Summer Lovin' Crab Salad

Coincidentally, right around the same time that I made the Crazy-Good Crabcakes last weekend, I received an email from a food blog I regularly follow, Gina’s Skinny Recipes, with reference to a recipe for a crab salad!  The stars are aligned! 

My eyes skimmed the ingredients, and I was off to a good start with already having the star of the show - the crab - as well as a few of the other ingredients tucked away in the kitchen.  I decided that there was no other choice in my world that evening than to make this salad.  Boy, am I glad I did.  It was PHENOMENAL. 

This recipe is originally filled with roasted corn, creamy avocado, onion, hot peppers, lime juice, and summer tomatoes.  I didn’t have red onion or peppers on hand, so I used what I did have:  fresh crab, avocado, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, and lime juice.  We didn't miss the onion or peppers one bit. 

Hubby and I enjoyed this salad atop crisp tortilla chips during our cocktail hour on Saturday evening.  Every bite exploded with freshness, and we were instantly transported to a seaside table for two. 

It is the perfect recipe to make the night after you make a crab dish when you have a bit of leftover fresh crab meat.  It is a canvas of “rainbow food”, and it tastes absolutely incredible.  Did I mention that it’s easy as pie to make, too?  Simple and delicious – my frontrunner culinary goal. 

Summer Lovin' Crab Salad (Meg's Adaptation)

Adapted from:  Gina’s Skinny Recipes, http://www.skinnytaste.com/

Ingredients:

Fresh lump crab meat (we had about 6-8 ounces left from dinner the night before)

1 avocado, skin removed and diced

1 lime, juiced

1 cup of roasted corn (see below for the "how to")

1 cup-ish of cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half

Cilantro (optional)

S & P

The Process:

You can most definitely roast an ear of corn on the grill outside to get that freshly grilled taste and then slice the kernels off to add to the salad.  We were ready for cocktail hour, though, and so I kind of "roasted" my corn another way, a quicker and easier way.  I placed some frozen corn kernels (that I quickly warmed up with a bit of water in the microwave) on a baking sheet, drizzling a bit of olive oil over them, and broiled them in a pre-heated oven for 10-12 minutes.  The smell of roasted corn in the kitchen was dynamite, I’m telling ya. 

While the corn is roasting away, dice up one avocado and slice approx. 1 cup of cherry or grape tomatoes in half.  Place these 2 ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Scoop the rest of your crab from the other night into the same bowl as the tomatoes and avocado.  Add the juice of one lime, as well as some S & P. 

Remove the corn from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes.  This is a great time to pour your wine and get ready for cocktail hour. J Once the corn has cooled off a bit, add it to the salad, and lightly toss all of the ingredients together.  Add a tiny bit of chopped cilantro if you'd like.  We found that this was definitely an optional step. 

Get ready for some phenomenal flavors to dance across your palate!!!

Bon Appétit!