When I was younger I recall pasta salads being a staple item come summer time.  They were ubiquitous at summer barbecues and beach parties.  I haven't encountered a pasta salad in the longest time and I don't know if this is because people are still steering clear on account of the low-carb craze or what but I miss these salads and I'm bringing one back! 

I first made this salad a year ago when I came across the recipe in a Martha Stewart cookbook.  I remember why I tried it in the first place – the idea of a minestrone salad sounded so good to me.  I love minestrone soup so I figured it wasn't much of a stretch to assume I'd like this salad.  This salad brings together a symphony of summer vegetables and it still amazes me that with such simple seasonings this salad packs so much flavor!  It's the perfect dish to bring along to a summer pot-luck or simply to enjoy with any summer meal.  This is also a very easy recipe to double so you can accomodate any size crowd!

Minestrone Salad from Martha Stewart Living Annual Recipes 2002 

1 Teaspoon coarse salt (I use sea salt)

8 oz. Gemelli or other pasta (I used farfalle)

1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil

1 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice (I also added a summer squash, cut into 1/2-inch dice)

4 oz. green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 1/4 cups corn kernels, cut from 1 ear, or defrosted (I used defrosted)

Freshly ground black pepper

2 Tablespoons baslamic vinegar

1 15 oz. can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 pound of tomatoes, coarsely chopped  – use whatever variety is fresh – I used grape tomatoes

1 handful chopped fresh basil 

1) Boil water for the pasta, once it comes to a boil add a big pinch of salt and then add the pasta.  Depending on the type of pasta you've chosen the exact cooking time may vary – check the box and then test the pasta a few minutes before the instructions on the box.  That way you can make sure to get the pasta al dente without over cooking.  Because the pasta will continue cooking a little while after being drained and it will absorb the dressing you want the pasta to be very al dente.  Drain and rinse pasta and set aside.

2) Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and cook until it begins to soften – about 2 minutes.  Then add the carrot – cook for 4 minutes.  Next add teh zucchini, green beans, and corn.  Cook until all of the veggies are tender about 10-15 minutes – stirring occasionally.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer the veggies to a bowl, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the balsamic vinegar, cannellini beans, tomatoes, and the pasta.  I also added freshly chopped basil.  Taste the salad and adjust the flavors – add more salt/pepper if necessary.  Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Enjoy! 

Tempeh with Broccoli, Edamame and Ginger Peanut Dressing

• 1 package tempeh (I love the three grain kind)
• 2 cloves garlic
• A few tablespoons olive oil
• 1-2 heads of broccoli cut into florets
• 1-2 Cups shelled frozen edamame
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

See below for dressing recipe

1)  Cut the tempeh into 1/2 – 1 inch cubes.  Heat a pan over medium heat and drizzle a few tablespoons of olive oil.  Once the pan is sizzling hot add the tempeh and stir-fry until it gets golden brown on each side.  Remove from heat and set aside.

2) Prepare dressing while the tempeh is on the stove – keep an eye on it though and stir occasionally.

3)  Add a few more tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and add the broccoli, garlic, and edamame.  If you like a touch of heat add a pinch of red pepper flakes.  Once the broccoli loses it's rawness and the edamame is heated through remove from heat and add into a large bowl.  Add the tempeh.  Add the dressing and mix all together.  You may have some dressing left over depending on how much broccoli and edamame that you use – I often have extra dressing left over that I use for other things during the week – it's great as a dip for veggies.

Note:  Adding some crushed peanuts on top adds a delicious crunch! 

Ginger Peanut Dressing 

• 4-6 Tablespoon water (this is to thin out the sauce, I use 6 for a very runny sauce but if you prefer it a little thicker use less) – I use only 4 when making it for the stir-fry
• 1/4 Cup Peanut butter (My favorite kind of peanut butter is the all natural kind so that's what I used here – there's no sugar added. If you use the kind of peanut butter that already has sugar added then go light on the brown sugar that I add later or maybe omit that ingredient all together – you'll have to go by taste…)
• 2 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoon Tamari soy sauce, low sodium (use whatever kind of soy sauce that you have on hand)
• 2 Tablespoon Rice vinegar
• 1 Teaspoon freshly grated or finely chopped ginger (I got a microplane for Christmas and I LOVE to use it for grating ginger – you'll find that the ginger blends into the sauce very easily when grated)
• 1 Teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 Clove garlic finely chopped

Instructions: 1) I mix all the ingredients together – adding the water last so that I can control for the viscosity. As you'll see, the peanut butter "melts" when you start stirring it with the soy sauce and other ingredients – stir very well until everything is combined.

