Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Self Said & Corn and Black Bean Salad















On Sunday, Coming back from the grocery store, I enter my home through the back door (which is the kitchen), My grandmother practically rushes to greet me and I notice she's wearing a sheepish grin. Without being prompted, she proceeds to tell me that while I was gone she came into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door to get some bean salad. She told me she said to herself: "Self, Terri(anne) wouldn't like you not leaving any for her." So, she closes the refrigerator door and walks away. She tells me that after a second conversation with herself 30 minutes later, which went something like: "Self, Terri(anne) is always complaining about you not eating healthy or getting enough protein, so I think she'd want you to eat the bean salad," She returned to the kitchen to get a bowl of the salad for dinner. She was quite proud of herself as she was telling me how she finished nearly all of it. "Self made me do it," She insisted. In truth, I was happy my grandmother (and Self), who is adverse to trying anything new and rarely eats salubriously, loved the salad so much.
For dinner, I also prepared myself a bowl of what little was left. As I was walking by my grandmother with the bowl of salad, she yells at me: "DID SELF SAY YOU COULD HAVE THAT?!"

She was also kind enough to relay a message where 'Self instructed me to buy all the ingredients I need to make this again when I go to the store this week.' Self is bossy. Hopefully she'll share better next time.

This was delicious! Just ask Self.

Corn and Black Bean Salad with Basil- Lime Vinaigrette
Recipe courtesy and Adapted from Giada De Lauretiis

Ingredients Salad:

2 ears fresh corn or 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 &3/4 Cup Black beans, prepared, Or (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 & 3/4 Cup Garbanzo beans, prepared, Or (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 mango, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1/2 jalapeno, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (I used a mixture of Sweet and Thai basil)

If starting with raw beans, salt the beans before preparing the salad.

It's more work, but I always start with raw beans.



















" Vinaigrette:

*Note: The original recipe called for adding the basil to the vinaigrette, but I thought it would be easier just to add it in with the salad.

2 limes, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 Clove garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea or Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper



















Directions For the salad:

Indoor Method: Place skillet pan over medium heat. Add enough canola oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Remove silks and husks from fresh corn. Remove corn kernels from cob and add to heated pan. Saute for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.


Outdoor Method: Preheat outdoor grill. Peel down, but do not remove corn husks. Pull off silks and discard. Return corn husks to cover corn. Add prepared corn to a large bowl of cold water to soak for 30 minutes. Remove corn from water, shake to remove excess water or pat dry with clean towel. Grill corn for 10-15 minutes. Remove corn from grill and allow to cool. Remove husks and, using a sharp knife, hold corn upright and cut down to remove corn from cob.

In large bowl, add garbanzo beans, black beans, corn kernels, red bell pepper, mango, red onion, jalapeno and scatter basil over top.



















" For the vinaigrette:

In a small bowl, add zest and juice of lime, balsamic vinegar, chopped garlic, and cumin. Whisk while slowly incorporating the oil until mixture thickens. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add vinegar over-top of bean salad and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Mix again before serving.

16 comments:

  1. I love how you have an indoor and an outdoor method! Grandma sounds like a hoot.

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  2. OMG, your grandma is ADORABLE! I think Self needs to post more inspiring blog posts like these! :-)

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  3. This looks delicious with its great colors and the tasty vinaigrette! Yum!

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  4. Mmmmmmm that looks so good. Your grandmother sounds like a lot of fun, I think I would like her. Diane

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  5. This sounds like something I would like too. I like that you used 2 kinds of beans. I bet the chickpeas gave it a nice texture.

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  6. LOL, bossy self...ha ha ha ;) LOOOOVE this salad and everything that goes in it. Beautiful =)

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  7. Lovely granny, she really knows what is good.
    Beautiful post ♥

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  8. i'm such a fan of vinegary-citrusy salads like this in the summer

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  9. This looks like a terrific summer salad!

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  10. That is such a sweet and funny story! Your Grandma sounds like a gem. I love everything about this salad and was even craving black beans today! SELF says must make.

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  11. wow-kudos for using raw beans...that's impressive! And this looks and sounds like a dish here in the south called 'georgia caviar' that you eat with tortilla chips, kinda like a salsa. But the fact that you have mango in yours makes it sound so much better!

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  12. So much delicious things that go into this salad. Miammm!

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  13. I feel healthier just reading this post - I love the whole combo you put together here...

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  14. oh grandma is a riot! i think i love her. i made something similar the other night with fresh produce from the farmer's market. seriously when corn is in season it makes everything taste better! (self tells me that everyday) :)

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