothing crazy mind you...just a commitment to trying ONE new recipe per week.  That should be doable.  Right???

Since summer is such a great time to enjoy salads, I thought I would start with something easy...

FRESH CORN and SPINACH SALAD

{adapted from Better Homes and Garden July 2012}

DRESSING

• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp.salt
• 1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

Whisk together vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper until the sugar is dissolved.  Allow to stand while preparing the salad.

SALAD

• 4 cobs of fresh cooked corn {cut corn from the cob}
• 1/2 cup finely diced red onion {approximately the same size as the corn kernals}
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes halved
• 1/2 cup cucumber seeded but not peeled
• 1/2 cup orange sweet pepper
• 3 tbsp. parsley, finely torn
• 1 tbsp fresh torn basil leaves
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• approximately 2 -3 cups of spinach

Toss all ingredients together except for the salt and spinach leaves.  At serving time, transfer the corn mixture to the serving bowl, season with the salt and toss in the spinach leaves.  Add about half of the dressing and toss.  Add remaining dressing to taste.

Well, I can say that the adults really enjoyed it.  It probably wasn't the kids favorite recipe ever {I think they prefer the ice cream mud pies}, but they did eat it all!  And that is all I can ask for! :)

So what about you guys?  Do you try new recipes often?  If you have any must try recipes for me {keep in mind the vegetarian hubby!}, leave me a link!!

I linked up with 30 Handmade Days, Uncommon, Savvy Southern Style, Lil Luna, Not Just a Housewife, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Skip To My Lou, Craft-O-Maniac, Under the Table and Dreaming, Positively Splendid, I Heart Naptime, Be Different Act Normal, Funky Junk Interiors, Tatertots and Jello, The Shabby Nest, Tidy Mom, At the Picket Fence, Delightful Order, The 36th Avenue, Stone Gable and The Shabby Creek Cottage.