Chopped Autumn Salad

This recipe came to me from my dear friend and great cook, Amy Niendorf. She got it from Espressoandcream.com. It is a crowd-pleaser. And it provides a great opportunity to get creative with the various ingredients or to adapt to what you have on hand. Apples instead of pears? Almonds instead of pecans? Bleu cheese or goat cheese instead of feta? Add diced chicken? Maybe add chow mein noodles? Whatever you end up throwing into it, the ingredients and the two different dressings really knock this out of the park.

Ingredients
6 to 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 medium pears, chopped (or one can chopped)
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped pecans
8 slices thick-cut bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled
4 to 6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
Poppy seed Salad Dressing (I like T. Marzetti)
Balsamic Vinaigrette (I made my own since it called just a little. 1/8 cup each balsamic vinegar and olive oil. 1 Tbsp. honey. 1 tsp. Dijon. 1 minced garlic clove. pinch of dried thyme. Salt and papper. Shake it up.) 

Instructions
On a large platter, combine the lettuce, pears, cranberries, pecans, bacon and feta cheese. Drizzle generously with poppy seed dressing, followed by some of the balsamic vinaigrette. (I would estimate that I used about a cup of dressing: 70 percent poppy seed dressing and 30 percent balsamic vinaigrette) If you prefer your salad to have more dressing, feel free to experiment with the combination.

Best Potato Salad Ever

 

Best Potato Salad Ever!*

Serves 4
500g waxy salad potatoes
6 tbsp mayonnaise (ready-made is fine)
3 tbsp natural yoghurt
1 tsp dijon mustard
4 spring onions, finely chopped
2 gherkins, roughly chopped
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped

1 Scrub the potatoes and boil whole in their skins (if using the waxy variety) in a large pan of salted, boiling water for about 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Drain thoroughly and allow to cool enough to handle.

2 While potatoes are boiling, make the dressing by mixing the mayonnaise, natural yoghurt and mustard in a large bowl. Stir in the chopped spring onions and gherkins and check seasoning.

3 Halve the potatoes (or thickly slice if large) and add, while still warm, to the mayo mixture. Stir carefully: don’t break the potatoes. (Stirring the warm potatoes into the. mayonnaise mixture seems to improve the flavour as the dressing is slightly “cooked”.

Sprinkle chopped chives to serve.

I tried three different potato salad recipes from the Guardian and this one was that produced the best results for the efforts made. It's very easy, but so good. 

*This is the name provided in the Guardian for this recipe. Not my label, but not wrong.

Roasted Beets & Feta Cheese Quinoa Salad

 There is another beet with feta in the Nanner recipes but one is with farro or bulgar and I find those a bit dense for my liking. Also, it had you cooking up the greens. I know that would be the right thing to do, but honestly, it's a lot of work. Just roasting beets is a lot of work. But using fresh beets is worth all the effort, as far as I'm concerned. This makes enough for a table full of people so if you live alone, you might want to make a half recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 cups Quinoa, cooked according to package directions
• 2 Red Beets, cubed
• 1/2 cup (100g) Feta Cheese
• Salt and freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons toasted pine nuts
Dressing:
• 1 Garlic Clove
• 1 cup (2 ounces/60 grams) Mint or other Fresh Herb
• 2 tablespoons White Wine Vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
• 6 tablespoons Olive Oil
• Salt and freshly Ground Black Pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Peel and quarter beets and toss with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cook for 35 minutes, turning once.
2. Prepare dressing ingredients. I used a tupperware and shook to mix. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Place the quinoa in a serving bowl. Stir in the toasted pine nuts, Feta cheese and beets. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Serve drizzled with salad dressing. It turns out pink! It's so pretty. And so good!

