Black Bean Salad with Corn, Red Peppers, Avocado & Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette~by Kelsey

I found this recipe on onceuponachef.com via Pinterest.  It is really good, fairly easy, and fairly healthy.  I chose to use canned corn, even though it calls for fresh.  I will also cut back on the oil a little next time I make it.  Also, the avocados don't keep very well once you put them in the salad, so make sure you add them just before serving.

Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients

2 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 ears fresh corn, cooked, cooled and kernels cut off the cob
2 red bell peppers, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced shallots (you'll need one medium shallot)
2 teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
9 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (I like Colavita)
6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest (be sure to zest limes before juicing them)
½ cup chopped cilantro, plus more to garnish
2 Hass avocados, diced

Directions

Combine all ingredients except avocados in a large bowl and mix well. Cover and chill for a few hours or overnight. Right before serving, add avocados and mix gently, being careful not to mash avocados. Garnish with a few springs of freshly chopped cilantro if desired.  Serve at room temperature.

Corn Salad ~ by Sarah

My aunt makes a corn salad that I love, so searched the Internet until I found a recipe that seemed pretty close. It's such a great summer dish!

Ingredients:
2 cans whole kernel corn, drained
1/2 purple onion, diced
1 green onion, diced (or half green and half red)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
chili cheese Frito corn chips

Directions:
Combine everything put the chips in a bowl and mix well.  I also added some pepper, salt, and Salad Elegance.  Just before serving crush the corn chips into big chunks and add to the salad (to your desire).  You want to add these right before serving or they get soggy.

Zucchini and Corn Tacos ~ by Molly

Quick disclaimer: Your husband will notice the lack of meat. Your kids will notice the abundance of onions and vegetables. You will notice that these don't account for a day's worth of Weight Watchers Points (probably).

I based this recipe on one I found on Self.com and it is AMAZING. The picture is from their website, not my kitchen. You'll notice they included tomatoes, which I'm not a fan of, so I left out. They also didn't toast their corn and chopped the zucchini much finer that I like. Honestly, it's plenty filling and flavorful without meat, but you could easily add thinly sliced steak, if you can't go meatless for one meal. The recipe in the link says it feeds 4, but since I live alone, the recipe I wrote below is enough for my dinner and enough leftovers for lunch the next day.

Ingredients:
Olive Oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 zucchini, course chopped
1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup canned corn, drained
Oregano, salt and pepper, to taste
Corn or Flour Tortillas
Salsa
Cheese
Sour Cream

Heat olive oil, add onions and cook until caramelized. Add garlic and zucchini and cook until the zucchini is tender. Add corn and cook, stirring occasionally until toasted. Add black beans, oregano, salt and pepper, and cook until everything is warm. Heat tortillas and assemble with remaining ingredients. I'm going to assume you all know how to do that part...

Baked Dinner ~ by Sarah

This is another recipe from Angela. I am anxious to try it because she said her kids love it.

Ingredients:
3 c. raw potatoes
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 can whole kernel corn
1/2 c. grated onion
1 can peas
salt & pepper
1 can tomatoes (I use the ones with Italian seasonings)

(I didn't have peas this time so I used green beans.)

Directions:
Arrange a layer of potatoes in a greased baking dish. Season well, I use garlic salt, Johnny's, sea salt and pepper. Add corn, peas and top with raw ground beef mixed with onions and shaped into patties. Pour tomatoes over all. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours.

Fiesta Turkey Soup ~ by Molly

I based this recipe on one I found on Self.com (the website for the health magazine SELF). It was super easy to make, delicious and healthy. I also liked that it had really simple ingredients--things that are usually already in the pantry/I can find in Germany. Sorry, Kels, it has turkey, but I'm sure pork would work well, too. The website called it chili, but it wasn't very thick, so it seemed more like a soup to me.

3-4 Servings
Prep time: 20 minutes

1 can tomato soup (I used Tuscan for added flavor)
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 bell pepper
1/2 pound turkey*
Garlic powder, Tabasco sauce, Onion powder to taste

Grill the turkey until cooked completely and the pepper until softened. Heat the soup, then add the remaining ingredients. Season to taste. Serve with sour cream or shredded cheese for added calories and flavor. Enjoy!

*The recipe on the website called for ground turkey. This is something that is impossible to find in the average German supermarket. I used a fillet instead and cubed it into bite-sized pieces. Like I said before, I think pork fillets would be a good substitute.