Summer Recipe: Corn Salad

By Dana Leigh Smith

Summer meals often revolve around meat on the barbecue and the ice cream shop. But there's no rule that says you have to sacrifice flavor for healthier options when it comes to your warm-weather meals.

By taking advantage of the abundance of fresh, seasonal produce, you can cook delicious food that is good for you too. Karen Ansel, MS, RDN, CDN, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and author of The Calendar Diet: A Month By Month Guide to Losing Weight While Living Your Life, weighs in on the health benefits of nutritious and delicious summer recipes.

Summer Corn Salad

Despite its bad rap, corn is actually good for you, says Ansel. Not only is the  crop a good source of belly-filling fiber, but it also contains zeaxanthin and lutein, plant chemicals that promote eye health.Corn is best the minute it is picked from the stalk so buy from local growers if you can, and look for tightly closed, fresh-looking husks and tassels.

Ingredients:

• 5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn, thawed
• 1-1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup finely chopped cucumber
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk 4 teaspoons oil, lime juice, salt and pepper sauce; set aside.
2. In a large skillet, cook and stir corn in remaining oil over medium-high heat until tender. Transfer to a salad bowl; cool slightly. Add the tomatoes, cucumber, onion and basil. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.
3. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving or refrigerate until chilled. Sprinkle with cheese just before serving.