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Salads & Salad Dressings

Mexican Street Corn Salad

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Looking for creative ways to eat fresh Olathe Sweet Corn?

skillet of cornThere are so many easy ways to cook corn on the cob, but this salad is an off-the-cob recipe for serving sweet corn.

This Mexican Street Corn Salad is a lightened version of Esquites, a charred corn salad served in Mexico.  The secret ingredient of this recipe is the Cotija cheese, a salty, dry cheese that is crumbled on top of the corn.  Combining the corn with a light dressing of yogurt, lime, chili powder and cilantro gives this salad a bright flavor without adding mayonnaise (a traditional ingredient in this salad).

Next time your fixing fresh sweet corn or even if you’re dressing up corn from the freezer, try Mexican Street Corn Salad. It’s the perfect side dish to your next Mexican feast.

4.5 from 2 votes
street corn salad
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Mexican Street Corn Salad
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
20 mins
 

This is a lighter version of a traditional recipe, known as Esquites, uses Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise. Cotija cheese provides the unique flavor profile of this recipe but if you can't find it, feta cheese can be substituted.

Course: Salad
Keyword: corn
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 111 kcal
Author: Karen
Ingredients
  • 3 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • ¼ cup whole Greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup fresh lime juice about 1 lime
  • ½ teaspoon ancho chili powder
  • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • ¼ cup cotija cheese or feta cheese, but it would change the flavor profile
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over high heat.
  2. Spread corn kernels across the skillet. Allow the corn to cook without stirring until the corn starts to char (about 5 minutes), stir and allow the corn to sit for another 2 minutes without stirring. When most of the corn is slightly charred, remove the skillet from heat and allow to cool.
  3. In a large bowl combine yogurt, lime juice and chili powder. Stir in corn, cilantro, and top with cheese. The cheese will add considerable amount of saltiness, so wait until the recipe is combined before adjusting the seasonings.
Recipe Notes

Cilantro stems can be woody, so make sure that you use only the leaves.

Sesame Tahini Dressing

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Dean's Sesame Tahini DressingSesame tahini may seem like a trendy ingredient, but it has been a staple in our family’s favorite dressing for decades.  My husband, Dean, learned to make Sesame Tahini Dressing while living in the Albatross House, a vegetarian commune in college. This dressing is so versatile that it can be used as a topping for baked potatoes or tossed with roasted vegetables.  Our favorite use is for Sesame Tahini Dressing is to dress a tossed green salad or quinoa/veggie bowl.

Look for tahini in the ethnic aisle or near the nut butters in your grocery store. A layer of oil forms on the top of the paste and protects the tahini from moisture loss and oxidation.  Store the unused tahini, covered in the refrigerator.  Simply stir the oil into the paste to reincorporate it before using.

Salad with Sesame Tahini Dressing-
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Sesame Tahini Dressing
Prep Time
15 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 
This dressing tastes especially zesty when it is fresh. Don't worry about any unused sesame tahini purchased fo this recipe, you will be making your second batch in no time.
Course: Salad
Servings: 32 servings
Calories: 68 kcal
Ingredients
  • 1 cup canola oil 200 mL
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 50 mL
  • 1/4 cup sesame tahini 50 mL
  • 1/4 cup tamari or low sodium soy sauce 50 mL
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
  1. In a blender combine oil, juice, tahini, tamari and ginger.
  2. Blend until smooth. This dressing will separate over time. Just shake or stir it well to redistribute the oil and serve.
Recipe Notes

This dressing will last several weeks in the refrigerator, but it never lasts that long in our home.

Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

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Sometimes I just don’t get my husband. He’ll it come home after teaching all day and be famished because he forgot to eat lunch. Really?! How can anyone forget to eat lunch? Honestly, I haven’t missed a regular meal time since 2001.  When I miss a meal I tend to get a bit testy and agitated— a condition that I have been told is called “hangry.”  It’s an embarrassing behavior that comes with being both hungry and angry, and lashing out at those who would truly feed you if they could.

spinach salad with poppy seed dressingI need some assurance that I’m normal…do you ever get hangry? If you get a bit agitated when your lunch is overdo or dinner gets delayed, I’d like to know how you prevent it from happening to you.

One of my best strategies to prevent my hunger ugliness is meal planning.  With just a little forethought I can have lunch fixin’s ready to go to work with me at the beginning of the week. I put leftovers, or as I call them, planned-overs, in meal size containers that are ready to grab when I head out the door.  This Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing recipe is easy to get organized for several lunches throughout the week –give it a try.  What are your go-to quick lunches for a busy week?  If you share your favorite fast lunch ideas with me, I’ll try them out and share them on this blog.

spinach salad with poppy seed dressing
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Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
Prep Time
15 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 
With a little planning on Sunday, this salad will make a fresh and satisfying lunch during the busy week ahead. If you are cooking bacon on the weekend, just fry up a couple of extra slices for a crisp topping on the spinach. Hard-boil some eggs and combine the dressing ingredients in a small canning jar with a tight fitting lid. Along with a bag of fresh spinach, you will have an easy-to-assemble lunch that's also good for you!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 307 kcal
Ingredients
Poppy Seed Dressing
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
Salad
  • 10 ounces fresh spinach trimmed and torn
  • 2 hard-cooked eggs sliced
  • 1/4 cup crumbled crisp-fried bacon
Instructions
  1. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the oil, vinegar, honey, mustard and poppy seeds. Seal the jar and shake until all ingredients are mixed, season with salt and pepper to taste. Extra dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
  2. Assemble the salad by tossing the spinach and half of the dressing in a large salad bowl. Top the spinach with egg slices and crumbled bacon. Drizzle with additional dressing just before serving. Makes 4 servings