Leigh Uhlir – Dean of Kendall College at National Louis University

Kendall College at National Louis University, 18 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago

http://www.nl.edu/kendall-college/

Recipe:

ELOTES GRILLED CHEESE

Ingredients

  • 2 cups yellow corn (fresh or frozen), roasted
  • 1 poblano pepper, roasted – seeds removed and diced
  • ¼ cup diced red onion
  • ¼ cup vegan or plant-based mayo
  • ½ cup Mexican dairy-free cheese
  • 2 tsps. Hot sauce
  • Salt to taste
  • Olive oil for cooking
  • Bread slices

Directions (makes 4 sandwiches)

  1. Add olive oil to the pan to coat and sauté the corn until roasted.
  2. Add red onion and diced poblano pepper and season with salt.
  3. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to cool down.
  4. Add vegan mayo, dairy-free cheese, and hot sauce to the corn-onion-pepper mixture and mix until combined. Mixture should be thick; add more cheese if needed.

Talking point: Dairy-free cheese is readily available in stores. You can also make your own plant-based cheese from scratch – although you may end up feeling a bit like a food scientist by the time you purchase agar-agar, xanthan gum and tapioca starch to help bind the ingredients and create the texture you’re looking for in a cheese.

  1. Spread vegan mayo on two slices of bread and toast on a heated pan or flat top.

Talking point: Some breads are naturally plant-based, including sourdough, French baguettes, and

focaccia. Just read the ingredients and make sure water is used instead of milk products.

  1. Add elotes filling to one of the slices of bread and place the other slice on top, toasted side up.
  2. Continue to flip until melted in center and toasted on both sides.