Black Bean and Corn Salsa

We have been reveling in all the fresh delicious ingredients that are growing this time of year.  The tomatoes, the avocados, the corn, etc.  It's delightful to our palates.  And if you can't tell, I'm a big lover of the black bean and corn combo.  This recipe was first introduced to me by my friend Rebecca.  Admittedly, I almost eat this as a main course because I love the flavors so much, though it is most certainly an appetizer or side. The recipe says to use canned corn, but if corn is in season, please use that.  It definitely ups the ante of flavor.  Just use 2 cobs of corn, cooked, with the kernels removed with a knife.  Hope you enjoy it as much as we have.

Fresh Black Bean & Corn Salsa

3 Roma tomatoes, small diced

1 large avocado, small diced

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained & rinsed

1 (15 oz) can corn, drained & blanched

1/2 orange pepper, small diced

3/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Wishbone Italian House Dressing

McCormick Fajita Seasoning

Salt & Pepper

fresh lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in bowl.  Put just enough Italian dressing and lemon juice to moisten vegetables.  Season to taste with fajita seasoning, salt & pepper.  Serve with tortilla chips.   

Edamame, Rice and Corn Salad

This delicious salad was introduced to me by my cooking friend, Kristen Morefield.  She is a friend that is a delight to have around.  We sometimes get together for lunch or breakfast and share our leftovers and talk about all the yummy food we have been eating/making or hope to eat/make.  This salad has become a common appearance on our table.  It's fast, it's light, it's delicious!  You can also find all the ingredients at Trader Joes, which makes it easy to stock up on ingredients and pull out for a quick meal. Enjoy! I'll thank Kristen for you. :)  

Edamame, Rice & Corn Salad

Salad:

1 bag (12 oz) frozen shelled edamame

1 bag (16 oz) frozen corn or 4 corn on the cob, cooked, and kernels removed

2 1/2 cups cooked brown rice or 1 bag frozen cooked brown rice (about 2 1/2 cups)

4 oz sliced almonds

3/4 cup small diced celery

4 scallions, chopped

1 cup dried cranberries

Dressing:

6 Tblsp canola oil

3 Tblsp rice vinegar (not seasoned)

1-2 Tblsp lemon juice

Bunch of fresh basil, chopped (about 15-20 leaves)

salt & pepper to taste

Thaw edamame and corn for 30 minutes (and rice if using frozen rice) on counter top.  Mix all salad ingredients in medium bowl.  Mix all dressing ingredients in container and shake.  Pour dressing over salad ingredients and stir.  Add more salt & pepper to taste.  Serve room temp or chilled.

Serves 4-5

Tomato and Beet Salad

I have always been so fascinated by the depth of color of beets.  Crimson comes to mind.  Beets like to leave sweet reminders of themselves as their color can dye your fingertips and nails a deep red, so be careful in handling them.  After roasting them I usually use a paper towel to rub the skins off so I don't get questions from my children on what project I delved into without them.  You can also try golden beets in this recipe, which are a delightful yellow.  While I will eat beets plain, my husband is a bit more finicky about them.  With feta, cilantro and balsamic creating a perfect complimentary bite he cannot resist them.  Which is a good thing since beets are full of potassium, magnesium, fiber, phosphorus, iron, vitamins A, B & C, beta-carotene, beta-cyanine & folic acid.  Not to mention that the Romans used them as an aphrodisiac.  A perfect recipe just in time for Valentine's Day, no? One last note (and I hate to talk about this on a food blog, but....) if you notice you are peeing pink after eating the beets it could mean that you have low stomach acid.  Just something to keep in mind so you don't have a panic attack after eating them.  Enjoy!

Tomato and Beet Salad

3 small to medium beets, scrubbed & trimmed

2 medium to large heirloom tomatoes

1/4 cup fresh feta cheese

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Sea salt & fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400*.  Put beets in double aluminum foil and seal into a foil packet.  Roast until tender, 75-90 minutes.  When cool, rub the beets to remove skins.  This makes them nice and glossy. Slice beets and tomatoes in equal thickness.  Arrange beets and tomatoes on plate.  Top with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, feta, salt and pepper, and cilantro.

Serves 4

*Adapted from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food

Balsamic Glazed Carrots

I have been loving all the root vegetables in season now.  The heirloom carrots at the farmers market look so bright and colorful, it would make anyone feel cheery in the winter.  And to think I used to believe that carrots only came in one color! I love variety, and having three colors of carrots in a pan together....delightful!  Plus, it's pretty cool to see a purple carrot.  Leave some of the top stems on and it brings in even more color as does the red pepper.  Since not all of the carrots in a bunch are the same size, go ahead and cut some into slices if they are too thick.  Enjoy!

Balsamic Glazed Carrots

2 Tblsp olive oil                                                         3 Tblsp Balsamic vinegar
2 Tblsp unsalted butter                                              2 Tblsp light brown sugar
1 large shallots, thinly sliced                                       1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced                       1/4 tsp fresh pepper

1 lb fresh heirloom baby carrots, 

with stems attached but clipped

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Wash and dry carrots.  Sauté the carrots for a few minutes until they start to soften.  Add shallots and bell pepper and sauté until carrots are tender and slightly browned, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the vinegar, brown sugar, salt & pepper.  Reduce heat and cook for 5 minutes or until the liquid is reduced and the vegetables begin to glaze stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Serves 4-6

*Adapted from a Junior League of Houston recipe

Caprese Salad

Caprese Salad is one of my most favorite go to salads in the summer.  Maybe because it is so easy to make, tastes so light and fresh, and I most likely always have the ingredients on hand in the summer.  Heirloom tomatoes are plentiful on the vine, and if you have ever had a fresh heirloom tomato you know there is no going back.  They taste just like what a tomato should taste like.  Juicy, sweet & tart, divinity!  They simply do not compare to their grocery store counterparts which are mealy and have no flavor.  These tomatoes my husband grew in our small garden, but lucky for us there is a guy at our local farmer's market that sells fantastic heirloom tomatoes in case we have eaten all of ours.  Which is what usually happens in the summer.  Make sure your mozzarella is fresh and often found in the special cheese isle.  You want it to be moist and soft so that is complements the tomato.  Enjoy!

Caprese Salad

2 medium-large sized heirloom tomatoes, any color

1/2 pound good quality fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced into rounds

10 leaves of basil

olive oil

good quality balsamic vinegar, reduced or regular

freshly ground coarse sea salt & pepper

Wash and dry tomatoes and basil.  Slice tomatoes into 1/3 to 1/2 inch slices.  Place on plate or platter of choice.  Slice mozzarella into similar sized slices and place on top of tomato slices.  Drizzle olive oil on top of all tomato and mozzarella pieces.  Drizzle balsamic vinegar onto all mozzarella pieces.  Grind coarse sea salt and pepper over the top to taste.  Gather the leaves of basil and place on top of one another.  Roll up into a tight roll and cut creating little ribbons.  Sprinkle across each mozzarella piece making sure each piece gets sufficient basil. Serve immediately.

Serves 4-5