Meatless Monday (Taco Salad)

(sorry about the pictures that I forgot to rotate!)

This is probably my favorite recipe from when my church was on The Daniel Fast.

I thought it was going to just taste like beans and tomatoes, but it had so much flavor.

When I make it again, I'll add some tortilla strips, avocado & maybe some sour cream.

Be creative with this salad!

I got this recipe from a blog that I frequented a lot while on The Daniel Fast! I highly recommend it! www.ultimatedanielfast.com

Makes four 1.5 cup servings

Ingredients:

1 (15.5-oz) can pinto beans, undrained

1 (14.5-oz) can corn kernels, drained (I used a small bag of frozen corn)

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup diced onion

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed & drained

2 cups lettuce or spinach

1/4 teaspoon salt

Taco Seasoning

(I used chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, & cayenne pepper to taste - I never buy taco seasoning packets. Have you seen the sodium on those things??)

Garnish Ideas: Avocado, sour cream, green onions, sliced black olives, diced tomatoes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Spread corn kernels out in one layer on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until corn is browned and slightly crunchy.

While corn is roasting, place pinto beans in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic powder and salt.

Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using a fork or potato masher, mash beans until they are the consistency of refried beans.

Lower heat, and continue to cook until some of the liquid has evaporated and beans have thickened, about 10 minutes more. Stir frequently to avoid scalding beans on the bottom of the pan.

Heat olive oil over medium heat, and add onions. Cook until onions are soft and translucent. Add black beans, corn, and taco seasoning. Stir well to coat. Reduce heat to low, and keep warm until pinto beans are done.

To serve, place about 1/2 cup lettuce on each plate, and top with 1/4 cup pinto beans and a heaping 1/2 cup of black bean and corn mixture. I dumped a half a can of the spicy Ro*Tel®. Add desired toppings to salad.

I know that roasting vegetables brings out their natural sweetness, but I never roast my corn but I'm going to more often! It added so much to the salad.

I got this recipe from a blog that I frequented a lot while on The Daniel Fast! I highly recommend it! www.ultimatedanielfast.com