Tex Mex Brussels Salad

I got back from the Public Policy Workshop in D.C. about a week ago. The workshop was awesome! We had the opportunity to view the film Food Chains and meet the director, Sanjay Rawal. The workshop focused on policies related to nutrition and how to advocate for our profession as registered dietitians, in congress. At the end of the workshop, we went to Capital Hill to meet with congress members to discuss a few particular acts that pertain to the prevention of diabetes and obesity. I won’t get into the nitty gritty because this isn’t a political blog… it’s a food blog! If you are interested, please feel free to email me at shawna@makingfoodsfit.com.  

I have a confession to make. I haven’t been cooking too much this past week. I love the heat but standing in front of a hot stove in 90-degree weather… not exactly appealing. So it has been salads and easy meals for us in the Bayerman household. This next salad recipe was a pleasant surprise! We were going to a friend’s house for a BBQ and I didn’t have time to go shopping. So, I used what we had in the fridge! The end result was this super delicious Tex Mex Brussels Salad. For those of you who aren’t too keen on Brussels, you can definitely substitute a coleslaw mix. Honestly though, you can’t even tell. The wheat berries add a really nice wholesome bite to the salad. I braved my kitchen long enough to roast some corn so it came out nice and toasted, but you can also use canned corn if you don’t have fresh on hand. The spices add a savory smoky flavor which is offset perfectly by the lime.  This salad is super crisp and delicious, definitely keep it in mind for all of those 4th of July BBQ’s coming up!

Happy Summer everyone! 

Ingredients:

• 3 limes, juiced
• 2-3 ears of corn
• 15 large brussels sprouts or 3 Cups of shredded brussels sprouts
• 2 cups cooked wheat berries  
• 1 handful cilantro
• ½ TBS cumin
• ½ TBS coriander
• 1 TSP chili powder
• 3 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• 2 TBS margarine 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Prepare the wheat berries according to package directions.
3. To prepare the corn, remove the husk away from the corn while making sure the husk stays intact at the base. Coat each ear of corn in a thin layer of margarine then sprinkle with chili powder and lime juice. Pull the husk leaves back, over the ear of corn. Place directly on the middle oven rack and roast for 35 minutes.
4. When the corn is done, remove the husk and place back in the oven for another ~15 minutes or until the corn is slightly charred. Remove from the oven. Allow to cool then remove the kernels from the cob.
5. Shred the Brussels sprouts horizontally, as shown below.
6. Drain and rinse the black beans in a colander.
7. Chop the handful of cilantro.
8. Place all of the ingredients, including spices and juice of at least two limes into a bowl and mix until combined. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Yield: 5-7 cups 

I think this salad has 4th of July BBQ written all over it! 

Nutrition Content:

Serving Size: 1/2 Cup  

• Calories: 109 cal
• Protein: 3.1 grams
• Fat: 4.6 grams
• Carbs: 14.8 grams
  • Fiber: 3.2 grams