I talked to my friend Aaren for the first time in a long time a few weeks ago, and after talking about a lot of other stuff, she mentioned that she and her sister Jenna read my blog and were wondering why I was posting things like Mexican wedding cakes when I am supposed to be on a diet.

Well, Aaren and Jenna, I have no excuse for the patriotic cupcakes and pie. But I did bake that other cake before I went on a diet. And I actually have been eating pretty healthy things — I just haven’t been posting most of them because they were either super simple (e.g. steamed or boiled vegetables) or not that tasty.

But I do have some healthy things to share… such as this bean salad. I recently bought “How to Cook Everything” by Mark Bittman, and this jumped out at me immediately.

 
I decided to roast the corn, although I have made it since with raw corn, and that was also great. Either way, you’ll have to remove the corn kernels from the cob, and try to avoid flinging them around your kitchen thusly:

Oh well. Anyway, after I made this and ate part of it (and really liked it), my grandmother got really sick and I had to go out of town… so I gave all our leftover CSA vegetables, this, and my baked sweet potatoes & bananas to Olga.

Well, apparently she liked it. She told me she has been craving it ever since, and had even asked someone else to make some for her. I thought that was a little unusual, but then I made it again on Sunday… and Toby has been talking about it ever since.

Maybe it’s the chipotle? I don’t know. Whatever it is, this combination is really easy to make and very good. And vegetarian! (Maybe even vegan, Jenna… unless there is some kind of hidden animal product in there I am missing)

I was going to use all black beans, but I only had one can. Now I’m kind of glad that I didn’t check my pantry beforehand.

Dressing: Tastes good, but doesn’t look pretty.

Feel free to add more vegetables or tweak the amount of chipotle per your heat preference.

Spicy bean salad (adapted from How to Cook Everything)
1-2 ears corn
Cooking spray
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1-2 cloves garlic
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans (or a total of 4-5 cups cooked beans)
1 red bell pepper (about 1/2 cup chopped)
1 to 2 canned chipotle chiles (and a few drops of the adobo sauce)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Cut corn off the cob. Use raw or place in a skillet with a little cooking spray over high heat. Allow to sit for a moment, then shake the pan to redistribute the corn. Continue cooking until each corn kernel is browned on at least one side. Sprinkle with a small amount of salt and pepper.

Stir olive oil and vinegar together in a measuring cup. Crush garlic cloves, mince them and add to olive and vinegar.

Rinse and drain beans well, then add to a large bowl. Chop red pepper and add to bowl. Mince chipotles and add, along with a drop or two of the adobo sauce, to the bowl. Add dressing and toss to coat.

Mince or tear cilantro into small pieces and add to bowl. Stir to incorporate. Serve at room temperature or cold.