Here is a vinaigrette recipe that is of a slightly more creamy variety – it's inspired by one that my Mom would often make.  While I typically try to avoid using ingredients that might be difficult for someone to find I have to make an exception here.  The special ingredient that I use in this dressing that really makes this dressing is called Aromat by Knorr.  It's an ingredient that is ubiquitous in the cupboards of Swiss kitchens and I've actually seen it here in some supermarkets.  If your supermarket doesn't carry this though a specialty food store or European style market should definitely carry it.  Aromat looks like fine yellow salt and is salty in flavor with a bouillon type essence as well.  You can use this to season hard boiled eggs, dressings, poultry, fish, there's no limit!

Also, I decided to add some home-made croutons to this salad.  I remember croutons being quite popular in salads when I was younger but now I only see them in Caesar salads.  I think it's time for them to make a come-back!  

Bibb lettuce with Croutons and Vinaigrette 

Bibb lettuce (also called Boston or Butterhead lettuce) – you can use whatever lettuce you like here.  Prepare by washing and removing the excess water using either a salad spinner or allow the rinsed salad to sit in a colander.

For the croutons:  

• Bread – cut into 3/4 inch cubes – make as much as you'd like – extras can be stored in zip-lock bags for later in the week
• Olive oil Salt/pepper

1) Cut the bread of your choice into about 3/4 inch cubes or so – you can remove the crust although I love to leave it on for a more rustic-style crouton.  Place them on a baking sheet – drizzle with olive oil (only use enough to lightly coat the croutons) and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Toss with your hands so that everything is easily coated.  Place in a 350F oven for about 12 minutes – check half way through and give them a little toss.  You're looking for them to be a golden color – allow them to cool before adding to the salad or the heat of the croutons will wilt the lettuce. 

For the dressing (enough for a salad for 2): 

• 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon mayonnaise
• A pinch of sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper (you can add more after you give the dressing a taste)
• Fresh herbs (whatever you have available: basil and thyme are my favorites here)
• 1/4 of one shallot, minced – although you can also use a clove of garlic or some minced onion if you don't have shallots around (shallots are in the onion family but have a milder flavor)
• A few sprinkles of Aromat by Knorr – adjust to your taste

1) In a bowl add the mustard, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, shallots, Aromat, and freshly chopped herbs.  Using a fork or a whisk mix these ingredients together as you add the olive oil.  You'll see the dressing come together – using a leaf of lettuce dunk into the dressing to taste it and adjust seasonings if necessary (salt, pepper, or Aromat etc.)

The class we signed up for was entitled: Indoor Grilling with Diane Brown .  The menu included everything from Tuscan bread with white beans to swordfish with papaya salsa.  We also made a skirt steak with a delicious marinade.  Of all the recipes we learned though, my favorite was the grilled corn with roasted red pepper salad.  The summery components of this salad combined fantastic flavors which were enhanced by the grilling and roasting methods that we used.  This salad not only tastes delicious it also looks amazing and will be a great guest at any summer table.

This salad is very easy to assemble, the only elements that require a little extra work are the corn and peppers.  These can be prepared indoors or on an outdoor grill too.  Either way works very well and you'll be happily rewarded with a colorful delicious salad!

