Corn and hominy salad

Take advantage of corn season with this raw, refreshing, and super flavorful corn and hominy salad.

Take me to the recipe!

This salad was inspired by elote or Mexican street corn. When we lived in NYC, my favorite thing to get at the street fairs that popped up on summer weekends (we called them “socks and sausages”) was the grilled corn with mayo, chili powder, cilantro, and cotija cheese. Spray a little lime over those babies and they were the perfect mix of smoky, salty, creamy, and acidic.

I started developing this recipe last summer and never got around to posting it before corn season was over. This salad uses raw corn, so you really want to get the freshest cobs at the peak of their season. You can use frozen or otherwise not-peak corn and give it a quick saute before making the salad, but the fresh, raw stuff is truly the best.

So, there are about 12 million elote salad recipes on the interwebs, so what makes this one different, you ask? Hominy!

Hominy is dried corn kernels that have been soaked in an alkaline solution. Hominy is actually used to make masa, which is the key ingredient in corn tortillas, tamales, and other staples of Mexican cuisine. It has a light corn flavor with a slightly nutty aftertaste. Actually, once you taste hominy, you know that it tastes exactly the way corn tortillas taste.

The hominy adds bulk to the salad that makes it more versatile than a side dish. I’ve added this corn concoction into other meal salads and eaten it on its own with some shredded rotisserie chicken. So, while technically a side dish, this salad can easily transform into the star of the show.

A couple of notes:

• I only use 1/2 of a garlic clove because I want to be able to taste all of the ingredients rather than just raw garlic. If you really like garlic, feel free to use more, but I REALLY REALLY like garlic and 1/2 of a clove was more than enough for me.

• You can find prepared hominy in cans at basically any grocery store. If you have some dried hominy that you want to rehydrate, find instructions here.

• Cotija cheese is a dry, salty cheese that’s close to a farmer’s cheese. Kind of like if Feta and Parmesan had a baby. If you can’t find it, substitute a dry, nutty, crumbly cheese.

Corn and hominy salad

Yield: about 5 cups of salad
Time: 10 minutes

4 medium ears of corn, kernels removed (about 3½ cups)
1 cup hominy
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, tightly packed (stems and leaves are fine)
3 Tbsp mayo
½ tsp kosher salt
Juice of 1 large lime (1 Tbsp)
½-1 tsp chili powder, to taste
½ large garlic clove
Water, as needed to thin out the dressing, added 1 tsp at a time
3 oz cotija cheese

Remove the corn kernels with a knife. I like to use a bundt pan to catch them as they fly around, but any old bowl will do.

Rinse the hominy and add it to the bowl of corn.

In a blender or food processor, add the cilantro, mayo, oil, salt, lime juice, chili powder (start with 1/2 tsp and add more to taste), and garlic and blend until smooth, adding tiny amounts of water to thin out the sauce as necessary.

Mix the cilantro dressing into the corn and hominy.

Taste for seasoning and add more salt, chili powder or lime juice.

Mix in the shredded or grated cojita.

Sheet pan dinner: White fish with potatoes and fennel

This sheet pan dinner is ready in about 40 minutes (start to finish) and combines mild base flavors with all kinds of dynamic toppings so you can please even the pickiest palate.

Jump to the recipe!

Well hello anxiety, my old friend!

Question for the caregivers out there: Are you able to separate your own happiness from that of your kids? It’s a tough question because if your child is having a hard time in any area of his/her/their life, it can feel weird to say that you’re happy anyway. It’s also hard to actually be happy anyway. But at the same time, it’s a lot of pressure for a kid to have that much impact on their caregiver’s well-being.

We’ve had a couple of good weeks recently. You know the ones: You suddenly realize that the littles are more agreeable, they actually eat the food that you cook, and they can entertain themselves with toys that they already own!

We were on one of those streaks when M suddenly had a really tough week last week. I felt myself getting more and more anxious about it. Then I tried talking to him about a specific situation at school and he wouldn’t tell me because, he said, “I don’t want to make you mad and sad.” CRY FACE EMOJI.

I realized that my sensitive butterfly could tell that I was getting upset about his tough times and that it was stressing him out.

On the one hand, it’s good for kids, especially in these self-centered toddler and preschool years, to know that their actions and words impact others. I mean, it’s our job to teach them about consequences. But it’s also not a kid’s job to make sure that their parents are happy. So how do you balance your kids’ stuff with your own? Do you feel happy even when your kids are having a rough time?

I have no answers. Just putting this out into the universe in the hopes that someone smarter than me has some guidance.

When I feel anxious, as I have this week, I gravitate towards unhealthy food, which always makes me feel worse. So instead, I made this sheet pan dinner and it has done the trick! Every flavor is represented here: Creamy, tangy feta; briny, salty olives; sweet, piquant roasted red peppers; and crunchy, sour pickled onions. Throw on some aromatic fresh oregano and garlic butter and this simple fish, potatoes and fennel dinner is all dressed up in a more interesting package.

The various components cook at different rates, which is the only slightly tricky part of this meal. But good news: You can prep the next step while the earlier one is cooking.

