Fresh Corn Salsa

Here's another recipe I plan on fixing this coming weekend for the party I'm hosting.

4 tomatoes (1 1/2 lb) chopped
1 cup cooked fresh corn kernels
1/4 cup finely chopped red onions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
1/4 cup kraft zesty italian dressing

Combine all ingredients except dressing in a large bowl.
Add dressing, mix lightly.

I've fixed this once before and I left out the red onions because I don't care for them and I used the fat free zesty italian dressing and I added some freshly squeezed lime juice.

With the salmonella scare we've been having and now they are reporting that jalapenos might be the culprit, I'm not sure that I'll find any jalapenos for my recipe. I hope it's just as good.

Black Bean and Pepper Salad

I found this recipe over on OWOA which in turn was found over at Kalyn's Kitchen and I fixed it tonight and it was SOOOOOOO good! I had seconds and I'll definitely be making this again.

1 can black beans, rinsed well and drained
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped(could use any combination of colors for the pepper, or use 2 red peppers)
1/2 red onion, chopped (i chose to leave this out)
1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Dressing
2 T lime juice (fresh lime juice recommended)
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. ground Chipotle pepper (I used the green Tabasco)
1/2 tsp. mild chile powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. onion powder
zest of one lime (optional, but recommended)

Put black beans in a colander placed in the sink and rinse with cold water until no more foam appears. Let beans drain, preferably 30 minutes or so, until beans are no longer wet. (If you're rushed for time, you could blot them dry with paper towels.)

Mix dressing ingredients. Put beans and dressing into a plastic bowl with a snap-on lid, put lid on, and turn bowl over a few times until the beans are well coated with the dressing. Let the beans marinate in the dressing for an hour or so if you have time, or at least while you chop the other ingredients.

Chop peppers and onion into pieces about 1/2 inch square. Wash cilantro and dry well then chop coarsely.

In large bowl, gently combine beans, peppers, and onion. (If mixture seems dry you can add a tiny bit more olive oil and lime juice at this point.) Season to taste with Vege-sal or salt and fresh ground pepper. Stir in cilantro and serve.

This will keep for a day or two in the refrigerator, although it's best when the cilantro is still crisp.