Maiz Ensalada (Corn Salad)

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Looking for a fun and quick side dish for your feast? This is perfect for you. You have to laugh, finally Cinco de Mayo falls on "Taco Tuesday" and we can't go out to celebrate because we're quarantined by a virus named after a beer.

This salad can be made by ingredients that you may have in your pantry with a few fresh additions. If you can't get the fresh corn, you can always use frozen and blister it in a dry frying pan. No cilantro? try replacing it with parsley. Black beans can be replaced with white or red kidney beans. Black eyed peas would be fun also. The black eyed peas would give this salad a Texas Cowboy Caviar feel. Recipes are a guide and nothing is written in stone - make it your own.

If we've learned anything during this quarantine, it's to make due with what we have. I joke that I open the refrigerate in the afternoon and challenge myself to take the five ingredients that are in there and make a delicious dinner. Some nights it's a huge success while other nights, I put a frozen pizza in the oven. It's all good, no biggie.

Let's get cooking, you'll need

2 ears Corn on the Cob - fresh

1 can black beans

1 small tomato minced (fresh)

1 clove of garlic

1/2 tsp fresh cilantro or parsley (chopped small)

4 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 avocado minced

1/2 cucumber chopped small

1/2 red pepper - chopped small

1/2 - 1 Jalapeno (optional) chopped small

In a large bowl mix the above, taking time to rinse the beans, except the corn. Put the corn directly on the open flame (stove top is fine) and lightly toast the corn. Your goal is a toasty yummy corn with a smoky flavor and not blacken corn. Slice the corn off the cob and add to the bowl.

Make an emulsion of the olive oil and lemon juice (salt and pepper is optional). Drizzle over the salad and mix. Cover and allow this salad to stay in the refrigerator for at least one hour before using. The longer it sits the better the flavors marry.

Enjoy!