Beans, Beans, the Magical Fruit

Yesterday in the cooking workshop we prepared two dishes: Roasted Lemon Garlic Broccoli and Sweet Corn and Black Bean Salad. Nom nom nom!!

Roasted Lemon Garlic Broccoli
Ingredients:

2 large heads broccoli                     3 cloves garlic, minced

Soy sauce to taste                           1 lemon, halved

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Cut the broccoli into florets and place in a greased casserole dish. Mix in garlic and drizzle with soy sauce. Squeeze half of the lemon over the broccoli. Place in oven for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Remove dish from oven and squeeze the other half of the lemon over the broccoli. Let cool and serve.

Sweet Corn and Black Bean Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups corn kernels (frozen, canned or fresh)                               ½ cup red onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp red wine vinegar or rice vinegar                                        1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp lime juice                                                                          ¼ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper                                                                     4 cups black beans (rinsed and drained)

1 bell pepper, finely chopped                                                      1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaf, finely chopped

Directions:

1.       Bring medium pot of water to a boil.

2.       Add corn and cook for 1 minute, then drain well. Rinse in cold water and drain again. (If using fresh or canned corn instead of frozen, skip these steps.)

3.       In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper to create a dressing.

4.       Add corn, onion, beans, and bell pepper to the bowl. Mix well with dressing.

5.       If serving immediately, mix in cilantro. If not, chill in refrigerator for 2 hours and mix in cilantro just prior to serving. Serves 6.

Black beans offer a plethora of vitamins and minerals to keep the body functioning properly. They also are chock full of fiber and help with digestion. Corn also provides fiber as well as vitamin B1, folate, and vitamin C. This dish is low in salt and calories but high in nutrients to keep you at a healthy weight and with a healthy immune system!