Dinner, Grill, Mexican, Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes

Mexican Corn Salad

November 16, 2022

Mexican corn salad, also known as Esquites (Mexican street food snack using corn kernels as the main ingredient) is ideal for serving alongside burritos, quesadillas, tacos, grilled chicken, avocado and tomato sandwiches or simply as a meal in itself. The combination of flavors and textures make this a standout side dish and a lively addition to any meal. Crisp charred corn, creamy dressing, tangy feta cheese, a bit of heat from the peppers. Pure deliciousness.

When I see fresh corn at the market with nice green husks and no sign of deterioration, I usually buy a few ears to grill and eat right away as corn loses sweetness when stored in the refrigerator for too long. On this occasion, I bought 4 ears with the intent of making this delicious salad which keeps well for several days and is perfect to pack up for a picnic.

Grilling the corn and peppers adds another dimension of flavor to the salad. Those smoky, charred bits of corn kernels and peppers are hard to resist. If you don’t have a grill, you can use a stovetop grill pan instead.

I picked a few small poblano peppers from the garden and grilled them with the corn. The charred peppers smell divine and add a mild heat to the salad.

Mt. Vikos feta is a favorite of mine but feel free to use cotija cheese. The radish is optional but adds color and crunch to the salad. All of the ingredients are easily found at your local market. I always keep a jar of smoked paprika on hand. It perks up every dish you add it to.

The charred corn kernels are so tasty….

Mexican Corn Salad

Recipe by KiyoCourse: Recipes

Servings

servings

Ingredients

4 ears fresh corn, husks and silk removed
1 medium poblano pepper
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons red onion, chopped
1 red radish, chopped (optional)
1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro (reserve 1 tablespoon for serving)
2 ounces Mt. Vikos feta, crumbled or substitute with cotija cheese
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons sour cream
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon mild chile powder
1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
sweet paprika or smoked paprika for topping
pickled jalapeños for garnish (optional)

Directions

Grill corn and poblano pepper over high heat, turning occasionally for even cooking. Remove poblano pepper once it is fully charred. Remove corn when there are patches of charred kernels. Set aside.
Meanwhile, mix mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, smoked paprika, chile powder, and salt in a small bowl.
Once corn has cooled, slice off kernels and place in a medium bowl. Remove skin from poblano, chop into small pieces and add to corn. Poblanos can vary in heat but are typically on the mild side. Add as much as you want according to your taste. Add 2 tablespoons red onion, chopped radish if using, and cilantro (reserve 1 tablespoon cilantro for serving). Stir in the dressing making sure to evenly coat the vegetables. Taste, adding more salt if needed.
Transfer salad to a shallow serving dish. Distribute feta over the top. Add reserved red onion and cilantro and sprinkle paprika over the feta cheese. Top with pickled jalapeño rings.

Notes

Salad can be made a day in advance. Add cilantro topping just before serving. Salad will keep well for up to 3 days stored in the refrigerator.

Chicken, Dinner, Grill, Lactose Free, Recipes, Sandwiches, Summer Grilling

Mayo-Marinated Grilled Chicken Breasts

May 10, 2022

Tender and juicy grilled chicken breasts marinated in mayonnaise combined with bold flavorings is a dream come true. It can be a tricky grilling lean chicken breasts as they have a tendency to overcook or cook unevenly. Mayonnaise is the solution to this problem. It is a perfect coating which will keep chicken very moist and tender when grilled. And it’s such an easy meal to put together on short notice. An added benefit is that the breasts become virtually non-stick when on the hot grill. Leftovers make the best sandwiches. And depending on what ingredients you choose to add to the mayonnaise, thinly sliced chicken is the perfect foil for warm tortillas served with your favorite salsa.

Choose whatever flavors you enjoy. I combined mayonnaise with smoked paprika and also mixed some up with homemade pesto. You could use fresh herbs, barbecue sauce, minced chipotle in adobo (for a spicy version), or any other bold ingredients. I reserved some of my pesto to serve over the grilled chicken.

Kenji Alt-Lopez has a recipe on NYT Cooking that includes chimichurri. You can put this together in 15 minutes if you have the ingredients ready to go.

Chimichurri sauce is very versatile. Use it with this recipe, or drizzled over a grilled steak, roasted veggies, pasta salad or as a sandwich dressing. For an appetizer, grill good sourdough bread and slather the sauce over the bread before serving.

Mayo-Marinated Grilled Chicken Breasts

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Author: Kiyo Miller

Serves: 4

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded lightly for even pieces
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
flavorings of your choice: pesto, barbecue sauce, fresh herbs, chimichurri (best to use seasonings that do not have too much liquid as this will create a runny coating)
salt and pepper
chimichurri sauce: 1 cup packed Italian parsley leaves
¼ cup packed cilantro leaves (optional)
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons chopped red or white onion
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

Combine your favorite seasoning with the mayonnaise. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken. Coat both the top and bottom of each breast with the seasoned mixture. Place chicken in a dish, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to grill the chicken (a few hours is sufficient). If you are using more than one seasoning, divide mayonnaise into separate bowls then add desired seasonings to each bowl (1 tablespoon mayonnaise + seasoning per breast).
Meanwhile, combine all chimichurri ingredients in a small bowl. You may use some of the chimichurri with mayonnaise to coat the chicken breasts.
Grill over medium high heat until chicken reads 160 degrees on an instant read thermometer. Serve chimichurri sauce (if using) with grilled chicken. Cooked chicken breasts can be frozen (vacuum sealed preferably) and used for sandwiches or as a taco filling.

