Black Bean Salsa with Sweet Corn

Black Bean Salsa with Sweet Corn ~ Homegrown tomatoes, onion & fresh-from-the field corn (literally from just across the street) make for a perfect way to enjoy the end of summer garden bounty.

The last of our sweet corn is now gone.  We've enjoyed having some of the freshest picked corn available.  I mean, how could it get any fresher?  When it gets handed to you, fresh picked from the stalk, it's awesome!  With this last of the season sweet corn, I made a ~ Black Bean Salsa with Sweet Corn ~ including some homegrown tomatoes and onion, too.  This is the perfect end of summer treat!  If you don't have any fresh sweet corn, just use canned corn, or thawed out frozen corn will work fine, too.  Hope you are enjoying these last few days of summer as much as we are!


Black Bean Salsa with Sweet Corn
makes a bowlful

Ingredients

• 1 cup lightly cooked sweet corn kernels 
• 1 can black beans ~ drained & rinsed
• 1 cup fresh chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1/2 jalapeno, minced ~ or more, to taste (optional)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
• 2 tsp cumin
• salt & pepper, to taste

 

Directions 
 
Quickly cook a few fresh ears of corn, in boiling water & cut the kernels off.  Allow to cool while assembling all the other ingredients. 

Mix together all of the above, in a large bowl,  when the corn has cooled.  For best flavor, allow the salsa to marinate in the fridge, for at least an hour or overnight.  (but, if you just can't wait, have at it :)  Serve with your favorite chips.  Enjoy!

Sausage Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers, Coconut Water Martini & Mocktails ~ It's Tropical Cocktail Time!

Labor Day Weekend is almost here & for me, that's the 'official' end of summer.  Summer begins & ends with holiday weekends ~ Memorial Day is the beginning of summer & Labor Day is the end of summer. 

Some of the things I always enjoy making during the summer are cool drinks that give off a tropical vibe ~ cocktails for the over 21 crowd, as well as ones that the kids can enjoy, too.  Coconut Water Martinis & Coconut Water Mocktails fall right into that category.  I also like to make easy to eat-with-your-fingers types of appetizers. (aka ~ hors d'oeuvres ~ if you're feeling a bit fancy & French :)  Of course, salsa is always high on my list ~ as well as jalapeño poppers.

My neighbors, Bill & Cheryl, shared some of their Sausage Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers with us not long ago & I just had to make some for myself.  My spin is baked in the oven, instead of cooked on the BBQ & I used lower fat ingredients, but the flavors are the same.  I just love this unusual flavor combo in the ever popular jalapeño popper!

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Happy End of Summer!

Happy Tropical Cocktail Time ~ It's always 5 o'clock somewhere!

Baked Sausage Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers ~ Low-Fat

makes 12 tasty, spicy morsels

Ready to bake...

• 6 large jalapeños ~ sliced in half length ways, seeds/veins removed
• 4 oz low-fat or fat-free cream cheese
• couple drops of liquid smoke ~ or more, to taste
  
• 5 cooked turkey sausage breakfast links, crumbled
• smoked paprika, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375F degrees.

Combine the cream cheese of choice with the liquid smoke until fully combined & creamy, taste & add more liquid smoke if desired.  Add the cooked & crumbled turkey sausage to the cream cheese & blend all together.

Spread the cream cheese mixture into the halved jalapeños, then sprinkle with smoked paprika. 

Bake on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet for 20-25 minutes, or until done.  Enjoy!

OPTIONAL VEGETARIAN VERSION ~ Just replace the turkey sausage with soy sausage

To see my other recipe for Low-Fat Baked Jalapeño Poppers ~ click here!

Coconut Water Martini

Coconut Water Martini ~ Ahhh, the taste of the tropics!

• one shot    Malibu Coconut Rum
• one shot    Vodka
• one shot    Badia Coconut Water with Pulp

 How do I enjoy this tropical cocktail?  ~ Shaken, not stirred, of course!

Coconut Water Mocktail ~ perfect for everyone

Coconut Water Mocktail ~ Great for kids & grown-ups alike. For the simplest mocktail ever, pour well chilled coconut water over ice, into a pretty glass.

