Tasty Tuesday - Mexi-corn Salad

I had a craving one day for something with corn, and tomato and bell pepper, onion, and then I had to add avocado, cilantro and hubby wanted olives. This is reminiscent of cowboy salsa that you can get at Soelberg's in Grantsville, Utah, but mine has less liquid, and is not so sweet. It's a super cool, super easy summer salad that's a great side dish for sloppy joes, or any grilled meat as well as a Mexican dinner. I would add some minced jalapeno's if you want to make it a salsa, which would be soooo yummy! Oh sure, I thought about adding black beans, but then the corn gets lost and really, it's so good without the beans, unless, again, you want to make it a salsa. Here's the recipe, and happy summertime eating!

Mexi-corn Salad

1 15 oz. can of corn, drained
1/2 cup each diced grape tomatoes, black olives, bell pepper, and purple onion
1/2 a large avocado, diced
2 T.  each minced cilantro, vinegar and oil
1 t. Italian seasoning
1 T. sugar
1/2 to 1 t. seasoning salt
 1/2 t. coarse ground pepper
After mincing and dicing all the ingredients that need it, mix everything in a medium size bowl and chill. Warning, you might want to make a double batch as this will go quickly, even my 88 year old mother-in-law who is rather picky when she knows what the ingredients are, raved about this. Serves 4 to 6. Enjoy!

Tasty Tuesday - Mexican Pesto Turkey Wrap

 I really hadn't forgotten to add some recipes using the Mexican Pesto, but it was one of those weekends where it was either run away with the computer to a quiet place..... or tend to the tasks at hand. Since today is a day I can have more flexibility, here I am! I started with a flour tortilla that I warmed over a hot burner, flipping and pulling the tortilla across the hot spiral until it was soft and toasted.

 I then took some of my Yhonnaise, which is half plain yogurt and half real mayo, not the low fat variety (blech!!) and mixed a bit of the Mexican Pesto in it to make a nice creamy sauce.

 This I spread over the tortilla, you can go as thin or thick as you want. I would do more next time...

 I added some shredded turkey......

 and piled on top of that some chopped tomato, green onion and shredded lettuce. I topped that with a slice of pepper jack cheese, but I think I would try extra sharp cheddar next time. And, I might try to add some chopped fruit such as apple or grapes to the mix.

Then I rolled, tucking the tortilla edge over the turkey and veggies, until I had a nice little wrap. This was delicious with a bunch of grapes on the side. Easy, pretty healthy, and filling!

Mexican Pesto Turkey Wrap
flour tortillas
shredded turkey
Mexican Pesto Sauce - 1/3 each plain yogurt, real mayo and Mexican Pesto
chopped tomato
chopped green onion, one per wrap
shredded lettuce
pepper jack or shredded extra sharp cheese
 

Tasty Tuesday - Mexican Pesto

 I had a grundle of cilantro as in two bunches so I needed to do something that would use large quantities at one time. So I poked around the internet and found some recipes, but I didn't have all the ingredients listed so I improvised. Listed below will be the full recipe with possible changes. For now, lets start with 4 cups of cilantro leaves....

 and 1/2 a cup EVOO as Rachel Ray says, or (extra virgin olive oil) for those in Imbler.....

 Put this in a blender with 4 cloves of garlic, or the equivalent of garlic powder...

 add 1/4 cup Asiago or Cojita cheese (which would be more authentic but go with what you have)

 two Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce....

 1/2 teaspoon salt....

 1 tablespoon of dry oregano, or 1/4 cup fresh if you have it...

 Pulse in the blender.....

 add 2 cups of cilantro and pulse some more.....

 add the rest of the cilantro plus 1/4 cup toasted almonds, or pine nuts and pulse some more...

until it looks like this! I haven't decided what to do with it yet as I had to make it and then make my weekly trip in to stay and help out the in-laws, but I'm thinking that maybe this could be spread on tortillas or mixed with cream cheese or sour cream, used on top of grilled fish or chicken. I will test run this when I get home and let you know my favorites. Let me know if you try this and see what you like to do with it. 

MEXICAN PESTO

4 cups cilantro leaves

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup Asiago or cojita cheese

4 cloves garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon dry oregano or 1/4 cup fresh

2 chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce

1/4 cup roasted pine nuts or toasted almonds

In a blender pulse together the oil, cheese, garlic, salt, oregano, and Chipotles. Add 2 cups of cilantro and pulse some more, then add the rest of the leaves and the nuts and pulse until a nice consistency. Makes about 1 cup total. Enjoy!
As a side note, we tried this on fish tacos the other night and hubby loved it! Just spread on tortillas before adding other toppings. Soooooo good. :-)