Getting Corny

Last week Tom traveled to Las Vegas for work, and came home raving about Bobby Flay's restaurant Mesa Grill. Not that I'm complaining... of all things for him to focus on in Vegas I'm very supportive of finding new delicious recipes. One of the highlight dishes was a corn salad side that made it's way around the table and was a favorite of everyone there. So we set out to recreate the dish, and identified two Bobby Flay recipes on the Food Network's website that had components of the dish Tom fell in love with. With some creative trial and error Tom put his own twist on the recipe and came up with something similar, that I think is delicious! We made it for a BBQ this past weekend and it went over really well, so time to share it.

Grilled Corn Salad with Lime, Chipotle Aioli, and Cotija

Serves 6-8 people

8 ears of fresh corn, silks removed, husk on; soaked in cold water for 30 minutes

Canola oil (to rub down the grill)

Salt and fresh ground pepper

3 tablespoons fat free sour cream

2 limes juiced, and 1 zested

1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro leaves

1/3 cup finely crumbled cotija cheese

1/4 cup chipotle aioli (recipe below)

Heat grill to high & grill corn until charred on all sides, 10 or so minutes.

Take off the grill and remove the kernels with a sharp knife.

Place the corn and remaining ingredients in a large skillet over high heat.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until creamy and heated through.

Chipotle Aioli

Creates 1/3 cup

1/3 cup light mayonnaise

1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

Whisk ingredients together.

In my opinion, one of the best parts of this side dish is the way it smells. Lots of lime and fresh cilantro, mixed with the grilled flavors of the corn. We've served this dish hot and cold, and it works well both ways. So there it is, another way of serving fresh summer corn that's a bit more creative then straight off the cob - although that's a favorite of ours too!