Grilled Corn Salad with Black Beans & Rice

Well did you think I fell of the internet and the face of the earth? Sorry I have been gone for so long, the past three weeks have been a bit crazy here at my house. Kids finished school with all the glee that can only come from knowing the next two months they don’t have to deal with any schoolwork. My dad and stepmother came for visit and to top it off my washing machine and air conditioner broke! Lucky for me, all that has been resolved but my washing machine… I am waiting for the warranty repairman to come fix it!

I am not sure where in the world you are at, but I hope you are not having the strange weather we have been having here in North Carolina. It has not been to blistering hot, that you do not want eat in the evenings. But when it does, you can guarantee we will be making today’s recipe. Grilled Corn Salad with Black Beans & Rice, from the 1997 Eating Well magazine.

This wonderful summer meal is low fat, heart healthy, high fiber, low cholesterol, high potassium, gluten free and vegan… whew! Just because it is all these things does not mean it is lacking in taste! For those of you who have to have meat, you can throw in some grilled boneless skinless chicken breasts.

Ingredients

 2/3 cup short-grain brown rice

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed

3 large ears corn, husked

2 medium red onions, cut into 3/8-inch-thick slices

1 green bell pepper, cored and quartered lengthwise

1 small ripe avocado

1/2 cup hot tomato salsa, preferably chipotle

1/4 cup orange juice

1/3 cup lime juice

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon canola oil

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

Baked tortilla chips, (optional)

Directions

Cook rice in a large pot of boiling salted water, until al dente, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain and rinse. Place in a large bowl, toss with beans and set aside.

Meanwhile, preheat grill.

Oil a grill rack or basket. Grill corn, onions and bell pepper, turning frequently, until tender and charred, 10 to 12 minutes.

Cut kernels from cobs and add to reserved rice and beans. Dice the bell pepper and half the onions; add to the rice mixture. Place the remaining onions in a mixing bowl. Peel and dice avocado; add half to rice mixture and half to the bowl with sliced onions.

Whisk salsa, orange juice, lime juice, cilantro, oil and cumin in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Toss 3 tablespoons of the salsa mixture with sliced onions and avocado. Toss the rest with rice mixture.

Spoon rice mixture onto a serving dish and top with onion-avocado mixture. Serve with chips, if desired.