Tex-Mex Cornbread Salad celebrates 500th blog entry

How does one celebrate a 500th blog post? I remember when I noted that a blog I was entering that day was #365 and that I had completed a year’s worth of entries in The Newfangled Country Gardener. Seems like just the blink of an eye ago.

But pressing on down the road, today I’m marking number 500; that’s half of 1,000! Lots of good recipes tried out and nourishing food consumed. (Hubby would say, “And lots of trips to the grocery store for me!” True. Lots of encouraging “attagirl”s on his part, as well.)

Today’s entry, Tex-Mex Cornbread Salad, truly is one of the best items I’ve featured here. A hearty, healthy bowl full of goodness—a bit of it straight from our current garden. In almost mid-December, tomatoes still grow on their vines (we covered them in last night’s cold snap.) Happy to be able to haul a few in and toss them into this salad, which has a tangy vinaigrette dressing and cornbread made with taco seasoning.

Wouldn’t this be a colorful item on a Christmas bring-a-dish table? You’d snare compliments galore. Pleased also that my #500 blog features a recipe from the Chickasaw Nation Nutrition Services. These great cooks and recipe innovators have been the source for so many great entries in this feature. A big thank-you to them for all their healthy, fresh ideas.

Tex-Mex Cornbread Salad

Cornbread:

1 egg white (I used 1/4 cup egg substitute)

1/2 cup skim milk

2 tablespoons oil

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup flour 

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 tablespoon no-salt taco seasoning

cooking spray

Vinaigrette dressing:

1/4 cup cilantro, minred

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon honey

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/2 cup olive oil

Salad:

2 cups romaine, roughly chopped (I used spinach)

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped red onion

2 avocados, chopped

1 (15-ounce) can corn, rinsed and drained

2 cups chopped red bell peppers

Cornbread: preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix egg white, milk, and oil. Mix dry ingredients together and then combine with liquid. Spray an 8-inch-by-8-inch pan with cooking spray. Pour cornbread mixture into pan; bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Whisk together all ingredients for the vinaigrette dressing; refrigerate. In a glass bowl or trifle dish layer the salad ingredients. Start with romaine and continue with black beans, tomatoes, onion, avocado, corn, and bell pepper. Drizzle the dressing on top of the salad. Toss. Top with cornbread cubes. Makes 13 1-cup servings. (Source: Chickasaw Nation Nutrition Services)