Sauteed Mexican Street Corn

One thing I love about the summer and fall is the abundance of fresh corn. I never get sick of it…I mean NEVER.  It is so crisp and sweet, I could honestly eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even dessert. I have no shame.

The inspiration for this recipe comes from Mexican street corn that I tried from a food cart a few years ago.  I haven’t had it since then, but I did not forget that slightly spicy, sweet, delicious corn with a crema on top and a sprinkling of cotija cheese.  Just amazing! Since my little Astoria apartment does not allow me to have a grill, I decided to do the next best thing…cut it off the cob and make it in a skillet. And the result? I almost ate the whole bowl. It was THAT good. 

Ingredients:

4 ears of corn, husked and kernels cut off the cob
1 ½ tbsp. vegetable oil
¼ cup diced red onion
½ of a jalapeno, minced (or 1 whole jalapeno if you like extra spice)
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
2 ounces queso fresco or cotija cheese
1 tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Step 1: Heat one tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the corn and cook for about 2 minutes without stirring.  Then stir and continue to cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Step 2: Push the corn to the sides of the skillet, creating a well in the center. Reduce the heat to medium.  Put the remaining ½ tablespoon of oil into the center of the skillet and add the onions and jalapeno. Leave them in the center of the skillet and let them cook for about a minute or two (stirring them around a bit) until they have softened.

Step 3: Stir the corn with the rest of the veggies and continue to saute for another minute.  Remove the mixture to a bowl.

Step 4: Add the rest of the ingredients to the corn mixture and stir to combine. 

Enjoy!