Greek Spaghetti Squash Toss

Original Recipe from Cooking Light

This recipe is super close to my standard pasta salad fare so I made some adjustments based on my preferences, and just used the spaghetti squash in place of the pasta. I'm not including precise measurements on all of the ingredients as I just eyeballed what looked right.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• about half of a red onion, diced or thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 can unsalted chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• a couple handfuls of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 Spaghetti Squash
• 1 cucumber 
• kalamata olives
• baby spinach
• Dash of salt
• crumbled feta cheese
• Greek salad dressing (the original recipe doesn't call for this but I recommend it)

Spaghetti Squash

1. Pierce skin of squash several times with a sharp knife.
2. Place on tin foil on a baking sheet and bake for an hour at 375.
3. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
4. Slice in half lengthwise.
5. Scoop out seeds and gunk.
6. Use a fork to scoop meat out into a bowl. It will pull apart into strings like spaghetti.

The Toss

1. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high. 
2. Add onion and garlic; sauté 4 minutes. 
3. Add chickpeas and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. 
4. Add spaghetti squash; cook and stir 2 minutes. 
5. Add spinach, and salt; toss gently to combine. Cook 2 minutes or until spinach is just wilted. 
6. Allow to cool.
7. Drizzle with some dressing and add olives, cucumber and feta.
8. Stir to combine. Serve with extra dressing and cheese.

Pear and Pomegranate Salad with Gorgonzola and Champagne Vinaigrette

Ingredients, Salad:

• 8 cups baby spinach or romaine lettuce
• 1 ripe pear, cut in half 
• 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds 
• 2 ounces Gorgonzola 
• Champagne Vinaigrette, recipe follows 
• Fresh cracked pepper 
• 1 tablespoon honey 

Ingredients Champagne Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup champagne vinegar 
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic 
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions 

Champagne Vinaigrette: 

1. In a small bowl or glass jar, add all the ingredients except the olive oil. 
2. Mix well, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil to combine. 
3. Refrigerate until ready to use. 

Salad:

1. In a decorative bowl or platter, add the spinach or romaine. 
2. Cut the pear into fans, and then slice again on the diagonal, add the greens, crumble the Gorgonzola onto the salad and then drizzle with about half of the vinaigrette. 
3. Top with fresh cracked pepper and lightly drizzle the whole salad with the honey. 
4. Serve immediately. 

Recipe from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/pear-and-pomegranate-salad-with-gorgonzola-and-champagne-vinaigrette-recipe-1949032

Lemony Orgo Vegetable Salad with Chicken

I made this for my dinner tonight. I've only had a few bites, but it's delicious. I used asparagus and tomatoes in place of the cucumber and red pepper. And I used a splash more olive oil and almost twice the honey because it tasted a bit too lemony first time through.

Lemony Orzo Veggie Salad with Chicken
Ingredients

• 3/4 cup uncooked orzo
• 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon honey
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
• 1/2 cup diced English cucumber
• 1/2 cup pre-chopped red bell pepper
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

Directions
Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain and place in a large bowl.
While orzo cooks, combine lemon rind and next 6 ingredients (through black pepper), stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle juice mixture over orzo; toss to coat. Add chicken and next 4 ingredients (through dill); toss gently to combine. Sprinkle with cheese.
Nutrition Information
Serves: 4 |  Serving Size: 1 1/4 cups
Per serving: Calories: 281; Total Fat: 8g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Monounsaturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 26mg; Sodium: 301mg; Carbohydrate: 35g; Dietary Fiber: 2g; Sugar: 4g; Protein: 16g
Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 82mg; Iron: 11%; Vitamin A: 18%; Vitamin C: 56%; Calcium: 3%

Black Bean & Corn Salad with Chipotle Honey Dressing

This was one of those beautifully serendipitous moments when everything comes together perfectly. All I had in my refrigerator were some leftover ingredients from a slow cooker Mexican quinoa recipe that doesn't even bear mentioning on this blog. Some beans (I always use red instead of black, some corn, a half an avocado, and an open can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. I remember thinking when I opened the can, "When the hell am I going to use the rest of these?" I was on the computer, doing something totally unrelated to cooking and my computer got a mind to hit the favorites bar. I swear I wasn't even near it. But it clicked on "Once Upon a Chef," another thing I did not purposely put in my favorites toolbar, but it appeared one day and I didn't object. Anyway, it went straight to the site and what menu was front and center? This one that called for . . .wait for it . . . beans, corn, avocado, AND f-ing chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. What??? I had to run out and get some lettuce and limes. Lettuce is more useful to me than cilantro and I just served this on a bed lettuce. I used tomatoes instead of red peppers because that was also left from the other recipe. The dressing is so amazing that next time you open a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce you're just going to use the entire thing to make the dressing and then you're going to drink it straight from the blender. I'm not kidding.

