Sometimes when you’re planning a Tex-Mex dinner it’s difficult to come up with unique sides besides a standard green salad or a cup of tortilla soup. The Fiesta corn dish is not only easy to prepare, but it’s full of robust flavors and colors for both the plate and palate. Sometimes it’s hard to pull together sides for the Mexican themed meal, this one will reap positive comments and make you glad you tried something new.
I know a few die-hard corn fans who would sit down to the corn dish ‘cold’! I would lay low on too much fresh cilantro because either you love it or you hate the herb! Your family genes have a lot to do with whether you enjoy this spice or not. The properties of cilantro rank high with physical benefits. I would certainly enjoy it, but my husband would not appreciate the move. Our son, Phillip, obviously got his passion for cilantro from me.
This week saw us busy with lots of community involvements and enjoying the warmer temperatures. I’m teaching again as I volunteered to instruct basic floral design, at the ‘Senior Fair’ being held at the Catholic Church in Kimberling City. Thursday, March 6, 2025, 10am-3pm. Lots of presenters and a wonderful complimentary lunch.
I’m trying not to get too excited about winter being over. However it does make you want to start studying seed catalogs, making summer plans and bringing out the Easter bunnies. Look for easy ways to update the home as we start to think, ‘SPRING’. Vibrant pastels, cheerful table runners, bird statuary, bunnies, forsythia branches, tulips. Moving a few pieces of furniture around can give you a fresh lift. Shake out the rugs, wash all the couch blankets, and get things organized so you are truly ready for the seasonal changes. St. Patrick’s Day is arriving first, good time to plan a nice simple beef stew dinner and invite a few friends over. Throw in a side salad and biscuits and the menu is done! I’ve even ordered some new mint green flowers for the dining table. I’ll remove the red quilt & striped table topper on my dining room table and replace it
with a green and creme table runner. Oh, then there’s the new yellow tulips I purchased in the ‘fall’, for this spring. Well; I’d best get going on all this seasonal decor work, which means another tip: Purchase for next year’s holiday right after it concludes in order to save on the following season.
Now let’s grab the Fiesta Corn recipe. Simply yours, The Covered Dish.
Fiesta Corn
Gather a large sauté pan.
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small zucchini, finely diced
½ of a red pepper, finely diced
½ -1 cup finely diced red onion
2 cans (15 oz. each) yellow corn, drained
¼ teaspoon chili powder
1 12/ teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
Cilantro to taste, chopped fine.
Sauté zucchini, pepper and onion in olive oil, when tender introduce the drained corn. Continue cooking until the corn is hot, add the chili powder, cumin and salt. Just before serving sprinkle in chopped cilantro and stir to heat. If you want to grab a couple pats of butter as you are moving it into a warmed bowl, (Water in bowl, heat in microwave, remove water, dry and fill.) that might be a nice added touch. Also you can put a small bowl of pre-chopped ‘additional’ cilantro for those who desire more.
Feel free to modify, I like different types of chili powder, especially chipotle. Sometimes I’ll use both white and yellow corn. Frozen corn is OK, but thaw it first or you will bring in too much water to the dish. For the true spice hounds sit a bottle of hot sauce on the table.
