black bean and corn salad

the geek's father was born on december 24. this makes for a doubly festive christmas eve/birthday dinner! for his birthday dinner request, the geek's dad usually goes with either spaghetti & meatballs or enchilladas.

during one enchillada year, i wanted to bring a salady type side to the dinner. a black bean and corn salad sounded like the perfect compliment... a cool and fresh contrast to the warm, saucy goodness of the enchilladas.




adapted from the highly rated black bean & corn II recipe at allrecipes.com.


ingredients
1/2 c fresh squeezed lime juice
1/4 c olive oil
1 t honey (or 1/2 t agave)
1 t salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 t ground cayenne pepper
2 (15oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (12oz) bag frozen sweet corn kernals, thawed
1/4-1/2 small red onion, diced (or 4-5 scallions, chopped)
2 c tomato, seeded and diced (or grape tomatoes, halved)
1/2 c fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
avocado
hot sauce (optional)

directions

1. combine the first six ingredients (lime juice through cayenne pepper) and whisk until completely combined.
2. in a bowl, combine beans, corn, onion, and cilantro; pour dressing over the mixture and gently mix it all together so everything is evenly distributed.
3. just prior to serving, add tomatoes and avocados, mixing gently to combine. serve with a bottle hot sauce on the side for those who like the heat.

serves 6-8 as a side.

notes:

• if time allows, after step 2, cover and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to meld. take out of the refrigerator 20 minutes prior to serving to allow the dressing to liquify again.
• this salad works fantastic as chunky 'dip' with tortilla chips.
• when i'm lazy, i scoop myself a bowl of salad, add a couple dashes of hot sauce, crush tortilla chips over the top, and eat it with a spoon.
• apparently i forgot to add the avocados before i took the picture :)