My kids are constantly whining about how there is nothing good to eat in the house. Their battle cry is, "You just bought ingredients, not food!" Well I beg to differ. It's a real battle to convince the kids that "pre-packaged," "prepared," and "processed" does not constitute real food, and there is intrinsic value to actually preparing your own food by combining various ingredients to suit your pallet.
I'm sure they would be shocked to learn that there are a strange breed of people out there who actually prepare their cakes and brownies from scratch and not a box. Alas, my children have grown up in the generation that thinks homemade Tollhouse cookies come in squares, in a flat package from the refrigerated section of the market (which begs the question, how does square cookie dough bake up round)?
As summer winds down, I couldn't resist the temptation to indulge in one more last hurrah for fresh summer corn. If you think about it, corn is the ultimate convenience food. It's pre-wrapped and packaged by mother nature, protecting it from creepy crawlies, and has a fairly good shelf life if stored properly until you are ready to eat it. It can be prepared to be sweet or savory and is easy to work with.
Now I don't profess to be any great culinary master. I would never make it to the final round of one of those cooking shows where they give the contestants a crate of avocados, a roll of duct tape, and a tub of frosting and tell them to prepare a 5 course meal without burning it. No, I'd likely duct tape the host into submission, swell like Veruca Salt, since I'm allergic to avocado, and cower in the corner, eating the frosting with a soup ladle to calm my nerves (I'm not that into cake and, after all, I view it as a mere vehicle for frosting, n'est pas)?
However, I can combine a few of those dreaded ingredients that my children view as interlopers, into a credible dish that tastes decidedly good and decidedly homemade.
So, for your Labor Day weekend, I give you convenient, confetti corn salad.
Confetti Corn Salad
- 1 14.5 oz. can black beans, drained
- 3 cups fresh roasted corn
- 1 cup red bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup red onion, diced
- 2 lime
- 1/4 - 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
On barbecue grill, roast corn until golden brown. Cool. Remove kernels of corn and place in a bowl. Add drained beans, chopped onion and red bell pepper and cilantro.
In another bowl, add juice of two limes, 1/4-1/3 cup canola oil (your preference), cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Whisk together and pour over vegetable mixture. Toss to coat. Enjoy.
