two hot weather salads: cucumber, mint & lemon salad with jalapeno black bean salad

ingredients:

• 2 medium cucumbers, chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 lemon, juice and pulp
• 1/8- 1/4 cup plain yogurt, greek yogurt, or milk
• 1 T fresh mint, finely chopped

• 2 cans black beans, well rinsed
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 yellow pepper, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 small jalapeno pepper, diced
• olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing
• feta cheese

instructions: Too hot to even think about turning on any heat source to cook? Refresh with these simple cooling main dish salads. Chop and grate first 5 ingredients. Measure yogurt or milk, squeeze lemon, and stir in chopped mint, add pepper to taste. Dress cucumber salad and refrigerate in air tight container.  Rinse canned black beans well, add next 4 chopped and diced ingredients.  Lightly dress with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, top with crumbled feta cheese.  If you’re so inclined, toast some Ezekiel pocket bread or chapati with Parmesan to use as bread crumbs on cuc salad. Serve with cold local IPA, refresh and relax.