Lighter Elotes (Dip)
FitMenCook
My name is Kevin. My life changed when I realized that healthy living is truly a lifelong journey, mainly won by having a well-balanced diet and enjoying adequate exercise. By experimenting in the kitchen and openly sharing my meals, I learned that healthy eating is hardly boring and that by making a few adjustments, I could design a diet that could help me achieve my personal fitness goals. Our bodies are built in the kitchen and sculpted in the gym.
I may be a little biased, but I think Texas has the best Mexican (next to Mexico of course).
There’s nothing like driving up to a taco stand on any given day and ordering some of the most mouth-watering tacos “you never knew you were missing in life.” And right next to nearly every taco stand is a small cart filled with corn that you can smell down the block. Yes, elotes.
At the risk of oversimplification for those that haven’t had chance to try this awesomeness, elote is corn on the cob with butter, mayo, chili and lime. Essentially, it’s everything good in this world wrapped up in buttery, savory kernels.
And despite how good it tastes, it tends to be very high in calories with a lot of saturated fat.
So, with a few tweaks here and there, I got busy in the kitchen to put my FitMenCook spin on a popular Mexican street food. This version is equally tasty and MUCH lighter on the calories!
To gather the ingredients, I went to my neighborhood Kroger. It just so happened that corn was on sale so I took it as a sign that I was meant to make this dish.
Lighter Elotes (Dip)
- 5 ears – corn on the cob (medium size, raw)
- 3/4 cup 2% Greek yogurt
- 2 heaping tablespoons lite safflower mayo (or more if desired)
- 1/3 cup Private Selection crumbled goat cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 1/2 medium bell pepper (chopped)*
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (or coconut oil)
- Seasonings:
- 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- juice from 1 lime
- sea salt & pepper to taste
- Garnish:
- chipotle chili
- cilantro
(*) – denotes an optional ingredient
- Set a grill or oven to 350F.
- Peel back the husk from the corn to remove the silk. Add the husks back to the corn and soak the corn on the cob in water for about 10 minutes (to prevent burning when roasting). Place the corn on the hot grill (or on a baking sheet for the oven) and roast for about 20 to 30 minutes, until the corn is soft.
- While the corn is cooking, mix Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, goat cheese and the seasonings together in a large bowl. Season to taste and set aside.
- When the corn is ready, use a sharp knife to shave the corn into a separate bowl. Set a nonstick skillet on medium heat and add olive oil. When the oil is hot, toss in the chopped red onion. Sear the onion for about 3 minutes.
- Add the shaved corn to the skillet and mix together with the onion until the corn has a slight sear on the edges, about 7 to 8 minutes. When the corn has a slight sear on it, add it to the bowl with the cream and mix together. Season to taste using fresh cilantro, cumin, sea salt & pepper.
- Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and chili powder. Serve the dip warm with fresh tostadas, or my favorite, roasted jalapeños!
Approximate macros for 1 of 6 hearty servings:
Available in the FitMenCook app
Open this recipe in the FitMenCook app to add the ingredients to your shopping list, scale the recipe and track your calories. Enjoy!
