This red bean salad was the third dish we made for the cooking class. The recipe came about in my attempt to keep up with the number of mangoes ripening in my kitchen. I wanted to eat a refreshing salad that included mangoes. I decided to pair it with red beans- first because it’s good to have protein in the salad and second because I like the red color against the mangoes. I had a few vidalia spring onions (they look like regular spring onions but are much bigger) but regular spring onions will work as well. They gave the salad a soft onion flavor. I also added an orange pepper- for it’s crunch and lovely color- we used a yellow one for the cooking class- all the different colors look gorgeous together. Cilantro added the much needed bright green color. The feta was a last minute addition- not sure what prompted me but I have to say, it was a brilliant one! The creamy and salty flavor goes very well with the sweet mangoes and peppers. I decided to make the dressing with the mango pineapple juice I had in the fridge- now I am not a big juice person- but this juice is absolutely delicious! I buy it once in a while from Whole Foods since it is quite expensive. During the cooking class I juiced a large fresh navel orange and it was just fine. Lime juice and honey added the much needed sweet and sour taste and balanced the flavors out. I added one of my favorite ingredients to the dressing- chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. It adds great smoky and spicy flavor to any dish- I use it in marinades and sauces all the time- it’s delicious. 

For the class I paired this salad with the malai chicken and the vegetable korma– but when I was testing the recipe, I paired it with some fish. There is nothing simple, quick and healthier to eat than a nice fillet of fresh fish! I decided to pan saute the fillets of cod and serve simply with- salt, lime juice and a little burst of a smoky flavor- ancho chili powder– I used this particular spice since it echoed the flavor of the adobo in chipotle but was not as spicy. Overall a very healthy meal- my daughter devoured the fish- I didn’t add the ancho powder for her. I gave her some roasted corn on the side- as she does not like anything too tangy- so the salad didn’t appeal to her at all- but she couldn’t get enough of the fish!!!

• 1 pound or 3-4 fillets of Cod
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
• Juice of one lime

Drizzle the olive oil on the fish and then sprinkle with salt, ancho chili powder and limejuice. Heat a non-stick frying pan and cook the fish on high heat. Turn the fish after 3 minutes or till the side is golden brown. Cook the other side for another 3-4 minutes depending on how thick the fillets are.

Red Bean and Mango Salad