Craving Mexican Food?
Oh I was and nothing else would do.
So what must a girl do, but make a Mexican meal for dinner. Tonight was Mexican Salad and Nachos. I don’t know what it is about those flavors, the cumin, the avocado, CILANTRO! I happen to have a soft spot for cilantro by the way.
Several years ago, I lived in Mexico for about a year and helped teach English to the most adorable 5 – 6 yr olds. While there, I learned so many different things about their culture and simply learned their way of life. I also learned about all sorts of flavors that make Mexican food so wonderfully “Mexican”. I definitely acquired a taste for those fresh flavors.
Let me just say, Old El Paso doesn’t exactly make the cut anymore.
Now this is no ordinary green leafy salad with nachos…nope, there’s a world of yummy black beans and corn underneath, a hidden treasure. You can use any type of beans, except maybe Lima beans. Anytime I need a light Mexican flavored dish, this is it.
I think my favorite part of the salad is the char-grilled avocados! Trust me, a bit fidgety at first, so make sure you don’t slice them too thin, they need to be thick enough to hold up when they are grilled. Honestly worth the effort!
So here goes, the meal that made me happy.
Mexican Salad
Ingredients
- 1 can 15 oz black beans, drained
- 1 small can 8 oz corn, drained
- Olive Oil
- 1 Lime
- ½ tsp ground Cumin
- 2 avocados peeled and quartered
- ½ tsp ground Coriander
- 4 spring/green onions sliced
- ½ vine ripe tomato
- ½ bunch of fresh cilantro lightly chopped
- 2 cups of salad mixed greens
- Nachos Suggested serving
- 2 - 3 cups corn tortilla chips
- ¾ cups shredded Cheddar cheese
- ½ cups sliced jalapenos from the jar, drained
- Optional Suggestions:
- For the salad you can also add sliced grilled chicken breast.
- Any of your favorite salsas served over the nachos and salad give it a nice kick.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven broiler/grill. Scatter your nachos on a baking sheet, sprinkle with the cheese. Put in the middle of the oven under the broiler/grill for a few minutes until chips are golden. Beware of how fast they can turn. Remove from oven and set aside.
- In a medium skillet over medium heat, use 1 Tbls of olive oil and add your drained beans and corn tossed with the cumin. stir occasionally until crispy or starting to look "dried out" a bit. Let cool slightly.
- Heat your griddle pan or indoor grill. Toss your quartered avocados with salt and pepper, ground coriander and 2 Tbls olive oil. Carefully lay your avocados on your hot griddle until charred. Carefully remove and set aside.
- In a large salad bowl, first add your black beans and corn, layer with your salad greens, cilantro, tomato, green onions, and carefully add your avocado. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of half a lime, add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with your warm nachos, sprinkled with jalapenos (if desired) and your favorite salsa.
- For meat lovers, just add some sliced grilled chicken breast.
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