Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Aida's Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Salad="Bite"

Ask Aida is a show featured on the Food Network. I tested her corn salad over Memorial Day weekend as a replacement for coleslaw. What I found was not only is the salad a great replacement for slaw, but a staple for summer meals (no oven required ladies!)

So here is Aida's Recipe:

Ingredients
For the dressing:
1 1/2 cups packed fresh cilantro
1/2 cup good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

For the salad:
4 ears corn, kernels removed (about 3 cups)
1 1/2 pounds grape tomatoes, halved (about 3 cups)
1 pound fresh mozzarella, diced
2 medium avocados, diced
Directions
Combine the dressing ingredients in a blender, using 2 teaspoons salt, and pepper to taste; process until smooth. Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Let sit at least 15 minutes before serving, or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

Lesley's Take:
-Ok, NIX the dressing. There is too much cilantro in it and placing cilantro in a blender is a no-no as it makes the cilantro turn bitter (burns it actually). If cilantro is your thing, I would suggest to cut the amount in half , tear by hand and throw it in dressing at the end!

Instead try my dressing, or heck use a bottle of Italian, Balsamic, or Rasberry Vinegrette. It will still be yummy.
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lime or lemon or orange juice (fresh or bottled is OK!)
2 tablespoons fresh zest of lime, or lemon, or orange.
1-2 tablespoons of creamy dijon mustard (or mix 1 tbsp of mayo with 1 tbsp regular mustard, I prefer the creamy dijon though)
1/4 cup of honey

-Use 3 cups frozen corn (1/2 white corn and 1/2 yellow) thawed or cook from frozen in a skillet (roasting it bascially) until slightly brown and cooked evenly.
-Cut the grape tomatoes in half
-If you like avocado, add it on top of the salad at the end, do not mix it in with other ingredients as it does not keep well and turns brown (oxidizes) quickly. If you are not a fan of avocado or do not have it on hand, the salad is good without it.
-Fresh mozzarella is best, but if you have shredded, throw it in.

We have eaten this salad topped with grilled chicken, roasted turkey breast, grilled salmon, and next on the list is with steak. We have even thrown in pasta! It is great as a side or a main even without meat.

Try it and let me know if you like it! Comments always appreciated! If you tried it and tweaked it, let us know your take on it!

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