Do I Make You Corny, Baby?

Simple carbohydrates...white bread, white pasta, white rice. Ohhh, the mediocrity. I try to give them the benefit of the doubt and let them do their thing at mealtime, but what do they do? They just lie there on the plate and let the other foods do all the work (like my ex). It's better than nothing, I suppose. But I'm always left wanting more, and not in a good way.

When it comes to a starchy side dish, I need something a little more complex. I have a few go-to whole grains in my arsenal, but truthfully, I prefer the satiating power of legumes and fresh vegetables instead. Today, we have somewhat of a hybrid: corn. Technically a grain, more commonly thought of as a starchy vegetable. Either way, I'm sold. Cue the Grilled Corn Salad.






Grilled Corn Salad
Ingredients:
4 ears corn on the cob, cooked (great use of leftovers!)
1 poblano pepper, finely diced
1/2 medium red bell pepper, diced
2 tb red onion, finely diced

Dressing:
1/4 cp vegetable or canola oil
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp fresh cilantro, chopped (sub parsley)
salt and pepper to taste
lime wedges for garnish

Directions (serves 4):
1. Since the corn is already cooked, just grill the cobs over high heat, rotating every few minutes, until the cob is 1/4 black, 3/4 yellow. Remove from heat and let cool.

2. Using a sharp knife, cut kernels off the cob. Add kernels to a medium bowl with poblano, bell pepper, and onion. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, chili powder, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Add dressing to corn mixture and stir until coated. Taste and season appropriately.

3. Squeeze some lime juice over the top and garnish with more cilantro and lime wedges.

Meat Suggestion: You already have the grill on. Let's pair this salad with some big, juicy burgers.