You know what I love about freezer cooking? It saves money initially and keeps on saving money. For instance, when I cook and froze two pounds of black beans two weeks ago, I saved myself $6 to $8 right up front. I made seven bags of beans equivalent to seven cans of beans. A small portion of this gourmet looking salad would cost four dollars easily.

Since I’ve done my freezer cooking homework, I have these handy dandy bags of beans to make all sorts of interesting items. I will NOT eat black beans plain seven times. I like to shake it up and become a foodie. I guess you could say I’m a freezer cooking foodie because I’m adventurous and I love great tasting food.

Here’s a delicious salad made with frozen black beans (use a can if you must, but do try making your own sometime), corn, red pepper, cilantro, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.

You can thaw your beans overnight in a thawing box or pop them in a bowl of cold water for thirty minutes to an hour. That’s what I did.

I chop my ingredients and prepare myself for a tasty salad.

I drain the beans completely and fold all the salad ingredients together.

I like to taste test the salad and see if I like more salt or more lime juice. I’m a huge fan of tart. I enjoyed an entire bag of salt and vinegar chips for dinner while I was pregnant. Sometimes, I’ll add more lime juice or vinegar to reminisce those days. So you go ahead and add more or less of whatever you like. Experience it with a tortilla chip before you add more salt.

Black Bean and Corn Salad

• 1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper diced
• 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
• 1 (15 oz) bag of frozen black beans drained well or 1 can drained and rinsed
• 1 (16oz) can of corn drained and rinsed or frozen corn
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup loosely chopped cilantro
• 4 Tablespoons olive oil
• 4 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons lime juice
• Freshly ground pepper
• Kosher or sea salt to taste

Toss all the ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and chill.

It’s simply wonderful as a side dish. It tastes awesome with tortilla chips. It tops all natural hot dogs like a champ. The flavors enhance any Mexican dish, like enchiladas or tacos, and give it an exciting texture. Stuff it in a tortilla with sliced avocado or hummus for lunch. I can’t wait to add diced grilled convenience chicken to this salad for a quick wrap. You’ll have enough for all of these food ideas when you make this recipe. It makes a large bowlful of exciting colors. Take it on a picnic and share it with others. Split it and share with a friend in need. It will be a salad they’ll never forget. Just have fun with your frozen black beans.

What are your favorite black bean menu items?

This is linked to the ultimate salad swap.