Mexican Street Corn Barley Salad

     It's Cinco de Mayo week everyone! Of course that calls for a fiesta and plenty of delicious food. So grab a margarita and get comfy because some of my blogger friends and I have been cooking up a storm in preparation for the fiesta!


     We love Mexican food in our house.   Really I doubt much of what we have is very authentic at all. Maybe it's more Tex-Mex. Perhaps it's Mexican fusion? At the very least it's Mexican inspired. Yeah, we'll go with that!

     I am not disciplined enough to actually follow through on a weekly food tradition, but if I was Taco Tuesday would be a strong contender. We all love them (and fajitas, nachos, enchiladas, burritos, chimichangas and more!) MiMi sometimes does taco bars for family dinners too and that is always a hit.

       So it was hard to narrow down what I wanted to share with you for #MexicanRecipes week. In the end, I decided to kick the week off with a flavorful side dish. As the weather is turning warmer, I have fresh produce on the brain. This is inspired by the street vendors who grill corn on the cob and do it up right. Of course we don't have fresh corn on the cob quite yet in the Midwest, but some frozen corn toasted in a hot skillet works almost as well!

      This is perfect served alongside some tequila lime chicken (recipe coming soon) or would make a great take along for a picnic or potluck. You can make it ahead which is always a bonus too. I made a big batch and served it as a side for dinner. Then I stirred in some beans and leftover chicken for quick lunches at work during the week. It was great both ways!

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Mexican Street Corn Barley Salad

by Cooking With Carlee May-1-2017

Ingredients

• 1 cup Pearled barley
• 1 T bacon grease or vegetable oil
• 2 pounds frozen corn, defrosted
• 2-3 green onions
• 1 can green chilis
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• 5 oz. queso fresco
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 3 T lime juice
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

Cook barley according to package directions, or bring 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil. Add barley and return to a boil. Drop heat to low, cover and simmer for 40 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.Meanwhile, heat 1 Tablespoon of bacon grease or vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add corn in batches and and cook until there are dark brown bits. Remove the corn and keep toasting the corn until it has all taken a turn in the pan. Set aside.In a large bowl, stir together green onions, chilis, cilantro, mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, garlic powder, chili powder and salt. Add barley and corn and stir to coat. Crumble queso fresco and stir into barley mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Taste and adjust seasoning to your taste.Serve with additional cilantro and queso fresco if desired.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 40 mins Total time: Yield: 6-8 servings

Happy ##MexicanRecipes
Let’s have a fiesta of Cinco de Mayo inspired recipes all week long!

• Papusas de Queso from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Mexican Restaurant Rice from Palatable Pastime
• Enchiladas to Feed a Crowd from Tip Garden
• Mexican Street Corn Barley Salad from Cooking With Carlee
• Conchas (Mexican Sweet Bread) from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Avocado Paletas (Mexican Avocado Ice Pops) from Caroline's Cooking
• Churro French Toast from Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Beef Tacos from Books n' Cooks
• Easy Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms, Mexican Style from Feeding Big
• One Pan Chicken Enchilada Rice Bake from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Mexican Strawberry Cheesecake Chimichangas from All that's Jas

Check back each and every day for new recipes by following along with the hashtag #MexicanRecipes on social media.