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Tag: #salads

Grilled Corn Salad with Tomato (Salada com Milho e Tomate)

Posted on by John Reynolds

grilled corn salad with a lime wedge garnish

Corn is serious business in Brazil. As one of the world’s largest producers of this crop, Brazilians have exceptionally high standards when it comes to corn. Street vendors are even known to slice little squares into the husks of their offerings to allow customers to inspect the quality and color of the kernels before they buy. There are plenty of ways in which Brazilians eat their corn, from simply boiled and salted to sweet and savory confections, like corn pudding and pamonhas. Today, we are putting a Brazilian spin on a cookout food staple: grilled corn salad with tomatoes, avocado, peppers, and plenty of cheese.  

Best Corn for Grilled Corn Salad

The preferred corn for grilling is sweet corn. American grocery stores don’t give you a little window to examine your corn, but most will allow you to peel back the husk a bit or even discard it entirely right in the store. Look for bright green husks with cream colored silks. Kernels should be firm but plump, without obvious pits, wrinkles, or discoloration. Pale to golden yellow is acceptable for the color of corn for your grilled corn salad. 

In the US, Minnesota and Washington account for over half the country’s sweet corn production. However, most of this corn is used for processing (i.e. canning and freezing). Most of the sweet corn for sale in super markets comes from a few states, including Washington, Florida, Georgia, and California. That being said, all 50 states can and do grow sweet corn. Keep your eye out for any local varieties that catch your eye. (Some of the best corn we’ve ever tasted comes from Olathe, Colorado.)

Grilled Corn in Foil vs Husk vs Plain

There are various schools of thought when it comes to best grilling strategies for corn. When it comes to flavor, many feel strongly that grilling in the husk is the best way to go. The husk imparts an earthy, nutty flavor to the corn while allowing smoke from the grill to penetrate. The result is smoky, sweet, and juicy. 

You can grill corn in foil if you prefer a less smoky or charred flavor. It will still be delicious and retain plenty of moisture. Grilling corn without any covering is a little trickier. It imparts the most smoke flavor, but it is much easier to burn. When we grill corn without the husk or foil, we like to parboil it, dry it with paper towels, then season with olive oil and salt. All that’s left to do is a quick sear on each side over medium high on your grill for perfect charring and superb flavor. This is the method we will be using for our grilled corn salad. 

Seasoning for Grilled Corn Salad

You can season the corn for your grilled corn salad however you like. We find that just a little salt and pepper is all you need for a quality ear of corn. We will be adding more seasonings to dress our corn salad, so there really is no need to be too zealous when grilling the corn. That being said, feel free to jazz it up to suit your personal tastes. Garlic powder, paprika, red pepper, a dash of dill-you do you! 

Grilled Corn Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

1 clove of garlic, minced
Juice of three large limes
½ tsp lime zest (optional)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp salt (more to taste)

For the Salad:

Four large ears of sweet corn, dehusked
3 roma tomatoes, diced
1 large avocado, chopped
1 fresh jalapeno, sliced into thin rounds (remove ribs and seeds to make it less spicy)
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
½ cup crumbled feta cheese (can substitute cotija, if desired)

Directions:

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add your four ears of corn and parboil them for 3-4 minutes.
  2. While your corn boils, preheat your grill to medium high heat. Oil the grates with vegetable oil.
  3. Remove the corn from the boiling water and let it dry on a platter or pat it dry with paper towels.
  4. Coat each corn cob with olive oil and season all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 
  5. Place your corn cobs on the grill and cook each side for a couple minutes until you have a nice char. 
  6. Let the corn cool enough for you to handle it. Remove the kernels from the cobs by holding them upright and running a sharp knife down each side. 
  7. Transfer the kernels into a large bowl along with your chopped cilantro, avocado, jalapeno, and diced roma tomatoes. Also add in your feta or cotija cheese.
  8. Make the dressing: mix the minced garlic with the lime juice, olive oil, lime zest, salt, and black pepper to taste. 
  9. Drizzle the dressing all over your grilled corn salad mixture and toss to evenly coat the ingredients.
  10. Serve warm or chilled.

More Great Brazilian Recipes to Enjoy:

Easy Picnic Food Ideas

Posted on by John Reynolds

Brazilian Chicken Salad (Salpicão de Frango)

Brazilian-style chicken salad over lettuce and topped with potato sticks

Brazilians love their mayonnaise, and it features heavily in a variety of dishes and dips. In the summer, salads made using mayo are an especial favorite at barbecues, potlucks, and picnics. They are cooling, but satisfying, and can be made well ahead of time. 

This chicken salad recipe is similar to American versions, but with a few classic Brazilian twists. Corn, shredded carrots, and raisins add sweetness and crunch, and green olives lend a tangy, earthy flavor. And, of course, we top it off with batata palha, the crispy potato sticks Brazilians adore and put on everything from hot dogs to rice. 

If you don’t have the potato sticks, you can get a similar effect by crumbling some ridged potato chips on top. The effect is crunchy, salty, and delicious. 

What is Salpicão in English?

The word salpicao is a Portuguese derivative of the Spanish word salpicon. A salpicon in Spain refers to any number of salad-like dishes combining meat, vegetables, and dressing. It translates most closely in English to a “medley.” 

A similar dish in the UK is referred to as “salmagundi,” a word that is also used in general to describe a medley or hodgepodge of things. 

Healthy Chicken Salad Options

Mayonnaise-based salads are not at the top of the list for diet friendly meals, but you can make a few simple tweaks to this recipe for a chicken salad that is actually quite healthy. For example, you can skip the potato sticks topping all together if you are looking for a healthier version. 

Another way to cut calories in chicken salad is to substitute half of the mayonnaise with nonfat Greek yogurt. (You can replace the mayo entirely with yogurt, but the dressing will not be as creamy.) 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise has a whopping 90 calories. By comparison, 1 tablespoon of nonfat Greek yogurt has about 10 calories, much less fat, and a considerable amount of protein. 

In addition, if you are planning to use your salpicao as a sandwich filling, you can use lettuce cups in place of bread. 

How to Make Brazilian Chicken Salad (Salpicao de Frango)

Makes about 8 servings

Ingredients:

For the Salad:
4  boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 oz each)
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
Half of one medium yellow onion, diced (about ¼ cup)
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup sweet corn
½ cup raisins, brown or golden
¼ cup diced green onion
½ cup whole green olives
Brazilian potato sticks or crushed potato chips

For the Dressing:
½ cup of mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin olive oil
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1.5 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil saute your chopped yellow onions until softened (2 minutes or so). Add in the garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 1 minute more.
  2. Place the chicken breasts in with the cooked garlic and onions. Cover with just enough water to fully submerge. 
  3. Add in 2 teaspoons of salt and bring to a boil.
  4. Once the water is boiling, reduce heat to a medium simmer and cook until chicken has reached an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit (about 25 minutes). 
  5. When the chicken is cooked through, remove it and shred it on a plate using two forks. Discard the water in your stock pot. 
  6. While the chicken cools, prepare your dressing. Add mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons olive oil, dijon mustard, and apple cider vinegar to a large bowl and whisk together. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  7. When chicken has cooled to room temperature, add it to the bowl with the dressing. Combine with your carrots, yellow corn, raisins, olives, and green onions and mix until all ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing. 
  8. Top with the batata palha or crushed potato chips.

Pair your chicken salad with a refreshing class of Brazilian lemonade and you have a simple but delicious summer meal. Enjoy!

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