Category Archives: Salads

Roasted Mexican Corn Salad

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Summer Corn Salad

When I created this summer salad, I was envisioning the corn on the cob sold by our neighborhood Mexican elote street vendors.  “Elote” simply means “corn on the cob” in Spanish.  The vendors traditionally serve the cobs coal-roasted with a squeeze of lime juice, slathered with (imitation) butter and mayonnaise, rolled in Cotija cheese and sprinkled with Ancho chile powder or cilantro.  Sounds like overkill, but when done properly, they’re utterly addictive.

For my salad version, I originally envisioned closely following the traditional list of ingredients, but since I was making this side dish for a sweltering June afternoon barbecue, I decided sunbaked mayonnaise may not be the best choice for a food-poisoning free day.  My consternation then turned to cilantro.  While I love the bright-green herb (especially on sandwiches and in salads), I realize there are many cilantro-haters out there, claiming it tastes like soap (others even asserting “cilantro allergies,” but color me doubtful.)  Accordingly, I opted for the less-divisive dried Mexico oregano.  The final recipe resembles nothing of Mexican street elote, but, nevertheless, it’s quite tasty and perfect for a summer backyard barbecue.


Roasted Mexican Corn Salad

No mayo, a breeze to make, and no need to refrigerate - the ideal side salad for a summer backyard barbecue.


Ingredients

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 4 Tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 Tablespoon pickled jalapeno, chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste
  • 3 cups roasted corn
  • ½ cup red bell pepper, diced
  • ¼ cup green onions, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup celery, diced
  • ½ cup Cotija cheese, crumbled

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, garlic, pickled jalapeno, dried oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine corn, red bell pepper, green onions, celery and Cotija cheese. Pour dressing over corn mixture and toss. Let rest for 30 minutes. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
    3. Tip: I roll leftovers of this flavorful salad in flour tortillas for an easy summer mid-week dinner.

Poached salmon with fennel salad and creamy caper sauce

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Poached Salmon with Fennel Salad

“You breathe in experience, and you breathe out what you make.”
– Doug Aitken

This quote has been swirling around my brain today. Does this mean creating shouldn’t be a struggle – that making art is as natural as aspiration? That sounds so effortless. I wish. Or does it suggest that limited experiences, like inadequate oxygen molecules in toxic air, results in an insipid and shallow creative exhale?

In yoga, there’s a Sanskrit word, pranayama, which translates as “breath control” or “control of life force.” Pranayama is a set of breathing techniques where the breath is intentionally altered to produce specific results. In practice, when we focus on our breath, it becomes fuller, richer, more rounded. A deep, expansive inhale yields an equally full exhale.

Applied to the quote above, it would imply, indeed, that the best art requires a cache of rich experiences. Or does our internal creative process provide an avenue to transform any experience, even the drone of suburban monotony, into something wonderful?

Speaking of turning something mundane into something wonderful…this creamy, flavorful lemon, dill and caper sauce paired with fennel salad elevates humble poached salmon into something both healthy and crave worthy – fancy enough for company.


Poached salmon with fennel salad and creamy caper sauce

Starting the poaching process in cold water ensures the fish remains incredibly moist.

Ingredients

    Fennel Salad
  • 2 fennel bulbs, cored and thinly sliced
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
    • Poached Salmon
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 shallot, sliced
  • 1 stalk celery, sliced
  • 2 sprigs dill
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 5 peppercorns
  • 1 large pinch salt
  • 4 8-oz. skinless salmon fillets
    • Caper Sauce
  • ½ cup Greek yogurt
  • 2 Tablespoons capers, drained and roughly chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon dill, chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, combine fennel salad ingredients and set aside to marinate.
  2. In a large saucepan, combine water, lemon juice, shallots, celery, dill, bay, peppercorns and salt. Add salmon to poaching liquid and additional water, until poaching liquid just covers salmon (about 2 more cups).
  3. Cover, turn heat to medium and cook salmon until internal temperature reaches 115°F, about 18 minutes. Carefully transfer salmon to a plate and chill until cold.
  4. To make yogurt sauce, combine all ingredients and chill. If too thick, add a bit of water or milk.
  5. Serve salmon over fennel Salad liberally drizzled with yogurt sauce.