July 29, 2006
Bean Salad with a Kick
The wee wifey found the recipe in Country Woman magazine. She is in fact pretty much of a country woman, for a lifelong city dweller who rejects my notion of moving to blue mailbox country. She made some revisions based on our tastes and inventory, and that is the form in which it is posted.The maagazine said it would serve six but the 2 of us went thru it all in 24 hours.
1 can kidney beans -- (16 ounces) rinsed and drained
1 can red beans -- (15-1/2 ounces) rinsed and drained
1 can black beans -- (15-1/2 ounces) rinsed and drained
1/2 bunch minced fresh cilantro -- stems not included
1 1 tsp ground jalepeno pepper
1/2 bunch green onions -- sliced
1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
1/4 cup or jalapeno vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt -- or 1 TBSP garlic powder
In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Toss to blend. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
This recipe is really a framework on which many variations can be built. For example, the black beans were my suggestion, and took the place of blackeyed peas. Any sort of canned beans except the wax ones which ruin so many bean salads could be used, and once the cool season gets here the hardcore could start with dried beans and do the whole simmer thing.
The original called for 1 jalapeno pepper -- seeded and chopped* but she'd already done that once this week for a batch of fresh salsa. The powdered jalepeno gave just the right heat for us. Other options for the heat component include smoked paprika or chili powder (or Penzey's heatless chili con carne seasoning if you are entertaining wusses).
The jalepeno vinegar was homemade. All of last year's end of season closeout peppers were cut into rings, and have been steeping in a gallon of cider vinegar ever since. The original simply called for cider or red wine vinegar and she also considered using her homemade garlic vinegar
*When cutting or seeding hot peppers, use rubber or plastic gloves to protect your hands. Avoid touching your face or other sensitive body parts.
Update
We made another batch, in anticipation of Sunday company. I experimented with the smoked paprika, and at 1-1/4 teaspoons it was starting to make an interesting contribution to the flavor. For more adventurous palates than those I seasoned this batch for, one might continue adding and tasting.
It occurrs to me that diced bell pepper would be a suitable addition, especially in assorted colors. Diced regular onions, sweet or sharp, could be substituted, but the green ones really seem right.
Posted by triticale at July 29, 2006 10:39 AM | TrackBack