Elote (Mexican Corn on the Cob)

The first time I saw elote, it was being sold on the street on a wooden skewer so customers could take it on the go.  It smelled delicious, looked amazing, and kids were gobbling it up like popsicles on a hot day.  I went home to research what this treat might be and discovered that it is elote - Mexican corn on the cob, which is actually incredibly easy to make.  I've found that microwaving the corn is the easiest and quickest way to cook it on the cob- and with a quick dressing of lime-mayo, queso fresco, and spicy smoked paprika you have a complete snack!
Ingredients:
- 4 ears corn on the cob
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise (preferably home-made)
- 1 lime, zested and halved
- 3/4 cup queso fresco or cotija cheese (you could also use feta but it is harder to crumble... this is what we used in the photos, and I think queso fresco is much better)
- spicy smoked paprika and cayenne pepper, to sprinkle on top according to your taste

Directions:

Place the corn cobs in husk on a plate, and microwave for 6 minutes. (or 1 1/2 minutes per cob if you do more or less)   Remove and let it cool until you can peel the husks without burning your hands.  If your corn is already shucked, wrap each piece in a damp paper towel to microwave. Peel away all of the husk and corn hair once you can handle the corn. While the corn is cooking, prepare your lime-mayonnaise.  Mix the mayo with the zest of one lime, and the juice from half of it.  Thickly spread this mixture over the corn.

On a separate plate, crumble the cheese.  Roll each piece of corn in the cheese until it is lightly coated.  Sprinkle with spicy smoked paprika and cayenne pepper.  Squeeze some fresh lime juice on top before serving.   A great dish to enjoy fresh summer corn!