Avocado Salad with Lime Dressing

Looking at this salad cheers me up- it gives me hope as I wait for the weather to get warmer! Since I made the chorizo rice and beans yesterday- I was looking to make a fresh crisp salad to go with it. Avocados came to mind and I thought I should go with the lime and roasted cumin seeds theme from the rice dish. Initially I was looking to incorporate some greens in the salad- but as I thought about it more, I realized a chopped salad with peppers tomatoes and avocado may be the way to go. Right before serving the meal, I decided to add the salad on top of the rice instead of as a side.  I also drizzled some of the lime dressing on top of the rice.  Well, it was a fantastic idea- if I do say so myself!!  The different textures were fabulously happy in my mouth. The creamy rice with the chorizo melted against the crunchy peppers and green onions. The tanginess of the dressing brought out the smokiness of the rice and beans. Of course the silky avocados were delicious as well.  Overall it was a very successful dish- well, I guess the red wine didn’t hurt!

• 1 ripe avocado, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 orange pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium tomato, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 green onions, chopped
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped
• Salt to taste
• Lime dressing

Add all the vegetables in a medium bowl. Add half of the dressing with salt to taste. Mix well and keep aside for an hour. Add the rest of the dressing before serving.

Lime Dressing

• 2 limes, juiced
• 1 teaspoon roasted cumin seeds, ground
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons honey
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl, whisk the limejuice, cumin seeds and honey together. Slowly add the olive oil and whisk the lime mixture. Add salt and pepper and taste for seasonings.