The argument to eat more vegetables is hard to ignore. Buzz words like “eat your colors,” “power foods”and“antioxidants” are all associated with the idea that humans should ingest more phytochemicals (the chemicals that keep plants healthy) to boost our immune systems.

Vegetables have the added benefit of being low in calories and high in fiber. The bell peppers found in the recipe below are loaded with B vitamins, vitamin C and folate; tomatoes contain vitamins A, C and E and are also a good source of potassium; and black beans have vitamin B1, folate and minerals.  Spicy foods have been associated with benefits such as improving circulation and fighting cancer, and the jalapenos may even be a mood-lifter.

This black bean salad is quick to assemble and is high in fiber, low in fat and full of vitamins. It is versatile - serve it with corn chips as a dip, as a taco topping, as a salad or over rice for a vegetarian main – and keeps well for a few days in the refrigerator. It’s a colorful addition to a buffet table.

Black bean salad
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped, or about a dozen cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered (about 1 cup)
3 scallions, thinly sliced (about 1/2 Cup)
1 red (or yellow or orange) bell pepper, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 15 1/2 ounce can of black beans, rinsed in a strainer under hot water
1 cup frozen corn kernels, rinsed in a strainer under hot water
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Squeeze lime into a medium size mixing bowl; add jalapeno, olive oil and salt and pepper. Allow jalapenos to macerate in the lime juice and olive oil while the other ingredients are prepared. Add tomato, bell pepper, scallion, beans, corn and cilantro to bowl. Toss and taste for seasoning. Serves 6 -8 as a side dish, 10 -12 as a dip.