Grilled Corn and Roasted Red Pepper Salad

8 Ears of fresh corn, shucked

2-3 Large red peppers

3 Scallions, sliced on a diagonal

1/4 Cup red onion, chopped

1/4 Cup white wine vinegar

1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil, plus a little to drizzle on the corn before grilling

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon fresh thyme, remove leaves from stems and chop

1/4 Teaspoon sea salt (you can add more to taste)

Hot sauce (as many dashes as you like, start with a little and adjust to meet your tastes)

A few cracks of black pepper

1)  The first step is to get the corn grilled so that it has time to rest and cool so that you can easily handle it.  There are several ways that you can grill the corn, if you have an outdoor grill that would work very well or you can use a grill pan on your stove top.  To prepare the corn, simply shuck it and remove any of the silk or hairs and then drizzle the corn with just a little bit of olive oil.  Use your hands to evenly coat the corn with the oil.  Add to a hot grill or if you're using a grill pan, heat it over medium to high heat – I usually test the pan to see if it's hot by running my hand under the tap and flicking just a little water on the pan – if there's an immediate sizzle then I know that the pan is hot and ready to go!  Add the corn and keep some tongs handy for turning them every now and then so that they get evenly grilled.  You're looking for the kernels to be mostly brown with some of them beginning to char.  You may hear an occasional "pop" – not to worry that is just some of the kernels popping.  When the corn is done remove them from the heat and put them aside to cool.

2)  In addition to the corn needing some time to cool, the red peppers will also need to be made in advance so that they have time to cool down after roasting.  Roasting the peppers can also be done in several different ways: you can do it on a grill outside, you can do it directly on the element of your stove top if you have a gas stove or you you can stick them under the broiler.  For each of these methods you'll need a pair of tongs to turn the pepper each time a side gets black.  You'll need to keep an eye on these – if you're placing them directly on the elements on your stove top you'll need to watch them the entire time and turn them as they need it.  Broiling seems to be the easiest method that I've tried unless you have a grill that's easy to start up.  What you are trying to do here (against your better judgment) is completely char the outside of the peppers.  I know that sounds strange but not to worry, the tender flesh of the pepper stays protected by the outer skin and will get sweet, soft, and delicious.  So once you've chosen your method for roasting and your peppers are black and nicely charred, place them into a bowl that is large enough to accommodate them and cover tightly with plastic wrap.  Covering them will allow them time to steam and that in turn will make it very easy to remove the skin and unveil the yummy roasted pepper beneath!  Now one thing that is extremely important to remember is that when you remove the skin DO NOT RINSE the peppers under water – if there is a little bit of charred skin that ends up in the salad that will add great flavor.  Rinsing the peppers however will remove all of that great flavor you worked so hard to achieve.  Instead remove as much of the skin as possible and also remove the seeds from within and the stem.  Chop into small pieces and place in a small bowl with the balsamic vinegar and include any of the juices from the peppers too.  The recipe recommends leaving it overnight to marinate but in class we didn't have time to do that and it turned out delicious.

3)  Cut the corn in half cross-wise so that the corn has a sturdy flat surface on which to stand while you cut the kernels from the ears.  Add the corn to a medium to large sized bowl and add the peppers, red onion, scallions, thyme, white wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, hot sauce, black pepper.  Mix and well and taste – adjust the seasonings accordingly.

Note:  This recipe serves 4-6 people but can easily be halved if you don't plan on making this for a crowd.

I was inspired to make this dish because the wild Sockeye salmon looked too good to pass up at the store today! 

I definitely recommend keeping an open mind when visiting the grocery store to pick up items – especially when it comes to something like seafood.  Buy what's fresh – you can ask your fish monger to find out when things arrived to learn what the freshest catch is.  Also, learn what day they get their deliveries that way you'll know the best days to buy fish.

Here is the salmon, lentil, and salad recipes.  Click here for the tzatziki recipe .

Note before you start:  To get the timing right with these three dishes, start by preparing the lentils as they need about 30-45 minutes to cook.  Then make the tzatzki as the flavors get stronger when it has some time to marinate together.  After the lentils have been cooking about 25-30 minutes start preparing the salmon and while the salmon is cooking you can work on the salad which will only take a few minutes to assemble. 

Spiced Lentils with Fresh Herbs

1 Cup french lentils
3 Cups water
1 Teaspoon sea salt
1 Teaspoon cumin
1 Teaspoon curry powder
1 small handful of fresh basil, chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
Freshly cracked black pepper

Note:  you can use any combo of fresh herbs that you like or happen to have on hand.  Sometimes I'll add some dried rosemary if I don't have the fresh available and it works well.  I do like to have at least one fresh herb though.

