One year ago, my husband and I experienced a profound and delightful life change when we adopted our wacky and wonderful cat Maggie, aka Miss Mags, from the animal shelter. Since then, we’ve fallen head-over-heels for this chatty girl who entertains us (and sometimes makes us cringe) with her antics, charms us with her affection, and reminds us daily to look for the joy in life. Pet ownership offers us the daily opportunity to practice selfless service without personal expectation, and we encourage everyone to consider pet adoption. Read more about our life with Maggie here.
This colorful salad is super-healthy and the flavors are surprisingly complex.
Easily prepared in under 20 minutes.
Spicy Summer Salad Salad
1 box* organic garbanzo beans
1 box* organic black beans
1 box* organic red beans
1 large organic tomato, diced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 red organic red bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons minced pepperoncini
1/2 head cauliflower - florets grated or chopped into small pieces
*Whole Foods sells a wide variety of organic beans in BPA-free boxes.
Dressing
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
Optional : Greek yogurt
Directions
Soak sliced onions in ice water
Drain and rinse the beans and add to a large mixing bowl
Add tomatoes, garlic, pepperoncini and cauliflower to the beans
Stir to combine well
Mix dressing ingredients and add to salad
Toss until well coated
Drain the onions and add to top of the salad
Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour
Add a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream on top as a garnish to balance the heat.
Enjoy~
A Constant Student...
I’m a firm believer in the concept of life-long learning. It’s one of the reasons why I consistently seek new opportunities to learn and grow.
Spicy Summer Salad 
