Green Salad for a Green Planet!
#LunchBreakLIVE at the Center for Biological Diversity in LA! Climate Campaign Director Candice Kim whips up an El Jefe SouthWest Salad, all plant-based and delicious as we talk about the disastrous environmental impact of meat! Kim also tells us about the center’s study on the horrific impact a wall with the Mexican border would have on wildlife. For more: biologicaldiversity.org & TakeExtinctionOffYourPlate.com
Southwestern Salad Bowl
*Center Staff Member Original Recipe from Leigh Moyer: Leigh is an organizer with the Population and Sustainability program. She develops and runs campaigns to draw attention to and prevent wildlife and habitat loss due to unsustainable human population growth and overconsumption.
Note: I used canned beans because I’m lazy, but you can make your own beans. If you use dried pintos, simmer with salt, pepper, onion, garlic, bay leaf and a dried ancho chili until beans are soft, ensuring that the beans remained covered with water through the whole process. This can take up to 3 hours. Drain and mash for simple mashed beans or drain and cook for five minutes in a lightly oiled skillet with additions like onion, garlic or tomato (if desired) for refried beans.
Ingredients:
For the corn relish
- 1 can sweet corn
- 1 tablespoon sweet yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- juice from 1/4 lime (more if the lime is small)
For the salad bowl:
- 1 head of lettuce
- 1/2 cup canned vegetarian refried beans
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup carrots, shredded
- 1/2 avocado
- 1/2 cup corn relish
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup Tofutti vegan sour cream
- lime wedge
- Chipotle Tabasco (or other hot sauce), to taste
Directions:
Make the corn relish: drain the corn and place in airtight container. Add all of the remaining relish ingredients and stir to mix. It is best if this chills overnight, but you can also just allow the flavors to mix while you prepare the rest of the salad bowl.
Make the salad: chop the lettuce into half-inch strips. Heat the refried beans in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove. Layer the chopped lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, avocado, relish and beans in a bowl. Garnish with cilantro, lime juice, sour cream and Chipotle Tabasco. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
You can turn this into a burrito bowl by adding tortillas or tortilla chips.
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Jane Velez-Mitchell is an award-winning TV journalist and New York Times best-selling author. She is the founder of UnchainedTV and the host of several shows on the network.