1) Begin by adding the water and lentils to a pot, cover them, and place them over high heat and bring to a boil.  Once they reach boiling, lower the heat to a simmer.  I leave the lid off at this point.

2) Add the salt, cumin, curry powder, and black pepper.  Allow them to cook and absorb the water.  About 30 minutes.  

3) Once the lentils have finished cooking and all of the water has been absorbed taste them to see if they need more salt/pepper.  Add in the chopped herbs and stir in – the heat from the lentils will awaken the fragrant aromas from the herbs and they will slightly wilt.

Simply Seasoned Salmon

1/2 lb. Fresh salmon filet (I figure about 1/4 lb. of fish per person)
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper

1) Allow your grill pan or skillet to heat on the stove over medium heat while you prepare the salmon.  Drizzle the olive oil over the fish and using your hands rub it over both sides of the fish so that it is lightly coated all over.  This will prevent it from sticking to the pan and also help the seasoning adhere to the fish.  Then sprinkle a pinch of sea salt on both sides of the fish as well as the freshly cracked black pepper. 

2) To test the pan to make sure it's hot enough I usually just run my hand under the tap and flick a little water on the pan – if you hear and see an immediate sizzle then you know the pan is ready for the fish.  Place the salmon skin side up and leave it for about 5-7 minutes.  You'll be able to see the part of the fish that's cooked along the side of the fillet – it turns from the raw fish into light pink cooked salmon.  It's ready to flip when the flesh side on the pan is golden brown and caramelized and the fish looks about half cooked through.  Flip and allow it to cook about another 5-7 minutes.  Depending on how thick your fillet is this time can vary slightly.  With salmon you'll know if it needs more time because the inside will still be raw or undercooked – so rather than being light pink and flaky it'll be darker red and well, not flaky.  Sometimes you just need to take a little peak with a knife to know for sure – cooking times can vary depending on how hot the pan gets and how thick the fish is. 

Simple Baby Spinach Salad with Everyday Honey Balsamic Dressing

For the salad: 

A few handfuls of baby spinach leaves
A handful of grape tomatoes, leave whole or chop in half
A few Tablespoons worth of chopped red onion

1) Add the baby spinach to a salad bowl, add the grape tomatoes and chopped onion

For the dressing:

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 Teaspoon honey
1 small pinch coarse sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper

1)  Add all of the ingredients and mix well.  Add to the salad and toss! 

Now in addition to bircher muesli we served Italian prosecco with freshly squeezed orange juice and we also made French crepes – as a neutral Swiss I felt compelled to fairly represent both Italy and France in honor of today's World Cup match. (Congrats, Italia!)

Bircher Muesli

4-5 Apples, finely grated
2 Tablespoon lemon juice (this adds great flavor but also helps prevent the apples from browning)
8 Tablespoons of plain yogurt
8 Tablespoons of rolled oats
1 ripe banana sliced
1-2 Cups of grapes
1/4 Cup chopped walnuts
Small handful raisins
1 Tablespoon sugar – taste to adjust for sweetness, depending on the apples and other fruit you may need more/less

Add any other fruits that you have on hand that you enjoy, I added:

1/2 Cup blueberries
1/2 Cup raspberries
1 Nectarine chopped

1) Begin by peeling and grating your apples (this is the only part of the recipe that requires any effort) – add to a medium-large bowl.  Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice and stir into the apples.  Add all of the other ingredients and stir together.  Taste to adjust for sweetness.  Also, you can add more oats or yogurt to change the consistency depending on how you like it. 

This is one of those dishes that my Grandmother would make and she'd use whatever fruits she happened to have on hand.  You don't have to use exactly the fruits that I've mentioned here – use what you like best.  I recommend the banana and grapes though because both add great flavor and the grapes offer a nice crispy burst of flavor in contrast with the softer texture of the oats and yogurt.  Another thing that my Grandmother would add is cream – about a few tablespoons to smooth out the consistency and add richness.  I usually don't do this because I rarely have cream on hand and I find that yogurt works well on it's own.  Feel free to add the cream if you like, though!

