This Mexican grilled corn salad is loaded up with peppers, zucchini, and beans, and tossed in a cheesy zesty dressing. Serve it at your next BBQ with grilled chicken, ribs, or steak. Finish off your meal with a light fruit salad, and you’ve got the perfect BBQ to finish your summer off with a bang!

Mexican Jalapeno Corn Salad

Ingredients

• 6 ears of corn (leave the husks on)
• 2 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• ½ zucchini, cut into thick slices for grilling
• 1 large or 2 small fresh jalapeno’s left whole
• ½ cup canned black beans, washed and drained
• 4-6 scallions, tops and bottoms sliced
• ½ cup chopped sweet red bell pepper
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• juice from one lime
• ½ tsp chili powder
• ¼ tsp cumin
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp sriracha
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 8 ounces Queso Blanco cheese, crumbled by hand (you can use Cotija cheese instead if you like)
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Peel the corn husks back (but don’t remove) and take off all the silk from the ears. Fold the husks around the ears. Fill a large pot with corn, salt, and water to cover the corn. Soak for 15 minutes.
2. Heat your grill to medium heat.
3. Remove the corn from the water and drain the excess water. Place the corn (with husks) on the grill and cook for 15 minutes. Turn the corn every 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
4. Turn your grill to high heat.
5. Brush vegetable oil on zucchini slices and grill both sides for 1 minute, or until there is a nice char. Don’t over cook! Set aside to cool.
6. Place the jalapenos on the hot grill and grill until the sides are black and blistered. Remove from the grill and place them in a paper bag for a few minutes to loosen the skin. Remove skin and discard. Cut the pepper down the center and discard the stem and seeds. Cut into small pieces and set aside.
7. Remove husks from the corn and discard. Using a bundt pan, place the corn pointy end down in the center of the pan and with a knife, cut kernels off and let them fall into the pan. Place the cut corn in a large mixing bowl.
8. Cut zucchini into small pieces and add to the corn. Add in jalapeno pieces.
9. Add in the rest of the ingredients, along with salt and pepper to taste.
10. Let the salad sit in the refrigerator for 1 hour. After an hour has passed, serve.

Photos and recipe: A Family Feast.

If you want to get started on your very own soup garden, you need to decide which ingredients you use most in your favorite recipes. If you love tomato soup, plant several varieties of tomatoes like meaty romas and grape tomatoes. For chicken noodle, onions, carrots, and parsnips, along with herbs like thyme and parsley. Other great additions to any soup garden would be garlic, turnips, sweet potatoes, beans, and kale.

To start your soup garden, make sure water is easily accessible. Many herbs don’t require much watering, but vegetables need to be watered often. Make sure you use mulch, as it helps reduce weeds and waterings. The use of flow meters help you to keep track of exactly how much water you are using. Work a lot of organic matter into the soil to create a nutrient-rich soil that your vegetables will love. If you don’t have enough yard space, you can still plant many vegetables and herbs on your balcony or patio in large pots.

To enjoy your harvest into the winter, you need to plant a larger garden and then freeze or can your vegetables. Tomatoes, green beans, and peppers can be frozen or canned. Onions, potatoes, garlic, and winter squash can be stored for months in cool, humid conditions.

Photos: Ewa in the Garden, HG Decoration, Home Garden Air.

Salads are great for summer – they’re light, healthy, and easy to put together, as they require no cooking! So, take a break from the stove with this tasty salad! In this Tex-Mex southwestern salad, we used corn, beans, cilantro, avocado, tomatoes, and romaine lettuce. Garnished with tortilla strips, and drizzled with a cilantro-lime dressing, this salad is fresh and light, perfect for the summer heat.

Tex-Mex Southwestern Salad With Cilantro Lime Dressing

A healthy salad with beans, corn, tomatoes, tortilla strips, and avocados. The dressing is made of cilantro, Greek yogurt, lime, and olive oil. Protein packed, this salad is sure to get the stamp of approval from everyone!

Ingredients for the salad

• 5 cups romaine lettuce (chopped)
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
• 1/2 cup canned corn kernels (drained)
• 1/2 cup canned black beans (drained and rinsed)
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves (chopped)
• 1 avocado (halved, seeded, peeled and diced)
• 1/2 cup tortilla strips

Ingredients for the dressing

• 1 cup cilantro (stems removed)
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 garlic cloves
• juice of 1 lime
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Instructions

1. For the dressing, combine cilantro, yogurt, garlic, lime juice and salt in a food processor. Blend well, then add olive oil and vinegar and blend again until smooth.
2. Place romaine lettuce in a bowl and top with tomatoes, black beans, corn, and cilantro.
3. Pour dressing on top of the salad and toss gently. Add in avocado and stir.
4. Serve immediately and garnish with the tortilla strips.

Photos: Damn Delicious.

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