Elote: Mexican Street Corn

GUYS. Oh. My. Goodness. We are in JULY!! What the heck happened to JUNE? And where have I been for the past MONTH? And why have I neglected my BLOG?

There are good answers to all these questions, I promise. Here's the biggie: I totaled my car on May 31st...I hit a deer on my way home from church. The (pregnant) deer died...along with my beloved car...and thus began the circus of insurance claims, insurance settlements, Carfax searches, used car queries, test drives, pre-purchase inspections, and rental cars...the WORKS! THAT'S what happened to June. That's where I've been for the past month. And that's why my poor blog has sat, untouched, since May 21. I'm very sorry...but thanks for understanding!

So...good news: I've got a new (to me) car and I love it! Bad news: I now have a new car payment, a new insurance payment, and more gas to pay for because my new car is bigger than my old one. Good news: I've got a great place to live and I LOVE IT! Bad news: my rent went up this month. Good news: I'm blessed with a job that pays the bills, and I love it!! Bad news: there's rarely anything left after the bills are paid...but you know what? God is so faithful, and never once have I not had what I needed.

God provides even before I know there's a deficit, and He never fails--so my responsibility is to be wise with the resources I have and trust God for the rest. Fortunately, my crazy life affords me lots of opportunities to exercise that trust in Him! I am alive. I am unharmed. I am fully well and thriving. I am outrageously, abundantly blessed, and I can do nothing but thank God for that. :)

Okay, now on to this corn...WHATTTT! I usually don't care much for corn, but I HAD to make this recipe. Good. Grief. I made it for the family cookout on July 4th and the platter was empty in minutes! Here's the deal: it's juicy corn on the cob, smothered in a garlic sauce and topped with Cotija cheese or Queso Fresco, chili powder, cilantro, and a splash of lime. Are you kidding me?!! It was so delicious and SO EASY!!

Also, let's just take a moment to celebrate that this is the 100th Post on Foodie & Fabulous!!!! WOOOOOHOOOOO!!!! Thank you guys for sticking with me through the past couple of years. This has been so much fun, and I love writing for you. Here's to a hundred more recipes!! :)

I've seen recipes that make the garlic sauce with some combination of mayo and garlic powder, but I don't like mayo--so I used butter instead. It was a delicious alternative and just as unhealthy...oops... ;) Now, please don't rely on me for the authenticity of this version of Elotes-- and if you know a better way to do it, please feel free to comment! You know how open I am to hearing what you guys do with my recipes. All I know is: THIS WAS AMAZING. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family and friends did! Adapted from Little Spice Jar.

Ingredients:

• 3 ears sweet corn
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ cup Queso Fresco or cotija cheese, crumbled
• 3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• ½ teaspoon chili powder (ancho chile or Chipotle powder works too)
• 1 lime, quartered

Directions:
To oven cook the corn: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the corn covered in husks directly on the oven rack and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the corn is tender and juicy.
To grill the corn: you can leave the husks on or remove them for some nice-looking grill marks. Grill corn for 15-20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes until tender.

In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder with the butter. Place the Queso Fresco cheese in a shallow baking dish or a plate. When the corn is done, remove husks and brush the corn with the garlic butter. Roll in the cotija cheese and sprinkle with cilantro and chili powder. Serve with the lime wedges to squeeze over the corn. Easy. Peasy. Cheesy. And DELICIOUS! Enjoy!!