Black Bean Salsa

This one is a treasure! My family loves it -- the kids will eat it with a spoon.

I tried something similar at a friend's house last summer and I tweaked the recipe to suit my taste buds. I love vinegar, so I put in a lot. You might want to try adding some and tasting before you add more than you'll enjoy.

Also, you HAVE to use the fiesta ranch version of the Hidden Valley dip. If you use the normal version, the dip has a very odd smell.

I serve this on chicken tacos, with chips or in a salad. But, it really is tasty just on a spoon too.

Black Bean Salsa

INGREDIENTS:

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can sweet corn, drained
6 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 large avocado, peeled and diced
1 small onion, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ package Fiesta Ranch Dip by Hidden Valley

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl. Add additional salt, pepper, or more lime juice as necessary.

Black Bean & Sausage Soup

I originally found this recipe in a Weight Watchers 5 ingredients book. I added a couple of things to make it more flavorful and bulky.

This soup is great when served with empanadas or quesadillas.

Kielbasa & Black Bean Soup

3 cups celery chopped
2 cans tomatoes, diced
2 cans black beans
2 cans chicken broth
2 cups salsa
16 oz kielbasa
2 cups green bell pepper seeded and diced

1. Place chicken broth, salsa and tomatoes in a large soup pan on medium-low heat.
2. Chop celery and peppers and put them in the pot to stew.
3. Rinse black beans well, add to pot.
4. Cut kielbasa into very tiny pieces. Brown in frying pan until a slight golden crust appears. Then place into the soup pot.
5. Simmer soup for at least one hour to blend flavors well.