All photography in this post provided by Faith Ectermeyer.

Cooler weather which beckons for comfort food is upon us. And the holidays, packed with sweets and heavy food, are right around the corner. So how about a lighter option to help balance things out a bit?

This recipe is for a tasty and tangy salad I enjoyed while in Napa with Bush’s Beans and a day of Flavors from Around the World a couple of weeks back at the CIA. Connie Guttersen shared her culinary expertise and dietary knowledge by showing us how to build flavors around the goodness of beans with a salad, definitely full of flavor, as well as beneficial nutrients.

Don’t the pomegranate seeds add such nice color? And crunch too!

But wait! There’s not only a yummy recipe to try out, but a giveaway too. The nice folks from Bush’s Beans are offering a gift package to one (1) winner that includes:

Bush’s Beans items: apron, coupons, bean strainer and mints, recipe bookmark
Spices/ingredients for recipes: Tahini paste, cumin, smoked paprika
Culinary Institute of America/Napa items: Spoon rest, dish towel, Olive Press citrus olive oil

To enter, leave one comment telling about your favorite recipe using beans. You can even post a link if you’d like to!

Giveaway begins right now, today, Tuesday, November 9, 2010, and ends, Monday, November 15, 2010 Midnight PST. Winner will be announced sometime on Tuesday, November 16, 2010.

Now for the tasty recipe!

BUSH’S Gigi Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette Recipe
Serves 4-5
created for Bush’s Beans by Connie Guttersen, PhD, RD author of “The Sonoma Diet” and “The Sonoma Diet Cookbook”

Ingredients for Citrus Vinaigrette:

1 tablespoon orange zest

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon agave syrup or honey

1 pinch chile flakes

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk (or in a mason jar and shake). Season with salt and pepper.

Ingredients for Salad:

2 cups hearts of palms

2 cups orange segments (approximately 2 oranges)

1 cup jicama, juilenne

1 lb shrimp, cooked

salt and pepper

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds, arials

1 avocado, sliced

1/4 cup scallions, cut thin on bias

2 cups butter lettuce, cut into strips

1/2 can Bush’s Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoon slivered almonds, toasted

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Combine hearts of palm, orange, jicama and cooked shrimp in large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Dress salad with 4 tablespoons of citrus dressing.
 Gently mix in pomegranate seeds, avocados, scallions, lettuce and beans. Taste for salt and pepper and additional dressing. Garnish with toasted almonds.

Enjoy!

Don’t forget to leave a comment with your favorite bean recipe!

(Thanks to Bush’s Beans for supplying the gift pack for this giveaway.)

All photography in this post provided by Faith Ectermeyer.