Can you have too many summery salad posts in a row? Naw. I don’t think so. Last year I remember kicking myself for not taking advantage of summer’s full bounty of produce. I think we only at corn once all summer but this year I’m making sure it gets a front and center spot at the table. This salad is from Heather Christo’s new book Pure Delicious. Heather is the ultimate allergy-free recipe queen. This book has over 150 amazing recipes without gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish or cane sugar. And yes, when flipping through the book it’s like there was never anything missing. This mango salad with peppers, tomatoes and lime really hit the spot and took the edge of this insane hot humidity that seems to be permanent. We just ate it right out of the big bowl with pita chips – my ideal dinner when it feels like 110F outside.
Ingredients for the Corn and Mango Salad
2 ears of corn, husked
2 fresh mangos, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 a habanero pepper, minced
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1/2 cup minced basil or cilantro
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
zest of 1 lime
juice of half a lime
pinch of salt, more to taste
Directions
Cut the corn kernels into a large bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well.
I like this as a dip for chips but it would also be great on tacos or tossed into a mix of greens.
Notes
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I think I just cracked the code to getting through this long hot summer! A coworker of mine just moved to a new place about 5 minutes from work… with a pool! We spent our lunch break on Friday splashing around in the water and sunshine and then washed it all down with ice cream sandwiches. I felt like I was on vacation, even if it was just for an hour. Another one of my tricks for surviving this heat is keeping the oven action to a minimum. This salad is perfect for that. Yes the rice is cooked but just a little pot with one burner won’t make you break a sweat. I blanched the corn – just two minutes in hot water and then rinsed in cool makes for sweet, crunchy kernels of gold. The dressing is tangy and bright and my current favorite right now. Stay cool friends!
Ingredients for the Rice Salad
½ cup brown or black rice
½ cup wild rice
¼ cup toasted almonds
1 ear of corn, kernels cut from cob
1 cup blueberries
1/2 a small red onion (about 1/3 cup chopped)
1 small bunch fresh parsley (about 1/2 cup chopped)
1/4 teaspoon salt, more to taste
fresh ground black pepper
Directions
Rinse the rice and bring the rice and four cups of water to a boil. Season lightly with salt. When water has reached a boil, lower the heat to maintain a slow and steady simmer. Cover the pot. Cook the rice for about 45 minutes, checking for tenderness. Drain off any remaining liquid. While the rice cooks chop and prep the rest of the ingredients. Toss the cooked rice with the almonds, corn, blueberries, onion, and parsley in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
Ingredients for the Dressing
1 garlic clove, pressed
juice of half a lemon
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey or 1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon curry powder
¼ cup olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions
Whisk all the ingredients together except the olive oil. Next slowly whisk in the olive oil to combine everything. Taste for salt and pepper.
