Tag: cilantro

Elote (Grilled Street Corn) Salad

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Yield: 6 Cups

Elote is dish comprised of cooked sweet corn slathered in a spicy mixture of mayonnaise, crema, and chili powder and then sprinkled with cheese. It is often referred to as “Mexican Street Corn” because it’s a popular snack sold by vendors both on the streets and at festivals in Mexico. In Reno, I find it on food trucks.

This salad takes all the ingredients of Grilled Street Corn and makes it easy to transport and serve a crowd for BBQs, potlucks and other group celebrations. It really pairs well with grilled meats.

Ingredients

6 Ears of Corn, husked and silks removed
2 Tablespoons Avocado Oil
1/3 Cup of Crema (see Notes for substitution)
1/4 Cup Fresh Lime Juice (approx. 2 limes)
Lime Zest, from 1-2 Limes 
1/2 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
1 Teaspoon Chili Powder (see Notes for chili powder recommendations)
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Red Onion, Minced
1/2 Bunch of Cilantro, Finely Chopped
1/2 Cup Cotija Cheese, crumbled (see Notes for substitution)

Instructions

  1. Preheat grill to 450 degrees or medium high heat.
  2. Brush corn ears with avocado oil, and place on the grill. Grill with lid closed, turning occasionally until corn is browned on each side. A bit of charring is OK, and imparts a smokey flavor. Too much will create a bitterness throughout the dish.
  3. Remove corn from the grill, and allow to cool for easier handling.
  4. While corn is cooling, prepare dressing by combining all the remaining ingredients except the cheese.
  5. Cut kernels from the cooled corn cobs and place in a large bowl.
  6. Pour dressing over the corn and gently toss with a spatula to coat.
  7. Add Cotija cheese and toss to incorporate.
  8. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
  9. Garnish with additional Cilantro if desired.

Notes:

  • I make my own Chili Powder, which has cumin in it, so I don’t add any cumin in this recipe. However, if you are using a purchased chili powder that does not contain cumin, you will need to add about 1/2 teaspoon of cumin (or more to your taste). I tend to use a lighter hand with this spice, as this suites my personal tastes and cooking style. However, you can be as light or as generous as you wish.
  • Crema and Cotija Cheese are found in my local grocery. They are also found in Mexican groceries around our valley. However, if they are not available to you locally, you can substitute a mix of equal parts sour cream and mayonnaise for the crema. Grated Parmesan cheese can be substituted for the Cotija, or even a mild crumbled Feta.

Salsa Verde

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Yeild: 3 Cups

This is one of the late summer rewards of the garden. I had a good crop of tomatillos, cilantro and jalapeno this year and it was all screaming at me to make some Salsa Verde and preserve enough for a variety of dishes over the winter months.

I am so glad I did. This version of Salsa Verde lets the sweet/tart flavor of the tomatillos shine through, and is forgiving enough to change your quanitites of jalapeno and salt to suite your own preferences.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs Tomatillos
1/2 Cup White Onion, chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, peeled
1/2 Cup Cilantro Leaves, packed
1 Lime - Zested and Juiced
2 Jalapeno Peppers (or more to taste), stemmed and seeded
1/4 Teaspoon of Salt, or more to taste
  • Roasted garlic and tomatillos
  • Pusled in food processor

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. Remove husks from tomatillos and rinse well. Pat dry..
  4. Place tomatillos and whole garlic cloves, on baking sheet. Optionally, add jalapenos.
  5. Roast in oven for 10 -15 minutes until tomatillos are softening and beginning to brown. If jalapenos begin to darken, remove them from the oven before they start to brown. For this recipe you do not want to char the produce, it will create bitterness.
  6. After tomatillos are soft and just starting to turn a carmel color, remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
  7. Place roasted produce and all other ingredients in a food processor and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed.
  8. Taste and adjust seasonings: Add more jalapeno if you want more heat, and additional salt if desired.

Optional Canning Instructions

This recipe can be canned. It is easy to triple or quadruple the above ingredients and make a large batch.

  1. Wash and sterilize canning jars and rings. use pint size, but you can use any size you desire. The above recipe results in about 3 cups of finished salsa, or 1.5 pints so you can estimate the number of jars to use when making a large batch. I triple the recipe, resulting in 9 cups, or 4 pint size jars and 8 oz. to eat immediately.
  2. Bring water to boil in a large water bath canning kettle.
  3. In a seperate small pot, bring about 2 cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat and put canning lids in hot water. Let soak while filling jars.
  4. Fill hot, sterile jars with salsa verde, leaving 1/2 inch head space.
  5. Seal with lids and rings.
  6. Process in hot water bath for 15 minutes.

Fresh Red Salsa

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Makes 4 Cups

This is a raw Salsa with simple, fresh ingredients that can be whipped up in less than a half hour. It stores well for several days, or can alternately be cooked and kept for up to a week. After cooking, it freezes well. Recipe can be adjusted up for canning.

Fresh Red Salsa

Print Recipe
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 4 cups

Equipment

  • Food Processor or hand chopper
  • If you do not have a food processor, recipe can still be made by mincing ingredients with a knife, it just takes a bit longer

Ingredients
  

  • 6 medium Tomatoes, seeded and quartered
  • 1 medium Red Bell Pepper, seeded and ribs removed
  • 1-2 medium Jalapenos, seeded and ribs removed
  • 1/2 – 2/3 medium Yellow Onion, cut into large chunks
  • 1/2 – 3/4 tsp Salt to taste, add more if desired
  • 1 each Lime, juiced
  • 1-3 cloves Garlic
  • 1/2 cup Cilantro Leaves, loosely packed or more to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a food processor fitted with an S-blade, pulse onion, bell pepper and one jalapeno to a large chunky stage. Do not over pulse at this stage.
  • Add tomatoes, lime juice, cilantro, salt and 1 clove of garlice to the food processor bowl, and pulse to a chunky stage. Stop and taste. Adjust onion, garlic, jalapeno, salt and cilantro by adding more to your desired tastes.
  • Pulse a few more time, being careful not to puree, unless you wish a very smooth sauce consistency.
  • Chill for 2-4 hours before servine to allow flavors to blend.
Keyword cilantro, fresh, garlic, jalapeno, pepper, red, Salsa, tomato