May 17, 2011

Perfect Three Bean Salad

—from my home to yours—Anita Peacock

Nita’s Notes:  Don’t be intimidated by the large number of ingredients.  This is a quick-to-make, deliciously-refreshing salad that is GREAT for a summer potluck or picnic.  It was a huge hit at our Sunday church luncheon!

And, it’s a breeze to make.  You’re mainly measuring and dumping prepackaged items. You could substitute ready-made chunky salsa for the chopped tomatoes and bottled jalapeños for fresh, but the sodium level will go through the roof and that’s not good for anyone.  For the same reason, be sure to use canned beans that are labeled “No Salt Added”.   Eden Foods is a great brand when you are looking for a wide variety of No Salt Added canned foods.   

Active preparation time:  20 minutes (at most)
Chilling time:  overnight

Salad Ingredients:  (Ingredient key:  NSA =  No Salt Added)
3/4 cup (1/2 of a 15-ounce can) of Eden Farms® NSA Garbanzo Beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup (1/2 of a 15-ounce can) of Eden Farms® NSA Black Beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup (1/2 of a 15-ounce can) of Eden Farms® NSA Pinto Beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped onion, not too fine
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper, not too fine
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper, not too fine
1/2 cup chopped seedless cucumber, not too fine
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves, not too fine
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed (Or steam fresh corn kernels in a small dish in microwave.  Place kernels in dish, cover with a folded wet paper towel and cook on high for 2 minutes.  Allow to cool a bit before handling.)

Tomato-Vinaigrette Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup finely chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic, or to taste
1/2 tablespoon Tabasco sauce, or to taste
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
1 tablespoon Splenda® Brown Sugar Blend
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped, optional

Preparation:
1)     Rinse beans thoroughly (at least two minutes) in a colander in the sink under cold running water.  Allow beans to drain well for several minutes.
2)     While beans are draining, chop veggies for entire recipe (onions, bell peppers, cucumber, cilantro, tomatoes and jalapeños).  Set tomatoes and jalapeños aside for use in the vinaigrette.
3)     Pour rinsed and drained beans into a large non-metal mixing bowl.  Add chopped onion, bell peppers, cucumbers and cilantro.  Add thawed or steamed whole corn kernels.  Set bowl aside.
4)     Mix the remaining ingredients (Saucy Tomato Vinaigrette) together in a small-to-medium sauce pan.  Heat on stove over medium-low heat for about five minutes, stirring constantly until the sauce is slightly thickened. 
5)     Pour sauce over bean-veggie mixture in the large mixing bowl.  Stir gently with a large, thin spoon, using great care not to “smush” the beans.
6)     Pour into an airtight covered plastic storage container.  Cover, shake container and refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to develop.  (I like to shake the container several times during the chilling time to make sure the tangy sauce coats everything well.)
7)     This makes a lovely buffet dish served in a glass salad bowl or in colorful food-safe pottery. 
8)     Refrigerate leftovers in airtight container for up to a week.

Numbers you need to know:
Recipe yields 6 cups, which equals 12 half-cup servings.
Calories per half-cup serving,  121
Protein, 4g
Carbohydrate, 15g
Dietary Fiber, 4g
Cholesterol, 1mg
Sodium, 93mg

Make healthier choices for a happier life!


Anita Peacock
Lifelong Type 1 Diabetic
Owner/Manager/Designer


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Splenda is a registered trademark of McNeil Nutritionals, LLC.
Eden Foods is a registered trademark of Eden Foods, Inc.

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