Dinner, Grill, Italian, Lactose Free, Pork, Recipes, Sandwiches

Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches

January 7, 2022

I posted this pork tenderloin recipe in 2015 and it’s been one of our favorites ever since. In that recipe, the pork was cut into medallions and grilled then served with a side of asparagus and potatoes or spinach and frites. We always had enough leftover pork to use in a sandwich which turned out to be a real winner. We finally realized that this pork tenderloin recipe was worthy of making just for sandwiches alone. It is delicious sliced and served with the tangy dressing on a kaiser roll or sourdough, and topped with lots of peppery arugula.

Most markets carry thinly sliced prosciutto which works best for this recipe. I bought this packet at Whole Foods.

The fresh herbs, lemon, garlic and red pepper flakes combined with olive oil make a delicious marinade and dressing for the pork.

The pork tenderloin is seasoned with the marinade then wrapped with prosciutto. It’s best to tie the tenderloin so the prosciutto stays in place as you cook the pork.

It doesn’t take long for the pork to cook as it is a small cut of meat that should be cooked to just the right temperature (145F degrees).

The prosciutto becomes crispy once grilled. It adds a flavorful punch that enhances the pork tenderloin.

Cut thin slices of the pork tenderloin and drizzle some of the reserved dressing over it then stack it on your favorite bread. Arugula is a really nice addition for this sandwich, however, if you are not a fan of arugula any other greens such as romaine or butter lettuce would be a good substitute.

This is a delightful sandwich that is easy to prepare. Pork tenderloin is lean and the prosciutto adds a little umami flavor that is most welcome.

Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches

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Author: Kiyo Miller

Serves: 6

Ingredients

For the dressing:
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 scant teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
2 teaspoons minced garlic
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
For the pork:
1¼ pound pork tenderloin, trimmed well
kosher salt
black pepper
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
To serve:
Rolls or bread of your choice, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Swiss cheese (optional), arugula

Preparation

Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside
Lightly season pork tenderloin with kosher salt and pepper. Rub some of the sauce onto the tenderloin coating well. Reserve the rest of the sauce for serving. Wrap the prosciutto slices around the pork tenderloin. Tie the tenderloin so the prosciutto stays in place while cooking.
Preheat gas grill or prepare charcoal grill to medium-high heat. Clean grill grates and brush well with oil.
Grill the tenderloin covered, turning occasionally to ensure the prosciutto is browned and crisp. Check for doneness with an instant read thermometer. The internal temperature should register 145 degrees.
Let pork cool before slicing into thin pieces. This will make it easier to slice the pork. You may refrigerate the pork and cut it once it has chilled a bit. Serve on your favorite roll or bread with mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, reserved dressing, arugula and Swiss cheese if you like.

Beef, Dinner, Grill, Korean, Lactose Free, Recipes

Kalbi Ribeye

December 23, 2021

Korean kalbi ribs are a local island favorite in Hawaii. It is most common to use flanken-style short ribs for this recipe. It is sometimes difficult to find this cut of meat, however, your butcher should be able to accommodate your request. Though this is the most common cut of meat used for kalbi, I found that using a boneless ribeye is superb. The ribeye is tender and so flavorful.

I bought a thick cut ribeye from Whole Foods and asked the butcher to slice it into two thinner pieces. It worked out perfectly for kalbi.

The marinade is easy to prepare with ingredients you most likely have on hand.

The main ingredients for the marinade are garlic, ginger, green onion, sesame seeds and onion. Though it may seem very ordinary, these common ingredients come together to make the best marinade.

I mix up the marinade early in the morning and let the steaks soak up the tasty sauce for about 10 hours.

The end result is a delicious kalbi-style ribeye steak that is perfectly seasoned and grilled to perfection. Sometimes we serve the kalbi with mac salad and homemade kimchi, other times with charred green beans. Rice is always a part of the meal.

Kalbi Ribeye

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Author: Kiyo Miller

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 thick cut ribeye steak (about 1 pound, cut into two ¾-inch thick each pieces)
Marinade:
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup mirin
¼ cup sesame oil
¼ cup packed dark or light brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon finely grated onion
1 tablespoon finely grated garlic (A Microplane works great for the garlic and ginger)
2 teaspoons finely grated ginger
5 green onions finely sliced
¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons roasted sesame seeds
freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Whisk together the marinade ingredients in 2-cup glass measuring cup or medium sized bowl. Reserve ¼ cup of marinade.
Place the steaks in a single layer in a ziplock bag. Pour marinade over top and bottom of steaks making sure each steak is coated well. Place bag in the refrigerator for 8 - 10 hours, turning the bag occasionally.
For gas grill: Turn all burners to high, cover and heat grill until very hot, about 15 minutes. Clean and oil grates liberally once grill is hot. Grill steaks for about 5 minutes total, brushing reserved marinade over the steaks and turning several times for an even char. Check temperature with Thermapen or other digital thermometer. Remove when internal temperature reaches 140 degrees.
***The steaks can also be cooked over a hot charcoal grill.

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Mexican Corn Salad

Mexican Corn Salad

Ingredients

Directions

Notes

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Mayo-Marinated Grilled Chicken Breasts

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Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches

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Kalbi Ribeye

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