Recipe: Lime-Marinated Grilled Salmon with Corn, Tomato, and Black Bean Salsa

LIME-MARINATED GRILLED SALMON WITH CORN, TOMATO, AND BLACK BEAN SALSA

"Simplicity at its best, this recipe, adapted from The Santa Fe School of Cooking Cookbook, was shared by Susan Curtis, author of the book and owner of the school. This entree kicked off the first of the school's Contemporary Southwest Cooking classes, and it's still one of their favorites."

2 1/2 cups Lime Marinade (recipe follows)
2 pounds salmon fillets, cut into 4- to 5-ounce portions
salt freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups Corn, Tomato, and Black Bean Salsa (recipe follows)

Pour half of the marinade into a glass baking dish, place the salmon on top, and cover with the remaining marinade.

Marinate for at least 1 hour at room temperature or refrigerate overnight.

WHEN READY TO COOK:
Prepare grill for medium heat.

Remove the salmon from the marinade, wipe dry, and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Grill over medium heat to desired doneness, about 4-5 minutes on each side.

Place the salmon fillets on a large platter or individual plates and top each serving with a spoonful of salsa. Serve extra salsa on the side.

LIME MARINADE
Makes 2 1/2 cups

2 cups coarsely chopped onion
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 bunch fresh cilantro, stems discarded and leaves coarsely chopped
2 large jalapeno chiles, minced (wear gloves when handling chiles)
1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse for 30 seconds. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

CORN, TOMATO, AND BLACK BEAN SALSA
Makes 2 1/2 cups

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Red Chile Honey
1 jalapeno chile, minced (wear gloves when handling chiles)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground cumin seed, lightly toasted
3 large ripe Roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
1 cup cooked black beans
3/4 cup fresh corn kernels

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the onion and garlic, and saute for 5 minutes, until soft. Remove from the heat.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the cilantro, vinegar, honey, chiles, salt, and cumin.

Add the onion mixture, tomatoes, beans, and corn and let the mixture sit for 30-45 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

Makes 6-8 servings
Source: Corn by Olwen Woodier