CARIBBEAN SALAD

The Weekend Cookbook Challenge #14, event was started by Sara of "Iliketocook" blog. This month's theme "Salads" is chosen by Tami from "runningwithtweezers" who is also hosting and a recipe is to be picked from a cookbook,Magazine or Internet and cooked to be submitted. Thank you for hosting Tami.

Caribbean Salad would be my first ever entry to this cookbook challenge.I am thrilled to find this event recently since I own unmentionable number of cookbooks and would love to showcase a few at least!:)


The book I used to make this salad!



"Hotter Than Hell" by the author Jane Butel.It has some delicious dishes I have ever come across,although you don't have to make these dishes THAT hot. Contrary to the belief that all Indians eat spicy food and Indians dishes are hot,most Indians do not eat very spicy food at all! The amount of chillies we use in the dishes depends on each family's liking. We do have few "VERY HOT" dishes like Vindaloo and spicy pickles from some regions of India.Again,it depends on individual taste of how much spice can a person handle!!:))




Caribbean Salad:




You Need: Serves 4
1 cup canned Black Beans,1 cup Whole Corn Kernels,1/4 cup chopped Green onions,1/4 cup chopped Red sweet Onions,1/2 cup each diced Green and Red Bell Pepper or bottled Roasted Red Bell Pepper,1 carrot diced finely,1/8 cup Cilantro,1/2 tsp minced Jalapeno or few slices of colorful mild bottled Banana peppers, 1 tbsp Olive oil,2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar or Lemon/Lime Juice,salt, 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds powder,few grinds of freshly ground black Pepper,1/8 tsp Chipotle chilli pd(optional).Few Iceberg Lettuce leaves to serve the salad.


How To:
1. Drain and rinse canned beans and corn, add to a bowl.Add in all the other ingredients and toss well to coat.Chill in fridge until needed or you can serve this wonderful tasty salad on a bed of icy lettuce immedietely.
2. You can serve on it's own as light but delicious lunch or as a side dish with any meat dishes or Seafood or Poultry.



Note:
I did not follow the recipe as it was in the book which called for 1 tsp Chipotle chilli pd which can be expected from a book called "Hotter than Hell" but adjusted the spices to my taste!!;D
I used lot less chilli pd and added additional veggies like carrots,green peepers,sweet onions,cumin seeds pd, and lemon juice in addition to the original recipe to make it milder,tastier and even more nutritious.

Enjoy!:))