Roasted Mexican Corn: Que delicioso!

O.k, do you ever wonder about the first person that ate a tomato or a banana? Was he or she crazy? The risk of eating something that can be fatal will prevent me from eating stuff I am not familiar with. Think about corn, not only is it all wrapped in the husks, it also has what looks like hair coming out of it. Appealing? I think not. Now, I am glad someone decided to harvest and eat it, so that we can all enjoy it. I love corn cooked in any form or shape.
Cinco de Mayo is coming up and I thought I needed to do something that can be easy to prepare and would be easy to grab while enjoying a beer or a Margarita. So, Mexican corn on the cob sounded great.
To me, roasted corn awakens memories of summer. It is very popular all over the world. In Mexico it is considered street food and is known as Elote. In India, they have wooden carts where you can buy fresh roasted corn that is eaten with lime, salt and chili powder.
Ingredients:
8 ears of corn 1/2 stick of butter, room temperature 4 Tbsp. mayonnaise 1 tsp. chili powder Juice of 2 limes 2 oz. Cotija cheese, finely grated * Pinch of salt
Chopped cilantro just for garnishing – optional.
Directions:
Boil corn with the husks for about 15 minutes, then finish on the grill when ready to serve. Mix together all the remaining ingredients. Pull back the husk, remove silk and spread a generous amount of mixture onto each ear of corn fresh off the grill. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and cilantro (if desired).

*Cotija is a Mexican cheese that has a crumbly texture. It can be found in most major supermarkets. Queso fresco, is a good substitute and Wal-Mart carries it in the cheese section.
You can make a healthier version of this recipe by using non-fat greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise. Add some onion powder to the yogurt, spread that over the roasted corn with some black pepper, paprika and chili then add cotija or Parmesan and squeeze lime over it. Still delicious (and much healthier!)