Mix it up: Black Bean Salsa

I find entertaining to be very stressful. Don't get me wrong- I love  company. I just hate the little jiggles of worry that come with planned partying.  I worry about the house not being clean, about things not being right before the guests arrive. Most of all, I worry about not having enough food on my table. With that in mind, chips and store bought salsa and/ or guacamole.is a staple, as well as an emergency go to, for my entertaining.  Then last year, a dear friend introduced me to her black bean salsa....and I fell in love. When I asked her what went in the salsa, her response was very characteristic of her - "beans, and corn; then keep tasting and adding things till it tastes right...."! Knowing her, this is probably what she does. And actually, the first couple of times I made it, that was the approach I took. Lately though, my right brain has been niggling at me to standardize the recipe - that's my training in science; sometimes it interferes at home. As a result of this cross-boundary interference, the last couple of times I made this salad/salsa; I actually noted down what I put in there. And as with any good standardization that I do at work, today I figured it was time to document a protocol for this :-)) Here goes....

Black Bean Salsa

For the salsa

Black Beans 2 cans (15oz)
Sweet Corn 1can (15oz)
Sweet Onion 1 large
PlumTomatoes 3 large
Capsicum 1
Cucumber 1 medium
Jalapenos 2 (optional)
Cilantro to garnish

For the seasoning

Salt to taste
Taco seasoning mix 1 package
Roasted cumin powder 1tsp
Vinegar 2Tbsp
Lemon juice 1 Tbsp
Olive oil 1Tbsp

1. Drain and wash the beans and corn separately. Let the liquid drain out completely; then transfer to a bowl.
2. Chop and dice all the remaining ingredients into small pieces. Smaller the better. I actually use a hand-operated food chopper for this step. Put them together in the same bowl as beans and corn.
3. Mix all the seasoning components together, then pour them over the salsa. Cover and let sit for at least an hour before serving.

My two cents: I don't use jalapenos.  In my experience, kids love eating this salsa- and they won't if it's too spicy. With these measurements, I get a sort of mild-medium seasoning. But like my friend, I'd recommend that you taste and decide the level of spiciness that works for you. The biggest torture in making this is dicing your veggies. The food chopper I use (also recommended by the same friend who's recipe this is!) sure makes this task easy.And you have an excellent home-made side to go with your chips. I like to serve it with scooped chips like Toshitos.

   Finally, make this salsa a couple of hours ahead of when you need it; and let it marinate in the fridge. It always tastes better if left overnight.

Linked to

Global Food festival 
Food Palette series Finale Color rainbow
Monthly mingle- scintillating salads hosted by Divya