Cowboy Caviar

photo The Sweets Life

Yesterday while I was making a comment on a fellow blogger's site, I came upon this recipe.  It wasn't the first time I had come across Cowboy Caviar... it has been popping recently all over the place.  Every recipe I checked was slightly different, some had black eyed peas, others black beans -  some used red wine vinegar, others lime juice, and so on.  The one constant was corn and fresh chopped tomatoes, but then again, my neighbor brought me some last week that used Rollo tomatoes which are canned and hot!

The funny part is I have been making this for years, or something very close to it, as an accompaniment to tortilla chips, salsa and sour cream. I just didn't know it had a name!  It's a great appetizer for the summer, especially when you are going on a picnic by foot or by boat, like we will be doing on the Fourth.

If you want to check another recipe, go to my fellow blogger The Sweets Life and check out her version. The difference is in the dressing and the fact she uses green onions, instead of red.  When I make mine next week I am going to try that!


Ingredients:

Dressing-

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar           

2 T lime juice

2 T olive oil

1/2 t salt

1/2 t ground pepper

red pepper flakes to taste



1 firm ripe avocado, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can corn

2/3 cup sliced green onions OR
      1/2 Cup red onion chopped

2/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 lb coarsely chopped Roma tomatoes


Directions:

1. Mix dressing ingredients and set aside.

2. Combine black beans, corn, green onions, cilantro, tomatoes, and avocado into a small bowl.

3. Add dressing and mix gently. Sprinkle salt to taste. Serve with tortilla chips.