Salsa salad gets a kick from vermouth

8/31/2013

Here’s a cool salad for a summer evening. Roasted chicken served over rice with a black bean and corn salsa can be assembled in just minutes. This recipe dresses up roasted or rotisserie chicken breasts sold in fast food restaurants or the supermarket.

Sweet vermouth gives the black bean and corn salsa an intriguing flavor with very little effort. It’s a good way to use up the vermouth that has been in your cupboard for years, or you can buy small bottles called splits. Use the salsa dressing in the recipe or add vermouth and cumin to a bottled, reduced-fat vinaigrette dressing.

Any type of white long grain or quick cooking rice can be used.

This nice summer meal needs a light bodied red wine. How about a crisp Italian valpolicella?

Helpful hints:

● Basmati rice is a long-grain rice with an aromatic flavor. It smells a little like popcorn when cooking.

● I like to boil rice like pasta, in a pot large enough to let the grains roll freely in the boiling water. This method gives fluffy rice every time.

This meal contains 654 calories per serving with 22 percent of calories from fat.

Chicken, Black Bean & Corn Salsa Salad

½ cup basmati white long-grain rice

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon canola oil, divided use

½ tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon red (rosso) vermouth, divided use

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Several drops hot pepper sauce

½ cup rinsed and drained canned black beans

½ cup frozen corn kernels, defrosted

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

¾ pound roasted chicken breast, bones and skin removed

2 small tomatoes, cut into wedges

¼ whole wheat baguette, sliced

Bring a large pot with 2 to 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add rice and boil, uncovered, about 10 minutes. Test a grain: rice should be cooked through, but not soft. Drain into a colander in the sink. Return rice to saucepan and add 1 teaspoon canola oil, 1 teaspoon vermouth and salt and pepper to taste.

While rice cooks, mix 1 tablespoon canola oil, ½ tablespoon vermouth, cumin, hot pepper sauce, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium-size bowl. Add the black beans and corn. Toss well. Taste and add more seasoning if needed.

Spoon rice onto 2 dinner plates. Slice chicken and place on rice. Spoon salsa on top and sprinkle with cilantro.

Arrange tomatoes on the side of the dinner plates. Serve with baguette. Makes 2 servings.

Per serving: 654 calories (22 percent from fat), 15.8 g fat (2.1 g saturated,7.8 g monounsaturated), 108 mg cholesterol, 48.7 g protein, 76.1 g carbohydrates, 8.4 g fiber, 362 mg sodium.