 

Servings: 6 (as a side dish)

Total Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients

For the Salad

• 2 ears fresh corn
• 1 cup chopped red onion
• 1 (14.5 oz) can black beans
• 1 red bell pepper, diced (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh chopped cilantro (plus a bit more for garnish, if desired)
• 1 avocado

For the Dressing

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from 1-2 limes
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large garlic clove, roughly chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (from a can)

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the corn, cover, and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the corn from the water and let cool.
2. Meanwhile, place the chopped red onions in a small bowl and cover with water. Let sit about ten minutes, then drain completely in a sieve and set aside.
3. Place the beans in a sieve; run under cold water to rinse well. Let drain completely and set aside.
4. Holding the cooled corn upright in a large bowl, cut the kernels off the cob in strips. Add the beans, red onion, red bell pepper and cilantro.
5. Make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients in a blender or mini food processor; process until smooth.
6. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or, preferably, overnight.
7. Right before serving, slice the avocado in half. Remove the pit; using a butter knife, cut a grid in each half. Holding the avocado halves over the salad, use a spoon to scoop out the diced flesh. Toss the salad gently, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (I usually add a squeeze of fresh lime to freshen it up). Garnish with a bit of fresh chopped cilantro if desired. Serve cold.

Tomato, Cucumber and Corn Salad

This was really delicious and really light. We served it over couscous. I went back for seconds.

INGREDIENTS

• 1to 1 1/4 pounds ripe tomatoes, cut in small dice
• ½european cucumber, 2 Persian cucumbers or 1 regular cucumber, peeled if waxy, seeded if the seeds are large, and cut in small dice
• 2ears corn, steamed for 4 minutes and kernels removed from the cob ( we used a tin of corn)
• 1to 2 serranos or jalapeño pepper, minced (seeded for a milder salad), or 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (we used one medium green chile and it was perfect!)
• Salt to taste
• ¼cup chopped cilantro ( must have!)
• 2tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1tablespoon fresh lime juice or lemon juice
• 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1optional: 1 ounce feta, crumbled (about 1/4 cup)

Salad Nicoise (sort of )

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Bearing in mind that we are headed to Prague in just a few days, I have tried to keep the menu low-cal and healthy. I don't want to have to say to no to schnitzel or streudel because my pants are too tight. This was a nice way to use vegetables, but don't neglect the herbs. You'll need those for a bit of kick.

FOR THE VINAIGRETTE:

• 2tablespoons good-quality red or white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
• 1tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1garlic clove, small or large to taste, green shoot removed, puréed with a garlic press or in a mortar and pestle
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ¼cup extra virgin olive oil
• 5tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt (you can omit this and use a total of 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil)

FOR THE SALAD:

• ¾pound medium Yukon gold or fingerling potatoes, cut in 3/4-inch dice
• 1can light (not albacore) tuna packed in water, drained
• 6ounces green beans, trimmed, and cut in half if long
• 1small red or green pepper, thinly sliced or diced
• 1small cucumber (preferably Persian), cut in half lengthwise and then sliced in half-moons
• 2hard-cooked eggs, preferably free range, peeled and cut in wedges
• 1small head of Boston lettuce, 1 romaine heart, or 4 to 5 cups mixed baby salad greens, washed and dried
• 2to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, like parsley, basil, tarragon, chives and marjoram
• 3or 4 tomatoes, cut in wedges, or 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Shrimp and Asparagus Salad

Wait for it . . . tonight I totally made something up. I am digging this cooking shiz. Tonight I opened my refrigerator and had asparagus that had been just cooked last night. Not cooked a lot. It was still crisp. And there was a tomato from the market. So I thawed about 9 cooked shrimp (always keep this in your freezer) and put the three ingredients together with a dressing inspired from earlier this week - 1/3 cup of mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, and a splash of vegetable broth. To that I added about a quarter teaspoon of dried basil leaves. I would have preferred it to be dill, but I didn't have that. Turned out to be scrumptious. It will be tomorrow's lunch. Beautiful and virtuous. Kind of like my own good self.

