Corn and Black Bean Salad

I know. It’s been a long time. I just haven’t been able to get my head in the game. But I am back. And it’s Thursday. Which means it is Every(thurs)day Food Recipe day!

I loved the July/August 2011! Then again, I love anything that is chock full of simple, it’s-to-hot-to-cook recipes!

So here I was making these fabulous Burgers al Pastor - you have to make these, they were seriously slammin’ – with Cilantro Fries – yet to come! – and needed some sort of salad to tie it all together, but within in my FIESTA theme! Everyday Food and Corn and Black Bean Salad to the rescue!

• 1 T vegetable oil
• 2 C corn kernels
• 1 (15.5 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 t seeded, and minced Serrano chile
• 4 t chopped cilantro
• 1 T lime juice
• 1/2 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced medium
• coarse salt & pepper to taste

NOTE: Obviously, fresh cilantro and fresh lime juice. I couldn’t find Serrano chilis – well, the husband couldn’t – so I used jalapeno. You will get about 2 cups of corn from 3 ears of fresh corn. Go with the fresh if you can.

In a large, nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium high heat.  Add corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn is browned in spots, should be about 3 minutes.

Transfer corn to a large bowl. Add balance of ingredients. Stir well. Serve immediately.

Really, does it get easy than this!?

Tuscan Potato Salad

I LOVE POTATO SALAD. I LOVE MAYONNAISE. I don’t like the 2 in the same dish.

I am not a fan of hard boiled eggs in my potato salad, or macaroni salad for that matter. I don’t like mayo in my potato salad. I do like mayo on my french fries, though. Yes, I know, picky, picky, picky!

I like a salad that is room temperature friendly and is not likely to spoil or taste funny if it’s too hot outside.

I love this recipe. It started out as a Paula Deen recipe. It was the first non-mayo based potato salad I had seen that I found intriguing. It has changed now – through tweaking and tweaking – to be my recipe. 

I was thrilled to see potato salad as this months’ challenge at the Daring Kitchen! I have decided that with my changes that this is a Tuscan-style potato salad.

It’s really quite simple and can easily be doubled or halved.

• 14 or 15 large red potatoes (about 5 pounds)
• s&p
• 1/2 C chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 C chopped scallions
• 3 cloves garlic finely minced
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t dry mustard
• 1 T sugar
• 1 T Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 C extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 C white wine vinegar
• 1 T marjoram
• 1 t lavender

I switch this around quite a bit. Sometimes I substitute tarragon or thyme for the marjoram; or basil for the parsley; or simply add basil in with the parsley.

Give potatoes a good scrub. Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring water to a boil. Once boiling, generously salt the water and boil until potatoes easily pierce with a knife and are tender – about 30 to 40 minutes.

Once done cooking, drain potatoes and let sit until cool enough to handle. At this point, you can peel the potatoes if you want.  Cut potatoes into bite sized chunks. 

Place cut potatoes in a bowl and sprinkle the parsley (or basil) and scallions over the top.

In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients. Pour over the warm potatoes. Mix. Let stand at room temperature for at least 4 hours or all day, mixing every hour. Do not refrigerate before serving. This is best served at room temperature.

Macaroni Salad

Macaroni salad is without a doubt my son’s favorite side dish. Winter or summer, makes no difference at all. When I have bought macaroni salad in the past, he would hide the container in the fridge and then keep it directly in front of him, doling out meager portions to everyone else.

Honestly, it never occurred to me to make this for him before. Can you imagine? I make butter to see how it’s done, or ricotta because I am curious, or English muffins just because it’s cold out, but I am buying macaroni salad!? This needed to change  – and quickly!

This was so simple to make and came together in a snap! (I am still sitting here grumbling and shaking my head in disbelief at my – well, LAZINESS is the only thing that would fit here!)

• 2 cups of dry pasta – a small shape like elbows, shells or Barilla Piccolini Fusille (which is our fav)
• 1/4 C diced celery
• 1/4 C diced carrot
• 1/4 C chopped scallions
• 1/4 C chopped bell pepper
• 1 T minced parsley
• 1/2 C diced tomato
• 1/2 C mayonnaise
• 3/4 t dry mustard
• 1 1/2 t sugar
• 1 1/2 T cider vinegar
• 3 T sour cream
• 1/2 t salt
• Pepper to taste

NOTE: Remove the seeds and pulp from the tomato. The bell pepper is the color of your choice. The peppers and tomatoes are optional, really, but the colors are pretty, the crunch is nice and it adds to the overall flavor.

Cook the pasta, rinse and drain well.

NOTE: Yes, rinse the pasta. The only time I will ever tell you to rinse the pasta is for a cold salad. While the starch that’s on the pasta helps a sauce cling to the pasta, it don’t taste too great cold!

Add the pasta, celery, carrot, peppers, scallions, parsley and tomatoes to a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, sour cream and salt together. Pour this mixture over the pasta and stir to combine.

Season with s&p.