Like most kids, corn has been one of my favorite vegetables ever since I was little. This recipe is something our nana used to make all the time. I think it may have been her way of getting me to eat something other than just corn – and it worked. She called it calabasita, which in Spanish literally means, “little squash.” It’s really delicious and I highly recommend trying this as a side dish for kids. It’s a great way of getting them to eat zucchini – which isn’t a favorite for most kids!
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
4 small green zucchini, diced into ½” pieces
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 small garlic clove, minced for ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
4 ears fresh corn, husked and kernels sliced off
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced into ½ “ pieces
½ cup grated mozzarella cheese (optional)
Instructions:
- Place the diced zucchini in a colander and toss with salt. Place the colander over a bolw and let sit, 20-30 minutes. The salt will bring out the liquid from the zucchini.
- Remove the zucchini and place on a kitchen towel. Gently pat the zucchini dry to remove any additional moisture. This step is optional, but in my opinion worth the extra time for two reasons: Drying zucchini prior to sautéing it keeps it from becoming watery, and I think this step removes the zucchini’s occasional bitterness.
- In a medium-sized sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic, when you do, the oil should sizzle. Saute 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent. Do not brown.
- Add the zucchini and corn kernels and sauté another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. You may need to lower the heat to medium to prevent the vegetables from browning.
- Add the diced tomato and sauté another 2-3 minutes. Stir in the cheese, if desired.
