BLACK BEAN 'N OLIVE SALSA

Just because it's winter time, and there are no decent fresh tomatoes in sight, doesn't mean you can't make salsa. How about starting with a purchased plain salsa and dressing it up? That's exactly what Kraft Foods did in this wonderful recipe that I got from their website. This is not a juicy salsa, but the flavors blend beautifully, and I find myself going back for more. The original recipe calls for Taco Bell Thick 'N Chunky Salsa, but I used Sam's Choice Thick 'N Chunky Medium, which I believe is the generic version of the Taco Bell salsa. It comes in mild, medium and hot. The medium is quite spicy and, when the extra ingredients were added, I found it to be just right -- a little heat, but not too much. (Of course, this is individual preference. If you like it nice and hot, then start out with the hot salsa; if you don't like heat in your salsa, then start out with the mild salsa.) I used fresh corn and cooked it before I scraped it off the cob. I added 2 green onions, finely chopped, and I increased the lime juice just slightly. This is a quick and easy recipe, high on my list to make again.

Black Bean 'n Olive Salsa

Adapted from kraftfoods.com

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

INGREDIENTS: 1 cup canned black beans, drained, rinsed and divided

1 jar (16 oz.) TACO BELL HOME ORIGINALS Thick 'n Chunky Salsa (I subbed Sam's Choice

Thick 'n Chunky Salsa, Medium.)

3/4 cup coarsely chopped pitted black olives

1/2 cup whole kernel corn (I subbed 2 ears fresh corn, cooked, then scraped off cob)

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 green onions, finely chopped

2 tsp. fresh lime juice (I used 1 Tbsp.)

Mash 1/2 cup of the bean in medium bowl with fork. Add remaining ingredients, including remainder of beans; mix well. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour to blend flavors.

AVOCADO-CORN-GREEN TOMATO SALSA

Although our tomato crop was disappointing this year, I'm happy to say we did harvest a few gems. In order to beat the birds, we pulled off some green tomatoes. Some of them got wrapped in newspaper to ripen slowly, and some were earmarked for a salsa. Since the salsa was mostly going to be green, I added some tomatillas and avocado. I would have used a jalapeno, except that we grew our own hot peppers this year -- that's what the little red specks in the salsa are. Cilantro, corn and green olives rounded out the flavors of this salsa, and it is really good. But I haven't found a salsa yet that I didn't like.



Avocado-Corn-Green Tomato Salsa
Rating: 9 out of 10
2 green onions with tops, chopped
2 tomatillos, chopped
3 green tomatoes, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2-3 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, chopped
2 ears fresh corn, kernels and milk scraped off the cob (or 2 cups frozen or canned corn)
1-1/2 tsp. grated or minced fresh garlic
2 Tbsp. green olives, pitted, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl; stir to mix well. Refrigerate to blend flavors, at least 1 hour. Serve with crackers, chips or veggies. Yield: About 3 cups

BLACK BEAN 'N OLIVE SALSA

Why did it take me so long to get on to salsas? I am so in love with them. This one is a Kraft recipe. The changes I made were really insignificant, and didn't affect the flavor or outcome. This salsa is not only great with taco chips, but also as a condiment for grilled chops or chicken. And, as an added bonus, this is the fastest salsa I've made yet, since you start with a jar of purchased salsa and, basically, just doctor it.

Black Bean 'n Olive Salsa
Rating: 10 out of 10


INGREDIENTS:
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 jar (16 oz.) Thick 'n Chunky Salsa
(I used the Harris Teeter store brand thick 'n chunky salsa.)
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pitted black olives (I put some green ones in, too.)
1/2 cup whole kernel corn (I used 1 ear of fresh corn, scraped from the cob, uncooked.)
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced (I grated it
because it's much faster & easier.)
2 tsp. fresh lime juice

Mash some of the beans in a medium bowl with a fork. Add all remaining ingredients, including remainder of beans, and mix well. Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour for flavors to blend. Serve with crackers, veggies, taco chips, or as a condiment to grilled meats and poultry.
Dee-lish! Makes about 3-1/2 cups of salsa.