Spring Asparagus Salad

Springtime in Michigan means fresh asparagus. I had a lovely bunch and thought about using the recipe that Meredith posted with fusilli and asparagus but pasta is on my bad list these days so I hunted around for something else. As I like to do, I've blended a couple of recipes and here is the outcome.
ingredients:

For the Dressing:

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey or agave nectar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil (I used the stuff that comes in a tube)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the salad:

1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small bunch asparagus, about 15 spears, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup frozen peas
1 avocado, chopped
1 tomato, chopped                                                                                                                                         1/4 cup goat cheese

Several cups of mixed greens

directions:

1. In a small bowl or medium jar, combine the dressing ingredients. Whisk to combine or shake with the jar lid on tight. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the asparagus and fresh lemon juice. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the peas and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

4. In a large bowl, combine salad greens, asparagus, peas, and avocado. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir until well coated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste and serve.

Asian Chicken Salad

I bought some Asian Chicken Salad last week at Busch's. It was so good that I had to have some more so I decided to try a hand at making it myself. Really glad I did because it was delicious and took no time at all to make.

Salad:
1 bag chicken flavored ramen noodles (put the flavor packet aside to put in the dressing)
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 bag prepared cole slaw
3 green onions sliced
2 or 3 cups chopped cooked chicken

Dressing:
1/2 cup oil
6 Tbsp. rice vinegar
4 Tbsp. white sugar
flavor packet from ramen noodles

Break up the ramen noodles. I used a rubber mallet and pounded the bag lightly before opening it.  I found it both easy and satisfying. Heat oven to 350 degrees and lay out the broken ramen noodles and slivered or sliced almonds on a baking tray. I lined mine with parchment paper. Love that stuff! Bake it for 5 minutes, toss it around a little and bake for 5 more. Only put this on at the point of serving, otherwise they'll get soggy.

Mix up your dressing in a lidded container and shake really well. Toss with vegetables and chicken. The recipe I did suggested letting it sit overnight for better flavor, which I did.

Warm Kale & Garbanzo Salad

This was really delicious and virtuous.  If you knew how good kale is for you, you would eat it all day long.  One cup of chopped kale contains 33 calories and 9% of the daily value of calcium, 206% of vitamin A, 134% of vitamin C, and a whopping 684% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. Beyond antioxidants, the fiber content of cruciferous kale binds bile acids and helps lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, especially when kale is cooked instead of raw.

Of course, Laura and I might have added some feta cheese.  But we also added tomatoes.  In any case, it's a dish I'll be making again.

Ingredients

1. 2 tablespoons lemon juice
2. Grated zest of 1 orange
3. 2 tablespoons orange juice
4. 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
5. 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
6. 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
7. 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
8. 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
9. Black pepper
10. 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
11. 1 bunch Tuscan kale, rinsed
12. One 14-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
13. 1 pinch cayenne pepper
14. 2 scallions thinly sliced, green parts on (didn't happen to have had these, so I left them out)
15. Directions
16. Whisk together the lemon juice, orange zest, orange juice, mustard, smoked paprika, maple syrup, parsley, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Add the olive oil in a slow and steady stream, whisking until combined. Set aside.
17. Remove the ribs and stems from the kale leaves and coarsely chop. In a medium saucepan over high heat, add the kale with 3 tablespoons of water. Cover and cook until kale wilts down, about 4 minutes.
18. Meanwhile, rinse and drain the chickpeas. When the kale leaves are tender, add the chickpeas and paprika dressing to the pan and stir to combine. Cook together until dressing is warm and evenly coats the beans and kale, about 6 minutes. Season to taste with cayenne pepper and salt.
19. Spoon mixture into desired serving dish. Garnish with sliced scallions and serve.

Barley and Beet Salad

Farro Salad With Beets, Beet Greens and Feta

I could have also called this The Virtuous Salad, as it calls for fresh beets and their greens.  I didn't call it Farro Salad on purpose because I've never seen farro, but I learned a long time ago that barley is a good substitute.  I left out the walnuts because I don't like them.  And I used some kale because the greens were kind of limp.  Also, didn't use all of the dressing.  But I did save it for something else later this week.  It's very tasty.  Anytime I cook with beets, I always think of Lauren.  The girl loved her beets.

