Black Beans

I got this from Anitra at SimplyLivingSmart.com:

Black beans...full of nutrition

Who knew that there was so much good in a little black bean? Well here are some facts that may surprise you...

Black Beans are a wonderful source of dietary fiber which has been shown to naturally help lower cholesterol. In addition, the high fiber content in Black Beans helps keep blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making them a wise choice for people with diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia.

When Black Beans are prepared with whole grains such as barley or wild rice, the Black Beans provide a virtually fat-free, high quality source of protein. But that's not all. Recent research also shows that Black Beans are rich in antioxidants as well. Antioxidants destroy free radicals, and when eaten regularly, have been shown to offer protection against heart disease, cancer and aging.

Did you know that Black beans have more antioxidant activity, gram for gram, than other bean? And do you realize that a
100 gm serving size of black beans has about 10 times the amount of overall antioxidants in an equivalent serving size of oranges and similar to the amount found in an equivalent serving size of grapes, apples and cranberries?

And this is the recipe she put along with it. I'll add my modifications and thoughts, of course.

Southwestern layered salad...

This tasty recipe is straight out of my "Celebrate Dinner" book and it's one of my favorite black bean recipes. Give it a try!

Southwestern Layered Salad

8 cups shredded romaine
8 hard-cooked eggs, sliced 1 can black beans, rinsed & drained 2 cans whole kernel corn
1 can red beans, rinsed and drained 2 ripe avocados, diced ½ cup thinly sliced green onions 1/4 cup shredded cheese 1/4 cup green peas (optional) 3 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered 1 tbsp. lime juice

Layer the salad starting with the lettuce and topping off with the green onions. Arrange egg slices around the sides of the bowl as shown.

Dressing: Combine 1 ½ cup mayonnaise, 2/3 cups salsa, 2 tbs lime juice, ½ tsp. cumin, ½ tsp. chili powder, 1 ¼ cups fresh minced cilantro. Top with shredded cheese and sliced ripe olives.

I almost always leave cilantro out of recipes because we don't like it. Also, this is great as a side (or on top of) Mexican dishes like chicken enchiladas and the like, minus the eggs for such dishes if you please. This would be a great salad to bring to a potluck.

Eat up!