Whenever I go to Whole Foods, I pick up a family size pan or cornbread and freeze whatever I don’t use. I’ve had this idea in my head for many months and decided to give it a try today. Panzanella is a traditional Italian bread salad that utilizes leftover, stale bread and fresh vegetables and herbs. So here is my remake of this dish with a ‘South of the Border’ flare.  Feel free to add or substitute other Mexican vegetables and herbs.

MEXICAN CORNBREAD PANZANELLA

• 4 cups cubed cornbread, toasted
• 3 tablespoons oil (I used something new- avocado oil- but extra virgin olive oil would be great)
• juice of 1/2 of a lime
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley or cilantro
• 2 scallions, diced
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1/2 cup black beans
• 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (optional)

To toast cornbread, preheat oven to 200. Cube cornbread Let them sit out on a baking sheet for several hours if you can. Spray with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Bake until toasted, about 30 minutes or so (if they sat out) or for an hour or so if you didn’t have a chance to put them out.Pull them from the oven and let them cool completely.

Mix the oil, lime juice, garlic, and parsley/cilantro together. Next, mix all the chopped vegetables. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour oil mixture over vegetables.  Next, add cornbread cubes and gently stir until evenly coated. Refrigerate for at least one hour or until cornbread has absorbed some of the liquid, but is not too soft.

I served this along side pulled BBQ chicken and a spinach, tomato, and gorgonzola salad. DELICIOUS!!
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