Black Bean and Corn Salad

I was thinking about a side dish for a Mexican meal one night and after looking at the ingredients in my pantry, I came up with this black bean and corn salad.  It has many of my favorite ingredients and flavors and they go so well together.  It’s just spicy enough and makes the perfect side dish.  If you don’t like things spicy, you could just substitute a can of regular tomatoes instead of the Rotel, but I really urge you to give the (mild) Rotel a chance!  This reminded me of how much I love black beans and corn together.  The spices gave it just the right amount of heat.  I let it simmer to thicken enough to use as a side dish, but I think this would also be good as a dip if you don’t cook it as much.  I also used it as a delicious filling for enchiladas.  This is a great multi-purpose dish for any occasion!

Black Bean and Corn Salad
Source: A Dinner & Dessert Original

Olive oil for sautéing

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves chopped fresh garlic

1 (15-ounce) can black beans with juices

1 (15-ounce) can Rotel tomatoes

1 (15-ounce) can corn

2-3 teaspoons cumin

2 tablespoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons lime juice

Sauté onion in olive oil until softened.  Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.  Add remaining ingredients.  Simmer for about 30 minutes, or until thickened (less if you want to use it as a dip).

Whole Cranberry Sauce

I think that a lot of people have been cheated their entire lives because the only cranberry sauce they’ve had is the kind from the can.  Sure, jelled cranberry sauce in the shape of a can is pretty tasty, but it’s nothing compared to sauce made from actual cranberries.  I love cranberries, and this year for Thanksgiving, I wanted to make a version from whole cranberries.  If you were not a fan of cranberry sauce before, this will convert you.  This was probably my favorite part of Thanksgiving this year.

This sauce was incredibly easy to make, and worth the little time and effort to have over the canned variety.  The sugar was just enough to take away the tartness but still preserve the cranberry flavor.  The orange juice and zest was also a nice touch and brought out the cranberry flavor.  I used frozen cranberries and it worked just fine.  This was amazing sauce and was great on its own or over some turkey.  David and I are looking forward to enjoying turkey sandwiches on homemade rolls (to be posted later) with this cranberry sauce.  I definitely encourage you to think outside the can and make this sauce!

Homemade Whole Cranberry Sauce
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Makes 2 1/4 cups

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 (12-ounce) package fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed, drained and sorted through, removing any stems or deflated ones
Several julienned strips of orange peel, or thick pieces of zest
A few squeezes of orange juice

Combine water and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil; add cranberries and zest, return to boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10-14 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a few squeezes of fresh orange juice. Cover and cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerate until serving time.