Chili Verde Esquites (Mexican Corn Salad)

Name: Chili Verde Esquites (Mexican Corn Salad)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 8 servings.
Cuisine: North America, Mexican
Ingredients: 5 tablespoons lime juice; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 6 medium ears sweet corn, husked; 2 shallots, sliced into rings; 1 serrano pepper, sliced into rings, optional; 1 package (12 ounces) Seemore Fully Cooked Chicken Chili Verde Sausages; 1 tablespoon canola oil; 1/2 cup Cotija cheese, crumbled and divided; 1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 20 min. Cook: 10 min. + cooling YIELD: 8 servings.

Chili verde sausages add a wallop of flavor in my version of esquites, a kicked-up Mexican corn salad. We leave half the kernels raw for crunch, and quickly pickle shallots and chilis in lime juice for brightness. Half the Cotija cheese gets added for creaminess while the mixture is hot, and the other half is added as a topping once it’s cooled down slightly. —Cara Nicoletti, Seemore Meats & Veggies

Ingredients

5 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 medium ears sweet corn, husked
2 shallots, sliced into rings
1 serrano pepper, sliced into rings, optional
1 package (12 ounces) Seemore Fully Cooked Chicken Chili Verde Sausages
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup Cotija cheese, crumbled and divided
1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

1. In a large serving bowl, whisk together lime juice and olive oil. Cut kernels off corn cobs. Add half to the serving bowl; stir in shallots and, if desired, serrano. Set aside.
2. Crumble sausages into small pieces. In a large cast-iron or stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat, cook and stir sausage in canola oil until golden brown, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to paper towel.
3. In same pan, add remaining corn to drippings; cook over high heat, not stirring, until lightly charred on 1 side, 2-3 minutes. Transfer corn to shallot mixture; add sausage and 1/4 cup Cotija cheese. Toss to combine; let stand until cooled to room temperature, 15-20 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup cilantro. Top with remaining 1/2 cup cilantro and 1/4 cup Cotija cheese.

Nutrition Facts

3/4 cup: 229 calories, 14g fat (3g saturated fat), 40mg cholesterol, 364mg sodium, 18g carbohydrate (6g sugars, 2g fiber), 12g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 lean meat, 2 fat, 1 starch.