Jan 25, 2011

Avocado and Black Bean Salad

Planning for a weeknight dinner after a long hectic day at work and everything else, is when you need to get your creativity to kick up a notch and work full force. And every time I want to be creative, I think of salads. There's something about throwing in multiple ingredients and bringing them together in a bowl and serving it up with style. Makes you feel like Superwoman. 

And this time it was a mexican style salad. Simple ingredients that come together beautifully. No jazzy special stuff required. Takes about 20 mins to put together the entire satisfying meal including the rice and vegetables. 


Chop and dice the avocado and cucumbers into small bits. I used the small tender Persian cucumbers and just diced them with the skin on.



Arrange on a platter or you can just add to a big mixing bowl if you're not taking pictures for a blog!


Roast some corn with a little salt to taste and also a pinch of paprika or red chilli powder. I use the frozen corn and feel that it definitely taste a hundred times better when you slightly roast the kernels.


Add the corn to the platter.


Chop up a couple of roma tomatoes and about half an onion into small bits and add to the bowl or platter.


Chop up some fresh lettuce into small strips.


Add to the platter.

Next comes the protein. I used the canned black beans - but you can soak and cook regular black beans or even the Indian rajma beans. Wash the beans once to remove the slimy brown liquid and all the unnecessary preservatives.


 Add the beans to the bowl and also add a whole bunch of cilantro chopped finely.


I can just stare at this all evening!


Add all of these below to the veggies and beans -

Salt - to taste
Red Chilli powder or Paprika - 1 tsp
Olive Oil - 1 -2 tsp
Juice of half a lime - squeezed out fresh.

Using a couple of forks, just mix up all the ingredients.


And there people, is the salad of the day!

Fresh. Crisp. Tasty. Fulfilling.


And this is how I multi task and catch up on all shows from back home. Listening to Jesudas singing while making a salad - perfect! Music and Food. My two best friends.


I also made some lemon flavored rice (Chipotle style) and sauteed onions and bell peppers along with the salad. And served them all with some tacos. You could get some tortillas too and roll up some burritos with all these fillings. TH missed his burritos very much!


Fill up some tacos with all the goodness and drizzle on some hot taco sauce on top for a wonderful dinner.


For the cheese lovers in the family, make them happy too!


“To remember a successful salad is generally to remember a successful dinner; at all events, the perfect dinner necessarily includes the perfect salad.” - George Ellwanger (1848-1906) ‘Pleasures of the Table’ (1902)



Enjoy. Peace Out!

20 comments:

  1. I am having hunger pangs right now. Being a Mexican food-lover, this will be an ideal dinner atleast thrice a week. So easy to put together.

    I cook while watching TV too. Mostly watch all the recorded shows on my DVR box. :-)

    Siri

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  2. Lovely! You had the strength to assemble all this and click pictures for your blog after a workday! great going Anu! Colorful, healthy salad.

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  3. Thanks Siri and Divya - you girls are fast!

    Siri - Any show I watch is from my DVR too - when everyone at home is sleeping - I sit and watch peacefully! But some tamil shows I have to catch online only - can't miss them all!

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  4. I am coming there Anu.. Awesome meal which i love so much,. No chiptole or Bajafresh...Sure this is best.. Reserve a seat for me.(sorry for 3)

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  5. Wowww wat a nutritious,healthy and filling salad, soo colourful..

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  6. Yummy, healthy and fresh!! I absolutely love this combo!!

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  7. That's a perfect salad and dinner!

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  8. Oh my, that salad looks like a plate of heaven..Awesome...
    B/W are you from Kerala?

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  9. I have been big on salads lately and this is a welcome variation!

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  10. Yumm!! That looks so delicious!!

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  11. Thats a true feast dear..looks really tempting...
    Hey why dont u send this colorful salad 2 my salad event..I would be glad if u send this...chk my blog for more details..

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  12. So tempting and healthy.... irresistable combination.

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  13. lovely ! kool snaps and well written post !

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  14. Wow! What a refreshing salad! Love the colors and all the veggies that go into it. I like that you have added Avocado with skin into this salad. Many times we forget to enjoy such simple and healthy dishes which we can make for a great meal. Thanks for reminding :)

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  15. Thank you all!

    @ Pavi - of course, you're welcome. There's always a seat for you!

    @ k sisters - no, I'm not from Kerala but still love Jesudas! I'm from TN..close enough.

    @ Prathiba - will do. thanks!

    @ Sanjeeta - thanks! I did not add avocado with the skin but the cucumbers are with the skin on - these are the tender persian cucumbers and the skin is super soft anyways.

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  16. Lovely Salad Anu....looks colouful and so yummy. Lemon kicks up everything!!
    Did you make the tacos?

    Shobha

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  17. Omg! Its lunch time here, and Im wishing I had a genie to just summon all this stuff from your place, even if it means just leftovers :)

    Oh and having dished up all of this stuff after a busy weekday, you sure are a Superwoman alright. With all this heady food you keep dishing up, you would give Superman a big complex. You go girl! :)

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  18. Made this salad one more time today Anu! Hmm...heavenly! kids loved it! Thanks for this awesome recipe.

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  19. Hey akka, next time u try this salad, cook the onions, tomatoes and the black beans with a little garlic with a tadka of ghee and jeera. May sound a bit odd, but trust me, if u try it u will be surprised by how amazing that tastes. Made it 4 my hubby once and till today refuses to allow me to tweak the recipe
    - Aparna

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