I’ve always referred to this delicious stuff as Corn & Bean Salsa…but recently discovered it has a much, uh… classier name…”Texas Caviar”.
Yeah, that’s what I thought.
It’s fantastically easy to make…in fact your toddler can do most of the measuring… because there really isn’t much. And it makes a smashing salsa for tortilla chips, a scrumptious side ‘salad’ for a Mexican dish, or a gorgeous {and tasty} topping over tilapia or chicken.
There are as many versions of this out there as there are tattoos on Angelina’s body colors in this dish, so just go with what you love, and play up the flavor’s you enjoy.
Here’s what we toss in the bowl:
- 1 can of yellow corn {drained}
- 1 can of white corn {drained}
- 1 can of black-eyed peas {drained, rinsed}
- 1 can of kidney beans {drained, rinsed}
- 1 can of black beans {drained, rinsed}
- {approx} 1/2 chopped green pepper
- {approx} 1/2 chopped red pepper
- {approx} 1/2 chopped yellow or orange pepper
- minced garlic to taste {3-4 cloves}
- diced onion to taste {1/2, I used red}
- chopped cilantro to taste {about 2 tbs.}
- As much finely chopped jalapeño as you can bear
- red wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar {about a 1/3 of a cup}
- a dash of white vinegar {sometimes. sometimes not. your call}
- 2 tbs. of white sugar
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- a squirt or two of lime juice
Mix it all up and chill. Or just eat it all, right now.
If you do practice a little self-control and pop it in the fridge…when you’re ready to serve it, add a little extra vinegar and cilantro if need be. This stuff stores well in the fridge!
I just pulled out the leftover T.C. from our party on Saturday and fried up some fabulously easy Quesadillas for dinner.
{As a completely irrelevant side note: I don’t think I’ll ever be able to say “Quesadillas” again without sporting a Napoleon-Dynamite-esque voice. Dude. I’m ruined.}
Sautéed up some colored peppers, onions and garlic, and tossed some leftover grilled chicken in {simply to reheat it}.
Slapped that yumminess onto a tortilla, in a pan lightly coated with cooking spray.
Generously sprinkled cheese onto it, threw another tortilla onto it…flipped it over after a few minutes {go for golden brown…add a light squirt of cooking spray on the top tortilla before flipping}… rinsed and repeated until we had enough to feed my hungry fam.
Voila! {Leftover} Tex-Mex with Texas Caviar for dinner on the deck tonight…easy peasy, baby!
