I often improvise in the kitchen. Sometimes it’s because I lack an ingredient in a recipe, other times it happens because I am trying to use up what I have in the pantry or fridge, and on occasion I just decide I have a better idea than whatever the recipe is calling for. Whatever the reason, I encourage you to try winging it once in awhile. Even if my dish falls a little flat, I always learn something new about myself as a cook and from time to time I get a real winner that everyone is clamoring for seconds of. I always start with and inspiration recipe, in this case it was a corn salad on Epicurious.com, which is a terrific website for home cooks. When I’m stuck I usually Google a generic term like “chicken + epicurious.com” and boom I’ll have 50 options. I made this corn salad as a side dish with grilled quesadillas, but you could toss in some grilled chicken or shrimp for a nice main dish.

Shannon’s Charred Corn Salad (side dish, serves 4 generously)
Ingredients:
• 2 ears corn, husked
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 lime juiced
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small avocado, cubed
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• ¼ teaspoons chili powder
• kosher salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste
• 2 ounces crumbled feta cheese or queso fresco

Directions:

Stage 1: Preheat your grill to medium heat, lightly oil your corn and place on the grill. Cook for 10-15 minutes until all sides have a light char. Set aside to cool.

Stage 2: In a large bowl juice the limes, and whisk together with olive oil, cilantro, chili powder, salt and pepper. Slice shallot and separate rings, chop avocado and tomatoes, slice corn off of the cob and gently stir to combine all ingredients. Finally, top the salad with the crumbled cheese and serve immediately at room temperature.