yeah, i said it. i was hellbent on having a cinco de mayo fiesta last night and after the day i had, the one place in the world i wanted to be was the kitchen. when i’m mad, i cook. when i’m stressed, i bake. it works for me. something about the control, i’m sure. but i suppose it’s more of a diversion than anything else.

the only plan we had was grilled scallops, so i decided we needed a black bean/mango salad to go with. i went in with a slight strategy and this is what i came up with (note: all measurements are far from exact. just dump, stir and taste):

black bean salad

1 can black beans, rinsed slightly

1 bell pepper, diced

1/4 finely chopped red onion

3/4 c. corn (frozen, fresh, grilled, canned, whatever you have)

1 mango, diced

1/2 palm-full cumin

juice of 1 lime

a couple splashes of olive oil

s&p + garlic powder

decent-sized handful of cilantro

throw all ingredients in a bowl, stir, finish with lime/o. oil/spice mixture and give it one last stir before adding in cilantro.

enjoy alongside any seafood, chicken, pork or poultry dish. and if you’re like me, bring leftovers to work for lunch the next day with quinoa.