BLACK RICE & BEAN SALAD WITH ROASTED RED PEPPER AND CILANTRO YOGURT SAUCE.

I'm always on the lookout for a good hearty salad.  The kind of salad that is a full blown meal.  First of all, you know it's going to be good for you.  Second, it's super easy to pack and go for work, school, or whatever floats your boat on a day to day basis.

This salad is definitely hearty, with fibre and protein packed black beans and antioxidant filled black rice.  It's pretty obvious by now that in the food category brown is usually better than white, but black is even better than brown, at least when we're talking rice.  On top of all the benefits of brown rice, black rice contains antioxidants that are missing in the brown stuff.  It's the same antioxidants that you'll find in dark blue berries.  Black rice also has a bit of a deeper, richer, sweeter flavour.

With all these good reasons to eat black rice, you'd think using it in this salad would be a no brainer, right?  In truth, the real reason I used black rice today was for looks.  That's right, it was for completely superficial reasons.  The rice isn't complaining.

The other component in this salad that's really working hard is the corn.  The corn is quickly roasted before being tossed into the salad, and that adds a ton of flavour.  Corn is naturally sweet, and roasting it is a great option to deepen that sweetness and add a smoky side to it as well.

Finally, we've got to pay our dues to the dressing as well.  It's only three ingredients, but it is strong and sweet and spicy.  It brings the salad together and gets it ready for your tastebuds.  Don't go easy on the dressing for this meal.

If you are going to pack this salad for lunch, just layer it up in a mason jar with the dressing on the bottom and the mixture piled on top.  Then when you're ready to eat, just empty it all into a bowl and mix it up.  That way the dressing won't make everything soggy, and you don't have to worry about packing a separate container.

Black Rice & Bean Salad with Roasted Red Pepper and Cilantro Yogurt Dressing
2 cups cooked black rice
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup black beans
1 tomato, diced
1 avocado, diced
1 cup diced cucumber

1/2 cup 0% greek yogurt
1/2 chopped jarred roasted red peppers
1/4 chopped fresh cilantro
Sea salt

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Place the frozen corn in a colander and run under cold water, to get rid of the worst of the freeze on the kernels, and pat dry.  Don't worry about defrosting them completely.  Spread the corn in a single layer on a baking pan.  Spray lightly with oil, tossing to coat.  Roast in the oven for 10 minutes, toss the kernels, then roast again for 5 more minutes.  Remove and let cool.

Mix together all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl combine the yogurt, roasted red peppers, cilantro and a pinch of salt.  Use a hand blender to puree together until smooth.

Toss the dressing with the rice salad immediately before serving and eat up.