Discovered!

I have been making a favorite dish, Black Bean & Mozzarella Bowl, for quite some time. However, the recipe called for Drew's Smoked Tomato dressing. I couldn't find it anywhere!!! So, I made up my own vinaigrettes, but it never felt like the right flavor. Yet, this weekend, I found it at the Mount Kisco NY's Mrs. Greens!!! I made it tonight, as it was supposed to be made, and found it to be better than I could ever have believed! It was such a nice tangy/smoky flavor, that really couldn't be duplicated. Yum, I will definitely be making this again, and have plenty left in the bottle!!

Sugar Ann Snap Peas

This is the second handful I've harvested from my garden.

I don't personally like snap peas, but my husband loves them. So, I made sure to get an heirloom variety to grow in my garden. The first harvest was passed around at his birthday party this past weekend. Everyone raved about them. Mike got all of them this time and was a happy camper. I asked him to describe the difference between these and the ones he gets at the grocery store. He told me the flavor is much more intense. Ah, of course, most grocery store veggies tend to taste weaker than garden veggies!

SouthWest Rice & Bean Salad

1 cup instant brown rice
2 15oz cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
3 Tbs lime juice
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup salsa

1) Cook rice according to package directions.
2) Meanwhile, toss all the other ingredients into a large bowl. Add the rice, once it has finished cooking.
3) Toss to combine and serve immediately.

Review: This recipe originally called for sushi rice, but I wanted to make it healthier. This was a great balance of flavors. The cilantro and salsa provided a significant amount of flavor, but wasn't overwhelming due to the pinto bean and bell pepper flavors. This will be great served cold for lunch tomorrow!

Adapted from:
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/southwest-rice-and-bean-salad/