Salsa, Salad or Both?!

Who needs an easy to make salsa that can also be a salad?  You all should be saying "ME!"  I've been making this salad, I mean salsa, all summer and I'm so excited to finally getting around to sharing it.

Full disclosure, I'm sort of a bean hater.  I have never liked and will never like refried beans. I believe its a texture thing.  I wish you could see my face as I'm typing this because I'm sure my expression is the exact replica of Disgust from Inside Out, which is a movie everyone should see.  Anyhow, my Mexican food lover husband is a bean fanatic.  So to keep us both happy I combined black beans with my favorite summer vegetables.  

This festive salsa/salad is super versatile.  It makes the best companions with tortilla chips, chicken tacos, grilled fish, a bed of leafy lettuce, red cabbage or kale and of coure a great margarita.  Oh, and the longer it marinates the better it is.  It's the perfect addition to your Labor Day and end of summer gatherings!  Enjoy!

Roasted Corn and Black Bean Salsa Salad

Ingredients

2 ears fresh corn

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 - 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup radishes, chopped

1/2 cup orange or red bell pepper, diced

1/2 medium red onion, diced

1 jalapeno, seeds removed and diced

1-2 limes, juiced

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1-1/2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to broil.

Carefully cut the corn off the cob.  Spread the corn onto a foil lined baking sheet.  Drizzle the olive oil over the corn and season with salt a pepper.  Broil in the oven until slightly charred, about 5-7 minutes.  Remove the corn from the oven and allow to cool.

Combine the remainder of the ingredients into a medium bowl.  Add the roasted corn and stir to combine.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to one day ahead of serving.  Makes about 3 cups.

Watermelon Salad Stacks

Is it August already?  I feel like this summer has literally flashed before my eyes!  I'm still trying to hold on to any bits of it that I can as kids are headed back to school and fall recipes are popping up in my Pinterest feed.  

Watermelon screams summer to me and while I'm usually juicing it for a cocktail I thought we could all take a (short) break from the booze to enjoy this refreshing, simple to make summer salad.  I sort of stumbled across this mixture as I was quickly trying to make something for lunch without turning on the stove.  I know most people use feta or grilled halloumi (which I need to do a post on) cheese with watermelon but I'm a huge fan of burrata.  The creamy stuffed fresh mozzarella is a perfect pair to the juicy and refreshing watermelon.

While I went fancy with the presentation of this salad, you can simply chop up the watermelon and burrata, place it on a bed of arugula, drizzle the olive oil and balsamic on top and enjoy!  Either way you can't go wrong and it will surely keep you in the spirit of summer as we all soak up the last bit of it.

Watermelon Salad Stacks

Ingredients
1 mini seedless watermelon
1 4 ounce burrata cheese ball
1-1/2 - 2 cups arugula
Olive oil
High quality balsamic vinegar
Fresh ground black pepper

Slice the watermelon into 1/2 inch rounds.  Using a 2-1/2 inch round cookie cutter, cut out watermelon stack rounds and set aside.  Next, carefully slice the burrata cheese into 1/4 inch slices.

To assemble your stacks place one watermelon round on the plate.  Place amount an 1/8 of a cup of arugula on top.  Place one slice of burrata cheese on top of the arugula and top with one final watermelon round.  Place another 1/8 cup of arugula on top of the watermelon stack.  Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Top with fresh ground black pepper.  Repeat with the rest of the watermelon, burrata and arugula.  Makes 5-7 Stacks.