So how did the salad turn out? Well for starters since it was just Kareem and myself who were going to be enjoying this salad it didn’t make sense to prepare the recipe to exact specifications. The recipe calls for an entire watermelon so while I imagine this would be a great thing to bring to a summer potluck or BBQ – it’s not ideal as a starter for two. Also, I wanted to preserve some watermelon for snacking (obviously).

I used the same ingredients that Paula outlines in her recipe and I prepared a smaller portion of the dressing. I assembled individual salads and drizzled with the dressing. I switched out the mint for basil since the basil that I have growing on my balcony was looking a bit fresher than the mint. I found the flavors worked very well together and this is a perfect light starter for any summer menu.

Here’s the recipe by Paula Deen taken from the Boston Globe (I add my version below):

Watermelon Salad with Mint Leaves

1 watermelon (I’d recommend getting the seedless kind)
1 Vidalia or other sweet onion (I used red onion)
1/4 C red wine vinegar
1/2 C extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint and some whole leaves for garnish
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Salt and pepper

1) Cut watermelon into bite sized pieces – discard seeds (or go with a seedless watermelon) and set aside. Peel and slice the onion into rings.

2) In a small bowl combine the vinegar, salt, pepper – whisking until the salt is dissolved. Quantities of salt weren’t provided in the recipe – I used less than a 1/4 teaspoon – just a pinch but just taste and season it to your liking. Slowly whisk in the olive oil then add the chopped mint.

3) In a large bowl combine the melon, onion, and feta. Pour the dressing over the melon mixture and toss gently until everything is coated and evenly mixed. Garnish the salad with mint sprigs.

Yield: 6 servings

My version:

Watermelon – factor 2 slices of watermelon per person, slice them 1/2 inch thick and cut them into either squares or triangles for the presentation – the length of each side should be approximately 3-4 inches (this is how I made mine but of course you can take liberties here as to how you want to prepare yours)

A few thin slices of red onion
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salt/Pepper to taste (just a pinch of each will do)
Fresh basil leaves or mint – either one will work really well, since my basil was looking a lot more vibrant I went with basil and it offered a refreshing note to the sweet watermelon and zingy dressing
1/8 – 1/4 cup crumbled feta – as you can see in the photo I just added some crumbled feta in between the layers of watermelon – I’m not sure exactly what precise amount I used so just use your judgement

1) Mix the dressing in a small bowl – whisking together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Set aside.

2) Prepare the watermelon slices, the red onion slices, crumbled feta.

3) Assemble the salad by first laying out a slice of watermelon on the plate, add crumbled feta on top, arrange a few thin pieces of the red onion, and then a basil leaf. Follow by adding the other slice of watermelon on top of that and repeat the same arrangement: crumbled feta, a few slices of red onion and then a basil leaf. Taking a spoon drizzle some of the dressing over and around the watermelon tower – I cracked some black pepper to finish as it was a nice stark contrast to see the little flecks of black against the soft pink hues of the watermelon salad. As far as the dressing is concerned I found that less is more so just add a spoonful or two as you drizzle each plate.

The amount of dressing I made would have been enough for 4 salads. This dressing is light and simple and I was thinking it would also work lovely in the tuna and cannellini bean salad I wrote about in my last post.

Enjoy!

Summer Salad of Tuna and Cannellini Beans

For the salad:

1 15oz. can cannellini beans
1 6.5oz. can of tongol tuna packed in water
1/4 chopped cucumber (I like to use English cucumbers, also known as Hot house cucumbers or seedless cucumbers)
1/2 cup grape tomatoes (I cut the large ones in half)
1/4 cup crumbled feta (if you prefer you could also use either goat cheese or fresh mozzarella)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
Fresh basil leaves or thyme leaves – whatever herbs you have on hand

For the dressing:

1 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
2 Tablespoons lemon juice (about 1-2 lemons)
Sea salt (I love the coarse sea salt) and freshly cracked pepper to taste – since feta tends to be salty it’s a good idea to start with just a little salt and then taste it to adjust the flavor.

1) Drain and rinse the beans to remove the syrup in which they are canned and add to a medium-sized bowl. Drain the liquid from the canned tuna and add to the bowl – flake with a fork to break it up. Chop the cucumber, grape tomatoes, red onion and also add to the bowl. Finally crumble in the cheese.

