roasted corn with cheese and lime.

This past weekend I was feeling exceptionally lazy which is very rare for me.  I usually spend my weekends working on cooking projects, reading my ever-growing stacks of fashion and food magazines, visiting food and farmers markets to load up on that weeks produce, and spending some (quality?) time at the gym.  I sometimes feel like the energizer bunny on the weekends – I only have two days to get everything done and I tend to go non-stop in an effort to accomplish everything.  At some point, I find myself exhausted, which is what happened this weekend.  I ended up spending the next 48 hours on the couch with the remote in one hand (watching the Olympics) and cookies in the other (I have become addicted to the Olympics it is bordering on an obsession). 

When Sunday night rolled around, I still had not even given a single thought to dinner (I keep thinking that maybe I was ill since I am always thinking about dinner!).  When 6:30 came and went, I knew it was time to do something.  I tore through the freezer in search of the empanadas I had stashed in there and decided the perfect companion for them would be a corn dish since I had several ears languishing in the fridge.  I roasted the ears of corn in the oven in their husks to give them a charred taste and then cut the corn off their cobs.  I then sautéed the corn and when it was cooked through mixed in some diced jalapeno, smoked paprika, chives, lime, and some Spanish cheese.  The result was delicious – it was a neater version of the Mexican corn on the cob I adore.  The flavors worked perfectly together and they all played off one another – the lime gave the perfect amount of acidity, the cheese made it creamy, and the jalapeno gave the dish a wonderful crunchy bite of heat.  The best part was dinner was done at eight so I had plenty more time for watching the Olympics.

Roasted Corn with Cheese and Lime

Recipe from Bon Appétit

Serves 6

6 ears of corn (they suggest yellow but I used bi-color), unhusked

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced

½ - ¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or hot smoked Spanish paprika

2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest

1 lime cut into 4 wedges (zest the lime before cutting!)

1 cup finely grated Manchego or Mahon or aged cheddar

¼ cup thinly sliced chives

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Roast unhusked corn on a baking sheet, turning occasionally, until heated through and crisp- tender, about 15 minutes.  Let cool.  Husk corn and cut kernels from cobs.  Discard cobs.

Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat.  Add corn kernels and sauté until heated through and light golden in spots, 3-5 minutes.  Add butter; stir until melted.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Transfer corn to a large wide bowl or deep platter; sprinkle jalapeno and red pepper flakes (or smoked paprika) over. Squeeze lime wedges over the dish; sprinkle with cheese, chives, and lime zest.