My Morning Chocolate

Tropical Fusion Salad with Spicy Tortilla Ribbons

This food memory has stuck with me for more than a decade:  my first black bean and corn salad.  I had it Ireland of all places, in a little restaurant in Dublin that I think had the word “pink” in its name.  I can sort of see the street it was on (cobblestones, a nearby church) and the restaurant itself (wood paneling, the booth where I sat across from the bar).  And I remember my salad was huge, served in a big glass bowl, and flavorful, though the only flavor I remember is lime.

I had a similar salad in France, at an outdoor food stall in Nice.  Since then I could never resist a good black bean and corn salad because of the flavor, yes, but also because of the nostalgia.

This tropical fusion salad from Taste of Home magazine has the black bean and corn combination I love, as well as papaya, avocado, raisins, and serrano peppers.  It’s also a healthy dish - the recipe was submitted by Jennifer Fischer from Austin, Texas as part of the magazine’s call for light recipes.  (It also makes a good lunch for work-at-home freelancers.  You can make it ahead of time, so it’s ready to go during the work day.)

Because the recipe isn’t available on the website, I’ve included it below, as well as pictures that show how to cut a papaya and an avocado if you haven’t worked with them before.  Enjoy!

Tropical Fusion Salad with Spicy Tortilla Ribbons
from Taste of Home magazine

2 cups cubed, peeled papaya
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and cubed
1 cup frozen corn, thawed (or fresh in season)
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 serrano peppers, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup minced cilantro
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground ancho chili pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 corn tortillas (6 in.), cut into 1/4-in. strips

How to Prepare a Papaya

Prepping the Papayas

Here’s how you can prep the papaya (1):  Peel it (2), scoop out the caviar-like seeds (3), and dice it up (4).

Prepping the Avocados; Mixing the Dressing

Here’s how you can prep the avocado:  Cut it in half, and pull out the huge inner seed, either with a knife or a spoon.  Hold one half of the avocado, and cut the flesh, first vertically and horizontally to make cubes, being careful not to slice through the outer skin (and your hand!) (1).  Flip the avocados over and drop the cubes into your bowl (2). 

I got a little ahead of myself here, but for when you’re ready, here’s what your dressing should look like (3).

Now you’re ready to combine your salad:

1)  In a large bowl, combine the papaya, beans, avocado, corn, raisins, peppers, cilantro, orange juice, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, 1/2 tsp chili pepper, sugar, and salt.  (When cutting, take care to avoid getting hot peppers in your eyes.)

2)  Place torilla strips on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, sprinkle with remaining chili pepper.  (I think a sprinkle of salt works well here too.)  Bake at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp.  Serve with salad.