Mexican corn salad great by itself or as a perk-up for chicken, other entrees

This is just a wonderful, summer, healthy side that’s great by itself or accompanying grilled chicken, steak, or fish. It’s colorful and full of flavor and tastes great served immediately or several days later after the flavors merge while in the fridge.

I received the recipe in my Kroger grocery circular and was pleased to have something so easy that tasted so good. I’ve gone from being a strict, to-the-last-jot-and-tittle recipe follower to becoming quite brave about deriving my own add-ins. I had some radishes left over from an earlier meal, so I finely chopped one of those to stir in as well. Personally I think that was the best addition of all. Plus, as you probably can see from the photo, I didn’t have any red onion on hand and thus subbed green onion tops and bottoms for the red. That worked well, too, in creating a great veggie melange.

The recipe appears to call for cutting the corn immediately from the cob and stirring it into the salad. I’m sure that would work just fine, but I whisked mine into the microwave and quickly steamed it for about two minutes just to get it a bit more tender. No problems there, either.

The first night I served it by itself; the second night it was a side for Fiesta Burgers (more on them tomorrow)—great both ways. In fact, you simply can’t go wrong however you choose to offer this simple, tasty salad.

Mexican Corn Salad

2 cups fresh corn kernels, cut from the cob

1/4 cup red pepper, diced

1/4 cup green pepper, diced

1 tomato, diced

2 tablespoons red onion, diced

1 large radish, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon lime juice

1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients. Serve immediately (or chill until ready to serve). Refrigerate any leftovers. Makes 4 servings.

Fish goes in salad all the time now! A great go-together with our red-leaf lettuce

Still looking for ways to use our harvest of red-leaf lettuce from our garden, I returned to my Prevention.com article suggesting 450-calorie-and-under quick meals, the same source of the unique Salad Pizza a few blogs back. Hubby is always pushing the cholesterol-lowering “more-fish-more-fish” mantra, so I lit on the recipe for Surf or Turf Salad (you have the option of adding strips of fish fillet or flank steak). I had some tilapia fillets in the fridge, so this was a handy idea.

Surf or Turf Salad made for a highly unusual recipe combination—the addition of peeled and chopped apple besides some of the more typical salad ingredients. I don’t know how to describe it other than to say that the sweetness of the apple balanced off the fish (which is found in salads all the time these days) and also the tart balsamic-vinegar dressing. Loved having apple in a tossed salad! Not sure I’ve ever sampled such a mix of flavors before. I had on hand everything the recipe called for except carrots, so I subbed a little red cabbage I needed to use up. When I say I had everything on hand, I’m especially proud to report that two of the ingredients—the red-leaf lettuce and the green onion—were seconds within reach, as I walked out my back door to my garden and was back within two-minutes’ time. As my mother might have phrased it, the produce was so fresh, it could “rise up and slap you.”

Now that’s one slap in the face I don’t mind at all!

Surf or Turf Salad

12 ounces fish fillet or flank steak

1/4 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/8 teaspoon pepper

4 cups red-leaf lettuce, torn into salad-sized bits

1 cucumber, chopped

1 pint halved grape tomatoes (or 4 Roma tomatoes), chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 apple (any variety), peeled and chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 small red onion, chopped

3 tablespoons green onions, chopped

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Sprinkle fish or flank steak with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Grill 5 to 6 minutes per side. Combine lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, apple, bell pepper, and red onion in bowl. Whisk green onion, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Pour over salad and toss. Top salad with thinly sliced fish or steak. Makes 4 servings. (400 calories per serving).