2 medium or 3 small beets (any color) with greens, the beets roasted, the greens stemmed and washed in two changes of water
1 cup farro, soaked for one hour in water to cover and drained
Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 small garlic clove, minced or pureed
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (may substitute 1 to 2 tablespoons walnut oil for 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil)
1/2 cup broken walnut pieces
2 ounces feta or goat cheese, crumbled (more if desired for garnish)
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, tarragon, marjoram, chives, mint

1. Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the water comes to a boil, add salt to taste and the greens. Blanch for two minutes, and transfer to the ice water. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop coarsely and set aside.
2. Bring the water back to a boil, and add the farro. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes, stirring from time to time, or until the farro is tender. Remove from the heat and allow the grains to swell in the cooking water for 10 minutes, then drain.
3. While the farro is cooking, make the vinaigrette. Whisk together the vinegars, salt, garlic and mustard. Whisk in the oil(s). Add to the farro. Peel and dice the beets and add, along with the beet greens, feta or goat cheese, herbs and walnuts. Toss together, and serve warm or room temperature with a little more cheese sprinkled over the top if you wish.
Yield: Serves eight or four if it's your entree'.
Advance preparation: The roasted beets and cooked beet greens will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator, and the cooked farro for five days. You can assemble this salad hours or even a day ahead; it will redden with time.
 

Nutty Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad

I was looking through some old recipe photos for my apple-goat cheese bruschetta post and I ran across this picture. I had totally forgotten about this recipe, and what a loss! This is so delicious and a buttload of Brussell sprouts so it's also really good for you. The only downside is getting all the leaves off of a buttload of Brussell sprouts takes a fair amount of time. So this one will probably be waiting until our next visitors this summer so there's an extra pair of hands or two.



Ingredients

• 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 3/4 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved (about 8 cups)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts, toasted
• 1/2 ounce shaved Asiago cheese

Preparation

1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 1 minute or just until golden, stirring constantly. Add breadcrumbs; cook 1 minute or until lightly browned, stirring constantly. Transfer garlic mixture to a small bowl.
2. Separate leaves from Brussels sprouts; quarter cores. Heat remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil over medium heat. Add leaves and cores to pan; cook 8 minutes or just until leaves wilt and cores are crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; toss with breadcrumb mixture, salt, and pepper. Top with walnuts and cheese.

Recipe from Cooking Light

Vegetarian Taco Salad

Photo from Eating Well

This is what we made when Jana, Jeremy, and Leigh came over last weekend. A great option for the varied types of eaters we had (Eric, very meat and potatoes, to vegetarian Caroline) with separate taco meat and avocado for diners to add as desired.

Makes: 6 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each

Active Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes




INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (see Tip) or frozen, thawed
• 4 large tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups cooked long-grain brown rice (see Tip)
• 1 15-ounce can black, kidney or pinto beans, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/3 cup prepared salsa
• 2 cups shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce
• 1 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese
• 2 1/2 cups coarsely crumbled tortilla chips
• Lime wedges for garnish

PREPARATION

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and corn; cook, stirring, until the onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Coarsely chop 1 tomato. Add it to the pan along with rice, beans, chili powder, 1 teaspoon oregano and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato cooks down, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly.
2. Coarsely chop the remaining 3 tomatoes. Combine with cilantro, salsa and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon oregano in a medium bowl.
3. Toss lettuce in a large bowl with the bean mixture, half the fresh salsa and 2/3 cup cheese. Serve sprinkled with tortilla chips and the remaining cheese, passing lime wedges and the remaining fresh salsa at the table.

TIPS & NOTES
Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 1, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days; reheat slightly before serving.
Kitchen Tips: To remove corn kernels from the cob, stand an ear of corn on its stem end and slice the kernels off with a sharp knife.
To cook rice, bring 1 cup water and 1/2 cup long-grain brown rice to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer at the lowest bubble until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 40 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Makes 1 1/2 cups.