2) You can either make the dressing in a separate small bowl or you can simply add the ingredients into the salad. The main thing to keep in mind isto combine it all together very gently so as not to break-apart the beans or other ingredients.

Note: The measurements for ingredients in this salad are simply a guideline – change quantities to match your tastes and add other ingredients that you think would be tasty.

Another note: You can replace the lemon juice for 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar in the dressing for an entirely different blend of flavors. I love them both!

On the days where I find myself having a quiet evening alone however, I relish the simplicity of the night. I can watch whatever trashy entertainment television I want without having to hear any slack for it and I can do it while eating one of my favorite simple meals.

My simple salad, which resembles a tuna nicoise salad, offers a healthy, delicious, and incredibly easy dinner any night of the week. (This is a fantastic lunch as well.)
I find that I never really make the same version of this salad twice – it’s all about using whatever you have on hand. The basic elements include either mixed greens, baby arugula, or baby spinach, canned tuna in water (I really like tongol tuna), an assortment of vegetables, some kind of cheese like goat or feta, and then my super simple everyday dressing. If I happen to have some leftover roasted asparagus from the night before I’ll add that, or if I have some great olives on hand those will go in too. Walnuts are another great addition.
This is a satisfying meal and you won’t have to turn on the stove or do many dishes. All the more time to enjoy that juicy television!
Here’s the recipe for the salad that I enjoyed today. Get creative with your version of this salad to make it your own – let your refrigerator guide you by what you’ve already got on hand…

Baby Spinach with Fennel and Tuna

• Baby spinach – a few handfuls (I always have a few varieties of greens on hand, the kind that come in plastic box-like containers are convenient and I find that they last me the week without wilting)

• 1 can Tongol tuna packed in water (I figure 1/2 can per person)

• 1/2 fennel bulb finely sliced (again, use what you have on hand – grape tomatoes, carrots, celery, sugar snap peas, roasted veggies from last nights dinner, edamame…)
• 3 Tablespoons red onion finely chopped – I only put the measurements here as a guideline, there’s really no need to measure accurately – just add your desired quantity
• 1/4 cucumber chopped
• 6 olives – these add a great salty flavor but again, totally optional
• Herbed goat cheese – I just crumble it into the salad, add desired amount
• A few leaves of torn basil

For the dressing:

This is my everyday salad dressing that I use all the time.  I never measure it – I just add these ingredients over the salad and then stir it all together. I’ve included measurements below but taste for yourself as you make this and adjust the flavorings to exactly your liking. (Dressing amounts here are for a single portion – you may need to double for a larger salad…)

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 Teaspoon honey
Sea salt/Freshly cracked pepper to taste

As I began combining ingredients, tasting along the way, I found that this recipe contained such flavorful ingredients that there was no need to get carried away with lots of oils, spices, and condiments. Thus, you’ll find that this recipe is super simple to make but not at all simple in the flavor department. Another great feature of this salad is that while being high in protein and high in fiber on account of the beans it also has no fat! There is no oil or fat of any kind in the dressing. It’s because of this (and of course the beautiful colors) that I was inspired to call this salad: Black Bean and Mango Fiesta Salad!

Black Bean and Mango Fiesta Salad

1 15oz can of black beans (rinse beans thoroughly with water)
1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
1/4 red onion finely chopped
1/2 red pepper diced
small handful cilantro chopped
2 limes
1 Teaspoon honey
1/4 Teaspoon cumin
1/4 Teaspoon sea salt

1) Rinse the can of black beans under water to get rid of the syrup that they are preserved in and add to a medium sized bowl. Chop the mango, red pepper, red onion, and cilantro and add to the bowl.

2) Cut the limes in half and squeeze out all of the juice from all four halves into the medium bowl filled with the beans and chopped ingredients. I find that sticking a fork into the lime half and twisting it as you squeeze the lime helps to extract as much juice as possible. Once you’ve juiced the limes into the bowl add the honey, cumin, and salt. With a large spood mix well so that everything is combined. Taste it to make sure that all the flavors are balanced to your liking.