Recipe of the Week: Spring Succotash

Ahhh… Spring.  As invitations for BBQs and picnics start showing up in our inboxes and visions of bathing suit shopping (…gulp…) appear in our heads, now is the perfect time to start integrating some lighter fare into our diets for the coming months. (That means you, Stephanie.  Easter is over… time to put away the Reese’s peanut butter bunnies.)  This time of year, there’s nothing better than discovering an easy, healthy and delicious dish that can be whipped up in no time.

This Mayan succotash is so simple to make.  A perfect alternative to traditional salads, succotash is an incredibly light, tangy dish to be eaten on its own or as a side dish.  It’s PERFECT for all the upcoming BBQs and picnics this spring and summer.  Everyone else will bring (SNORE) chips & salsa to the party.  Or grocery-bought cookies and mini-cupcakes.  Or worse yet…  potato salad.  But YOU can bring something delightful and refreshing that pairs perfectly with anything from the grill – and sends people home with their waistlines intact.

(Picture-perfect BBQs… brought to you by succotash.)

BONUS!  This succotash is great ALL year-round!  Case in point:  Just as me and my family were about to drift into Holiday carb comas this Christmas and were reaching in slow-mo to unbutton our pants, my beloved Uncle Frank threw this little ditty called succotash into the carb-y, buttery, casserole-y mix.   We all took a break from devouring inordinate amounts of turkey, rolls, mashed potatoes and gravy, to study it…  Hmmm…  what IS that? Is that…  candy corn?  Are those jelly beans?  It doesn’t LOOK like it has 400 fat grams in it.  It’s not made up almost entirely of butter…  We don’t get it.

And then we tried it.  And had some more.  And then we were hooked.

Recipe courtesy of Uncle Frank:

To start:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Italian red wine vinegar
5 drops Tabasco Habanero Sauce
Splash of soy sauce
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Whisk the above ingredients together in a bowl, then add:

1/3 cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh jalapeno
1/4 cup coarsely chopped red onion
1 can Whole Foods “no salt added” Kidney Beans
1 can Whole Foods “no salt added” Garbanzo Beans
1 can Whole Foods “no salt added” Whole Kernel Corn

Mix everything with a big spoon and enjoy!