BLACK BEAN-AVOCADO SALSA

Homemade salsa is far superior to anything you can buy. For one thing, you get to control what ingredients go in. Example: I wanted to make a salsa without peppers, but with black beans, avocados, corn, tomatoes and tomatillas. I didn't want onions, I wanted green onions which, for me at least, are easier to digest in a raw state than regular onions. This turned out so-o-o-o good, and will definitely be on my list of faves. And it's healthful, too. Black beans, the main ingredient of this salsa, are a member of the power foods group. And the other ingredients are not exactly slouches, either. If you've never used tomatillas, you'll be pleasantly surprised. They kind of "hide" in this salsa; yet, they add something unique to the flavor. This is a great recipe, so give it a try.

Black Bean-Avocado Salsa
Rating 10 out of 10
INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup chopped green onion
1 medium red, ripe tomato, chopped
1 medium green tomatilla, husked and finely chopped
1 Tbsp. minced fresh garlic
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup corn (I used 1 fresh ear, briefly cooked and kernels scraped off.)
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
3 Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.

SOUTHERN LIVING'S GRILLED CORN SALSA

As promised, I've made a batch of the original salsa to compare with my friend, Sara's version. Below is the photo of Sara's salsa, and you can see immediately that hers is juicier. And the juice is so delicious!
Guy was bothered by the charred grilled vegetables, especially the onions, but I actually preferred cooking the onions this way because it's easy and I can digest them that way. (When onions are cooked, the enzymes are at least partially destroyed, making them easier to digest.) The other difference is that the SL recipe is very mild. There's just not enough heat for me. After it sat overnight in the fridge I tasted again and it was still too mild. So I added a minced serrano pepper (they're a little hotter) and some hot sauce, and now it has more kick. I'm not sure why mine didn't turn out hot enough, because Sara said she doesn't add extra hot peppers. The bottom line is I've crowned Sara the salsa queen and told her she can make salsa for me any time, because hers is absolutely the best. That being said, this is a good salsa recipe, one that would please just about anyone. Even if you don't make it as well as Sara, you will still be happy with the results. I'm printing the original SL recipe with no changes below; but I did not use cumin, and Sara doesn't use it either. I'm just not sure I would like that flavor in the salsa and I didn't want to ruin a batch.

Southern Living's Grilled Corn Salsa
Rating: 8 out of 10
3 ears fresh corn
1 large sweet onion, cut into 1/2" thick slices
1 red bell pepper, halved
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. lime juice
Garnish: fresh cilantro sprig

GRILL first 3 ingredients, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (350F-400F) 8-10 minutes or until tender, turning occasionally. (I soaked the corn in water in a plastic bag for about 15 minutes before grilling, and left the ears in their husks.)
CUT corn kernels from cobs. Coarsely chop onion and red bell pepper halves.
COMBINE grilled vegetables, tomato and next 7 ingredients in a large bowl; cover and chill 2 hours or up to 2 days. Serve with chips, grilled chicken, fish or beef. Garnish if desired. Yield: 5 cups. Prep: 20 min., Grill: 10 min., Chill: 2 hrs.

SARA'S CORN SALSA

My friend and neighbor, Sara, is from Thailand and makes wonderful Thai food. She also makes great salsa and always brings us a container. I don't eat it because I don't eat raw onions. So, when she found that out, she made me my own salsa without the onions. This salsa is so good, I can't stop eating it. I even drink the juice. The flavors are perfect, with just enough heat and a good balance of ingredients. I don't like cilantro, but in this salsa, it's perfect and I like it. When I asked Sara if I could post the recipe on my blog, she gave me a copy of the recipe which she adapted from Southern Living. The original recipe is for grilled corn and contains cumin, neither of which she uses. At some point, I want to try the original recipe and compare; but for now, I can't imagine anything better than this.

Sara's Corn Salsa
3 ears fresh corn, cooked, kernels cut off
1 large sweet onion, chopped (or leave out if you don't like raw onion)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, minced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2-3 Tbsp. lime juice

COMBINE all ingredients in a large bowl; cover and chill 2 hours or up to 2 days. Yield: 5 cups.