Esquites Quinoa Salad with Avocado

Now that Spring has arrived, we are firing up the grill! In searching of some new side dishes, I came across this one. It was fresh and filling, and not potato! Everyone loved it. And it tastes great cold as leftovers as well. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 3/4 cups water or broth
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups corn (about 3 ears)
• 1 large avocado, diced
• 1 jalapeno, optionally seeded and finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise (or Greek Yogurt or oil)
• 2 tablespoons lime juice (~1 lime)
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup cotija (or queso fresco or feta), crumbled
• 2 green onions, sliced
• salt, pepper and chili powder to taste

Directions

1. Bring the water and quinoa to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the quinoa is tender and has absorbed the water, about 15 minutes, remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes, covered.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, add the corn, toss and let it sit cooking until charred, mix it up and let it char again, about 10-14 minutes.
3. Mix everything and serve warm or at room temperature

Recipe: www.closetcooking.com

BLT salad

I was researching salad recipes for a family birthday dinner when this caught my eye. We are ALL bacon lovers so immediately I knew this would be well received :). Let's just say I went back for seconds and it was GONE! And I'm just now realizing I forgot to add the croutons! So obviously they aren't a deal-breaker.

The original recipe called for added salt to taste. I didn't add any because the bacon already had enough salt in my opinion. Also, I doubled this for our family gathering but this would be a perfect amount for the four of us.

Ingredients

• 1 pound bacon
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 
  

• 1 head romaine lettuce - rinsed, dried and shredded
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cups seasoned croutons

Directions

1. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat, turning frequently, until evenly browned. Drain, crumble and set aside.
2. In a blender or food processor, combine mayonnaise, milk, garlic powder and black pepper. Blend until smooth. Season the dressing with salt.
3. Combine lettuce, tomatoes, bacon and croutons in a large salad bowl. Toss with dressing, and serve immediately.