Mexican Street Corn Kale Salad
4 cups shredded/chopped kale
1 avocado, chopped into chunks and divided
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
2 grilled chicken breasts, sliced or chopped into bite-size pieces
1/3 cup crushed tortilla chips
Cotija cheese, for topping
Sriracha (optional)
Corn salad
4 ears of fresh, sweet corn or 16-oz bag frozen fire-roasted corn
1/2 cup diced red onion
1 jalapeño, seeded and diced (about 1 tablespoon)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup Cotija cheese, plus more for topping (feta or parmesan also work)
Dressing
2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for topping
Mexican street corn salad: For grilled corn, husk ears of corn and preheat grill to medium-high. Brush corn ears with olive oil and grill for about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the grill and let cool before using a knife to cut the corn kernels off the cob into a bowl. For frozen corn, put frozen corn in a colander. Run water over the corn until it’s thawed. Drain well. Or place in a skillet over medium heat and cook until warm.
Add corn kernels, onion, garlic, jalapeño, and Cotija cheese to a large bowl. Toss to combine.
Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mayo, lime juice, chili powder, paprika, sea salt, pepper, and cilantro until combined. Drizzle dressing over the salad ingredients and toss to combine. Top with additional cilantro and cheese.
Salad: Add kale, 1/2 avocado, lime juice, and sea salt into a large bowl. Use your hands to massage the kale with the avocado, lime juice, and salt until all the pieces of kale are coated.
Add chicken, street corn salad, remaining avocado chunks, and tortilla chips into a bowl. Use salad tongs or a spoon to gently toss.
Portion into three bowls. Sprinkle on a little Cotija cheese and drizzle with sriracha, if using. Serves three.
Grilled Salmon Salad with Peaches and Corn
2 salmon fillets (about 5 oz each)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon low-sodium tamari (or soy sauce)
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 to 2 fresh peaches, sliced
1 to 2 ears of grilled corn, cut from cob
Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
Baby greens (spinach, kale, or mixed greens)
Balsamic vinegar and olive oil
Fresh ground pepper
Sea salt
Combine apple cider vinegar, olive oil, tamari, maple syrup, and ground pepper in a small bowl to make the marinade. Pour the marinade into a shallow dish and place the salmon skinless-side down. Let it sit in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes.
If you’re planning to grill the corn, you can do that while the fish is marinating. Heat grill to high heat, keep the corn in the husk, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, turning the corn occasionally. Remove from the grill and allow corn to cool before cutting from the cob. If you don’t have a grill, you can boil the corn instead.
After the fish has marinated, preheat the grill to medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Place salmon on the grill, skinless-side down, and discard marinade. Cook salmon for a few minutes, just long enough to get grill marks, and then flip so the salmon is skin-side down. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove from the grill. If you don’t have a grill, you can use a grill pan instead.
While grilling the fish, plate salad greens on two plates, add sliced peaches, tomatoes, and grilled corn. Top each with a fillet of salmon. Drizzle balsamic vinegar and olive oil over each salad. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve. Serves two.
Read about the founder of Eating Bird Food here.
Photos: Brittany Mullins
