Happy Memorial Day weekend all! This weekend has a special place in my heart. And not just because we get three days off work. 😉 When I went to Ohio University we had a tradition of traveling to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina every Memorial Day weekend. Rumor has it that it all started when a couple of fraternity brothers were trying to come up with a good way to celebrate the long weekend and quickly came to the realization that HHI is less than a 10 hour drive from the university. For years after Bobcats invaded the island for what you can picture as spring break but where you know everyone on the beach. For three years in a row I crammed myself into a rented condo with 17 other girls. Bars in the area even made a point to stock up and schedule extra bartenders in anticipation of our arrival. Ever since OU transitioned from quarters to semesters the tradition died out since the semester now ends weeks before the holiday weekend. I'm sad for students now who will never get to experience what we did, however some of the best memories I have are from those weekends. I'll leave it at that, because what happens in Hilton Head, stays in Hilton Head!
Now, as a "mature" adult I look forward to this weekend for trips with family and friends, the kickoff of pool season/summer, and of course cookouts! I've put together some delicious backyard barbecue recipes for you all which I'll be sharing throughout the weekend starting with Mexican Street Corn. Because really, what is a cookout without corn on the cob on the grill? This version takes the usual side dish up a notch with a spice kick and melted cheese. It combines fresh lime juice, chili powder, cayenne, cumin, cilantro, salt, and pepper, with melted feta and of course lots of butter!
To prepare this dish heat your grill and brush with olive oil. Mix together your spices in a small bowl. Brush your ears of corn with butter and sprinkled with a little bit of salt and pepper. Grill the corn, turning occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Once your corn is cooked and lightly charred, remove from grill and immediately brush with each ear with butter and then sprinkle with cheese and spices.
Squeeze each ear with fresh lime. Try them out at your barbecue this weekend!
- olive oil, for brushing grill
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- ½ tsp. ground cayenne
- ½ tsp. ground cilantro
- ½ tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 8 ears of corn, husked
- ½ cup butter, melted
- ½ cup crumbled feta
- 1 lime, cut into 8 wedges
- Warm grill to high heat and brush with olive oil.
- Mix together spices in a small bowl.
- Brush ears of corn with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Grill corn, turning occasionally, for about 10 minutes.
- Remove from grill and immediately brush with butter.
- Sprinkle each ear with 1 tbs. feta.
- Sprinkle each ear with ½ tsp. spice mixture.
- Squeeze 1 lime wedge over each ear.
[…] On a hot summer day, serve this Prickly Pear Margarita with these Spicy Ahi Tuna Poke Nachos, Simple Radish Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette, or Strawberry Watermelon Summer Salad. Or try serving with these other Mexican-inspired dishes: Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla (with Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce), Queso Blanco, Baja Shrimp Taco, or Mexican Street Corn. […]