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The
Frugal Foodie:
Summer Slump Salsa
As a stay at home mom, my days
aren’t exactly glamorous. I fill my days with
shuttling kids in my minivan, deciding who gets
the one last red freezer pop, or reading The
Very Hungry Caterpillar for the 2,354th
time. My last semi-thought provoking
conversation was a debate with seven-year-old
girls. Who is cuter: Zach or Cody from “The
Suite Life?” Things like the invention of Easy
Mac or the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser a few years
ago rocked my world. To say my daily life is a
bit lacking in excitement would be an
understatement.
I look to cooking to add flavor
to my world. Trying new tastes allows me to
indulge my adventurous side, and the part of me
that wants to hop on the plane to Munich for
Sauerbraten, San Francisco for a Dim-Sum lunch
or Alabama for some good down-home BBQ. Or, the
side that wants to hide in the closet with a
bottle of Jamaican rum after a hard day of being
Mom.
For awhile I was on a roll:
everything I made was fresh, exciting, and
tasted great. Then we went on vacation. When I
returned home, my cooking mojo had all but
disappeared. I tried a few new things. A pork
chop marinade that was alright but not
spectacular. A colorless pasta dish that was
ho-hum. Yet another vegetarian orzo dish that
excited me but my family politely described as
“fine.” You know you’re in a slump when your
husband suggests that you return to making some
of your regular recipes again.
And so with that, I give you one
of my summer standards. With fresh sweet corn
in season, it’s a great time to give it a try.
I usually make a few extra ears of corn so that
I can cut some off the cob to make this. This
one is so easy to make, you just chop and jump.
The cilantro gives it a fresh taste, and as a
bonus it’s nearly fat-free.
Black Bean and Corn Salsa (a.k.a.
Cowboy Caviar)
1 (15 oz.) can black beans,
drained and rinsed
1 cup corn kernels (I use either
fresh or frozen; not canned)
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 Tbsp. lime juice
8 green onions, chopped
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
½ t salt
½ t ground cumin
It’s this simple: chop and dump.
Refrigerate overnight to let all flavors blend.
Until my
next adventure – FF
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