Corn, Red Pepper & Black Bean Salad with Cilantro Lime Chimichurri

A good bowl of fresh salad is always welcomed whole-heatedly in our family. Nutritious and quite easy to prepare, they will fill you up for sure, but not with guilt. This particular salad recipe is one of my favorites, especially while entertaining and it has proven itself as a crowd pleaser, being a colorful and pretty addition to the dinner table. I usually rely on fresh corn especially when it is in season, else you can use frozen corn.

Chimichurri Dressing

Chimmichuri dressing or sauce has its origins in Argentina and is usually made of Parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, oregano, and vinegar. This particular recipe variation calls for Cilantro and Lime Juice and it seemed to pair ever so perfectly with the Delmonico steaks we cooked this past weekend!

As mentioned in my previous post, on the Broccoli Rabe with coconut and lentils, our recent cruise vacation to Cozumel was the very first time we tried snorkeling in the open seas. We were informed that there would lifeguards posted on the beach but no training and that we were to swim at our own risk. Well, being the go-getter family that we were :), it did add to the excitement as well as the butterflies lurching in our bellies but we were so glad we took the risk. It was simply one of the best ever experiences we have ever had. We actually rented equipment for our 3 year old daughter too but apparently she was too young and had to stay on the shore, taking simple pleasure in wetting her feet in the water.

My husband and I decided to take turns venturing out into sea and I was even able to talk him into going first. Seeing him float away and have a nice time, gave me the confidence as well and we ended up spending about 3 hours swimming around, enjoying the sights of the coral reef and the aquatic splendor. I am not sure we were doing the right things out there but an elderly couple swimming nearby was gracious to lend us some wisdom and tips, which seemed to more than get the job done. The key was to stay relaxed and breathe calmly making the whole experience seem like swimming around in an aquarium with so many vivid colored fish and beautiful Coral all around you. My little girl was equally excited by seeing the school of Nemos that were swimming up to her. She really seemed poised to jump into see but the crazy fear of sharks kept her at bay.

It was just so beautiful and peaceful, to surrender yourself to the gentle waves and swim with the gentle fish. The flora and fauna in the deep blue was just so captivating that you didn't want the experience to ever end. This vacation was definitely relaxing and the most satisfying adventure we had, by far; next , I am hoping to try a little scuba diving someday !! To all those folks who haven't done snorkeling yet - you should try it once and I am sure you will be hooked, like me ;)

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 Big - Red Bell Pepper, chopped
2 - ears of corn, husked
1 Can (15.5oz) - Cooked Black Bean, rinsed

Chimichurri Dressing/Sauce

1/2 Cup - Cilantro, chopped
1/4 Cup - Fresh Lime Juice
1/4 Tsp - Oregano (I used dry)
1 small clove - Garlic (optional)
1 Tablespoon - Extra virgin olive oil (add more if desired)
Salt to taste
1/4 Tsp - Pepper

Directions

• Steam the corn for 5 minutes 
• When the corn is cooled, cut the kernels off the cob
• Toss the corn kernels in a large bowl with the bell pepper and black beans.
• For the Chimichurri dressing take a blender and add cilantro, lime juice, salt, pepper, garlic, oregano and pulse until all the ingredients blend together.
• Just before serving, add the Chimichurri dressing and toss

Notes and Tips

• Add the dressing just before serving the salad.
• You can use Parsley in place of Cilantro and Vinegar in place of lime juice
• You can serve the salad on cleaned corn husk like I did - Definitely prettier than disposable plates!
• Use you imagination and get creative and substitute black beans with any other beans like kidney beans, pinto beans etc..