Weekend Cooking...Say Cheese!

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We are not done with that Mexican Christmas dinner yet.
No, I have a recipe or two to share with you still.
And this was one that I particularly liked, Esquites, Mexican Corn Salad.

But first, let's take a little look at Mexican cheeses, one of which is used in this recipe. I have had that crumbled white cheese in Mexican restaurant on top of various dishes, but was not sure what it was.
I did know it was not available in my local supermarket, so it was time for a field trip!! Off to the Mexican Supermarket..which is located not that far from the Asian Supermarket I visited awhile ago. I went just before Christmas..Christmas Eve in fact...and the place was packed, with both people and interesting stuff. Like these...

ok, I made them look a little more friendly...

Oh, stop making those noises. No screams!
Yes, they are pig heads. Not sure what you do with them, so no recipe here.
No, we are heading to the dairy section to check out the cheese. CHEESE!!

Here are two very common ones, queseo fresco, "This is a white spongy cheese whose origins can be traced back to Burgos, Spain and used primarily to crumble over dishes. This cheese is made in just about all parts of Mexico with little variation." And then there is queseo blanco, "is a creamy white cheese made with skimmed cows’ milk, and has been described as being a cross between mozzarella and cottage cheese."

OK, we will grab one of those, but we are also looking for another one for a recipe I found online, a cheese called Cotija, which has a strong flavor, similar to Italian Parmesan. Which I guess would make a good substitute if you can't find the cotija. Or maybe feta, as the recipe suggests.

But I found it,  so that goes in the cart too!

And then there is the corn.

The recipe calls for fresh corn and explains how to toast it in a pan. But reading some comments online, I went to Trader Joe and got a bag of their Roasted Corn. Very roasted taste and smell and I am all for saving a step. Especially since it is not fresh corn season and frozen is excellent. Now if this was the middle of summer and corn was as high as an elephant's eye...

So, on to the recipe.
This is based on a Mexican street food..or so I am told, haven't been to Mexico.
Yet.

Vendors grill ears of corn, then slathered them with mayonnaise, (yes, mayo), a squeeze of lime, Cotija cheese and sprinkled with chili powder. So, here is a little more dinner friendly version, this one borrowed from Serious Eats..

Mexican Street Corn Salad

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 ears fresh corn, shucked, (about 3 cups fresh corn kernels)
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 ounces feta or cotija cheese, finely crumbled
• 1/2 cup finely sliced scallion greens
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and stemmed, finely chopped
• 1 to 2 medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced on a microplane grater
• 1 tablespoon fresh juice
• Chili powder or hot chili flakes, to taste

Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet or wok over high heat until shimmering. Add corn kernels, season to taste with salt, toss once or twice, and cook without moving until charred on one side, about 2 minutes. 
Toss corn, stir, and repeat until charred on second side, about 2 minutes longer. Continue tossing and charring until well charred all over, about 10 minutes total. 

Transfer to a large bowl. Add mayonnaise, cheese, scallions, cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, lime juice, and chili powder and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and more chili powder to taste. Serve immediately. 

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Of course, just buy a bag of the TJ corn, nuke it, and skip the whole first part!
And yes, I ran out of lime, so that is lemon in the pic.
But you go get a lime. :-)
Either way, very tasty!

 

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This is my contribution this to this week's Weekend Cooking.
"Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend."
Be sure to check out the other entries this week. As always, hosted by Beth Fish Reads.

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