As a pescatarian (vegetarian who eats seafood), I'm always looking for ways to get enough protein, particularly because I don't eat fish overly often due to the high cost. Apart from soy proteins, usually made by Yves, beans are my next go-to, and I've become quite fond of black beans in the last year or two. I never used to enjoy them much before, but I'd have to say that they're now my favourite bean! So most recipes that include them I'm willing to try. Add in something that takes under 10 minutes to make (apart from grilling the corn), and I'm hooked!
Ingredients:
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed well
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 plum or vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped
1 yellow or red pepper, diced
2 corn on the cobs, grilled and kernels removed*
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander or dried coriander to taste (I added somewhere between 1/4-1/2 tsp)
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup vegetable or olive oil
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (optional- I did not indulge)
1 small clove of garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
* to grill corn on the barbeque, simply brush each cob with a small amount of vegetable or olive oil, and place on grill over medium heat. Rotate the cob every 1-2 minutes, or when the kernels have begun to get charred. Once the entire cob is done, remove from grill and when cooled, cut off kernels with a sharp serrated knife.
Directions:
In a large bowl, toss together black beans, chickpeas, onions, tomatoes, pepper, corn and coriander.
In a separate small bowl, whisk together lime rind and juice, oil, garlic, and salt and pepper. Pour over bean mixture; toss to coat and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
While you can serve this immediately, I prefer to let the mixture sit for a half hour so that the bean mixture may soak up the seasonings. Ideally eat within 2 days, although it was still fine at 5-6 days later for me.
Source: slightly adapted from Canadian Living The Vegetarian Collection
