Makes 2 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 romaine heart, chopped or torn into bite sized pieces
1 15oz can corn, rinsed and drained (or 2 leftover ears of corn)
1 15oz can black beans or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 red onion or 2 shallots, small diced
2 cups fresh cherry tomatoes
1 red or orange bell pepper, chopped
2 ripe avocados, chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
2 limes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 bunch parsley or cilantro, stems removed, finely chopped
2 springs of oregano leaves, stems removed
Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional: jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced
Optional: tortilla chips or blue corn chips
Optional: shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese
DIRECTIONS
- Rough chop or tear the romaine into bite sized pieces. Place in a large salad bowl.
- Rinse and drain corn and beans, and add to bowl. Small dice red onion and add to bowl.
- With a serrated knife, slice cherry tomatoes in half or in quarters, and add to bowl.
- Chop bell pepper into 1/2 inch pieces and add to bowl.
- Carefully slice avocado and add to bowl.
- Juice the two limes directly over avocado.
- Drizzle olive oil over everything.
- Remove cilantro stems, and finely chop leaves. Add to bowl.
- Very gently mix ingredients together until everything is coated with olive oil and lime juice
- Salt and pepper to taste – be careful not to squish avocado. Garnish with oregano and enjoy!
FUN FACTS ABOUT CORN
Corn is called maize in most countries, from the Spanish word, maiz. The word maiz is derived from the word mahiz, from the native Taino language of the Caribbean.
Corn is recognized as a cereal crop, and part of the grass family.
An ear or a cob of corn is actually part of the flower, and each corn kernel is an individual seed.
On average, an ear of corn has 800 kernels in 16 rows.
Corn always has an even number of rows on each cob.
Corn is produced on every continent on Earth, except for Antarctica.
Corn and its byproducts are found in many non-food items, including fireworks, rust preventatives, glue, paint, dyes, laundry detergent, soap, aspirin, antibiotics, paint, shoe polish, ink, cosmetics, the manufacturing of photographic film, and the production of plastics.
Corn is used as a major feed crop for livestock and poultry, and it’s used in domestic pet food.
The United States produces nearly 40% of the world’s total corn harvest, making it the biggest corn producer in the world. China comes in second.
There are many colors of corn – black, blue, gray, purple, green, red, and white – while yellow is the most common.
Corn is used to make corn syrup, a very common sweetener.
Many juices and soft drinks are sweetened with corn – one bushel (about 56 pounds) can sweeten 400 cans of soft drinks.
An average corn plant grows to about 10 feet tall, but the world record for tallest corn stalk is 33 feet!
It takes 91 gallons of water to produce one pound of corn.
Corn is used to produce biofuels and is the primary source of ethanol production in the United States.