Sheet pan dinner: White fish with potatoes and fennel

½ lb small potatoes, halved or quartered
2 large bulbs of fennel, white part only, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 Tbsp olive oil
½-1 tsp salt, divided  
Black pepper, to taste
4 white fish fillets, about 6 oz each, fresh or frozen
2 Tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced  

Toppings (all are optional!):
½ cup green or black olives, pitted and chopped
2-3 oz feta, crumbled
Fresh oregano
Quick pickled red onions (See recipe below)
Roasted red peppers, sliced
Lemon wedges
Flatbreads, Naan, or Pita

1. Preheat the oven to 425.

2. Prep the potatoes and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Toss with 1 Tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 5 minutes.

3. While the potatoes roast, slice the fennel into 1/8th inch slices. Add the fennel to the roasting pan and toss with the other 1 Tbsp of oil and another large pinch of salt. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the fennel starts to brown and the potatoes are fork tender.

4. While the fennel roasts, wrap your fish in parchment packets. Cut a piece of parchment 2-3x as large as your fish filet. Place the filet in the middle and bring the two longer ends together and fold down. Fold up the remaining sides.

5. Add the fish on top of the veggies and cook until it flakes easily. This will take slightly longer if you’re cooking the fish from frozen. (I check the fish after 10 minutes if thawed, or after 15-18 minutes if frozen. Open up one parchment packet and try to flake the fish with a fork. If it comes apart easily, it’s done.)

6. While the veggies and fish are roasting, prep your toppings. Set aside.

7. Mince the garlic. Combine with 2 Tbsp of butter and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds to a minute until the butter is liquid. Add a pinch of salt and stir. Set aside.

8. Remove the sheet pan from the oven and carefully open the parchment packets. Discard the paper and the water that’s collected in the packets while the fish cooked.

9. Top the fish fillets with the garlic butter.

10. Top the sheet pan with any of the toppings you choose.

Yield: 4 servings

Quick pickled red onions
1 large red onion, sliced into 1/8 inch slices
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt

1. Combine the onions with the pickling ingredients in a large container and shake a few times. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour, or up to 1 week.

Romesco sauce

Romesco is a quick and easy roasted red pepper and tomato sauce that has a little smokiness thanks to paprika and a tiny kick from cayenne. It’s also the easiest way to spice up any meal—Whole 30 or otherwise. #meandthemoose #sauce #romescosauce #redpeppersauce #whole30sauces #easyrecipes

Romesco is a quick and easy roasted red pepper and tomato sauce that has a little smokiness thanks to paprika and a tiny kick from cayenne. It’s also the easiest way to spice up virtually any meal.

Take me to the sauce!

Romesco is a quick and easy roasted red pepper and tomato sauce that has a little smokiness thanks to paprika and a tiny kick from cayenne. It’s also the easiest way to spice up any meal—Whole 30 or otherwise. #meandthemoose #sauce #romescosauce #redpeppersauce #whole30sauces #easyrecipes

I truly believe that there is nothing better or more versatile than a great sauce. You can put it on eggs, roasted veggies, any kind of protein, on toast (avocado or otherwise), use it as a dip, stir it into soup, or combine it with hot pasta and a little pasta water for an instant sauce.

I’m allergic to meal prepping, but sauce prepping is something I can get behind. It can uplift any boring chicken or pasta that you might whip up at the last minute. And truly, it takes minutes to prep this bad boy, so you’re not spending an entire Sunday filling the fridge.

Romesco is a quick and easy roasted red pepper and tomato sauce that has a little smokiness thanks to paprika and a tiny kick from cayenne. It’s also the easiest way to spice up any meal—Whole 30 or otherwise. #meandthemoose #sauce #romescosauce #redpeppersauce #whole30sauces #easyrecipes

Romesco is a quick and easy roasted red pepper and tomato sauce that has a little smokiness thanks to paprika and a tiny kick from cayenne. It’s also the easiest way to spice up any meal—Whole 30 or otherwise. #meandthemoose #sauce #romescosauce #redpeppersauce #whole30sauces #easyrecipes

This is basically Bon Appetit's recipe with a few small tweaks. I never have sherry vinegar, so I sub in red wine vinegar. I also left out the parsley because I don't like it.

Romesco is a quick and easy roasted red pepper and tomato sauce that has a little smokiness thanks to paprika and a tiny kick from cayenne. It’s also the easiest way to spice up any meal—Whole 30 or otherwise. #meandthemoose #sauce #romescosauce #redpeppersauce #whole30sauces #easyrecipes

Romesco

Yield: 1.5 cups
Time: about 8 minutes

1/2 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted
3/4 cup fire roasted red peppers
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp tomato paste
2-3 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne
6 Tbsp olive oil
1/2-1 tsp salt (to taste)
1/8 tsp pepper

Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 350. Spread the almonds out over a piece of parchment paper or tin foil. Toast until lightly golden brown.

Add the peppers, garlic, toasted almonds, tomato paste, red wine vinegar, paprika, and cayenne to a blender or food processor and pulse a few times. Add the oil in a stream (or dump it all in) and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.