The Salads of Casa de Cuisine: Southwest Black and Blue Salad

So, what is a salad? As opposed to what many believe, it is not a mound of greens slathered in an industrial gunk called a "dressing." It is not a plate of raw vegetables. It is not an umimaginative conglomeration of produce meant for only dieters. A salad is a perfect marriage of taste and texture which when properly created and structured, can be the highlight of any dining experience. All through the month of February, Chef Larry Edwards will be feauting the Salads of Casa de Cuisine and you will see salads like you've never seen them before.

Fact: Legumes (beans) or one of the best foods you can put into your body. Fact: Black beans are one of the most nutritious legumes known to man. Fact: Eat this salad and be healthy! This salad is really a powerhouse of flavors and if you have never had smoked bacon with blue cheese, get ready to tremble!

This is a very easy salad to prepare and it does well with any broiled, grilled are barbecued entree. Don't worry about prepping the black beans, simply buy a can of the organic ones as they are very tasty and contain no nasty chemicals. You can also use any type of vinegar for the dressing but at least once you should try the raspberry vinegar as the taste of the raspberries greatly enhance each and every ingredients in this salad (which is why I created it with raspberry vinegar).

Join me in enjoying the great tastes of the Southwest with Southwestern Black-and-Blue Salad (yes, the name comes from the black beans and the blue cheese).

Ingredients needed to make Southwestern Black-and-Blue Salad with Bacon (serves 2):

• 1 15-ounce can black beans
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 2 shallots, minced
• 2 Tbs. minced cilantro
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbs. raspberry vinegar
• 6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
• 2 Tbs. blue (bleu) cheese

Steps:

1. Place the black beans into a colander and rinse under cold running water.
2. Into a medium bowl combine the black beans, tomato, shallots and cilantro.
3. In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil and raspberry vinegar.
4. Pour the dressing over the beans, toss to coat and let sit 30 minutes at room temperature.
5. Toss the bacon and blue cheese into the salad.
6. Spoon onto serving plates and enjoy!

Chef Note: For an incredible taste treat, serve this with some High Dessert Corn Bread and Melted Milk Dud Ice Cream for one helluva Southwestern dinner!

** Inside Google calls Chef Larry Edwards "quite possibly the most popular Chef in the world" and now you can find out what Chef Larry Edwards has coming up in the kitchen, on the road, in the restaurants and in the media by joining him on Facebook where the Chef's snarky personality and often controversial comments are always sure to cause a stir.