• Badia Coconut Water with Pulp

• Optional ~ a splash of ~ French Vanilla Coffee Creamer
• ice

If you want a frozen version, pour the coconut water into the blender, add a couple of ice cubes & a splash of French Vanilla Coffee Creamer.  Whirl away until frosty.  Enjoy!

This canned coconut water is lightly sweet, has a nice coconut flavor & has bits of coconut pulp floating around in it.  It's amazingly good!   I find this brand (Badia) over in the ethnic Mexican food section of my market.   This stuff is hands down my favorite sweetened drink in a can!   :)

Salsa

JR's Tex-Mex RO*TEL Salsa ~ Just had to share this salsa again.  It's so freakin' good & so simple to prepare.  It's perfect for a summer party or just 'cause you're in the mood for some good, traditional Mexican flavored salsa.  I just love it!  Check out the post ~ for the recipe.

Grilled Cuban Chicken Tenders & Mango Salsa

Grilled Cuban Chicken Tenders with Mango Salsa ~ served with Cilantro Lime Rice & Black Beans.  Fresh mangoes really make this salsa rumba & the George Foreman Grill makes cooking the tenders a breeze!

Whole Foods had a sale on mangoes the other day, so I bought a few...OK, I bought a lot.  They looked so good, I just couldn't refuse.  So, I've been enjoying playing around with them & indulging in a few tropical recipes.  I decided a fruity salsa would be a perfect way to add some pizazz to a weekday chicken dinner & as long as I was making salsa ~ I decided to give the meal some Cuban flair.

Cuba Libre cocktail & mangoes ~ doesn't get any fresher than this!

I marinated some chicken tenders, for about an hour, in a Cuban inspired marinade.  While the chicken tenders were doing their thing, I made some rice, black beans & the Mango Salsa.  To jazz up the rice, I added some chopped, fresh cilantro & a squeeze of lime juice.  I doctored up a can of my favorite black beans with ~ a little bit of cumin, fresh lime juice, fresh chopped white onion & cilantro.  I let the black beans simmer gently, while the rice was cooking/chicken was marinating/mango salsa was being made ~ so all the flavors could meld.  While I was in the kitchen, I decided to really get into the Latin spirit of the meal & had a Cuba Libre cocktail while I was making dinner.  Ahh...  :) 

The dinner was full of rich, Latin flavors & the Mango Salsa was the perfect topping for the grilled chicken tenders.  The meal was really easy to pull together & was pretty simple to do.  Marinating the meat took the longest, but cooking it was only 5 minutes on the George Foreman Grill.  I already had everything ready to go long before the marinating was done, so once the chicken was on the grill, dinner got to the table pretty quick.  I love when the idea in my head for dinner works out so well in the kitchen!

Mango Salsa

makes approx. 2 cups
 

Mango Salsa is my new summer favorite, it's amazingly good!

• 1 cup chopped fresh mango (can use frozen mango, but the salsa will be mushier)
• 1 medium tomato,  chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped onion, sweet or purple (rinsed & drained after chopping)
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
• 1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice, or to taste
• 1/2 fresh jalapeno ~ or to taste, finely diced ~ optional
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste (try 1/4 tsp first, then add more if needed)

Blend all together in a medium bowl & let salsa sit for 10 minutes so the flavors can develop.  Taste & adjust seasonings if needed, then serve over the grilled chicken tenders or with chips.

Grilled Cuban Chicken Tenders

marinade for 3/4 pound of chicken tenders, can be doubled
the longer it marinates, the more flavor it absorbs

• 2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp rum (optional ~ could also use wine, beer or sherry)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp salt (optional ~ some like to marinate with, some without)

Blend all ingredients together, then pour into a ziplock bag, toss in chicken tenders & massage marinade onto the tenders.  Seal the ziplock baggie & let marinate in fridge for at least one hour.  Turn the bag over a few times as it sits in the fridge.  When ready to cook, drain off the marinade & discard.  Pat the chicken tenders to remove some of the excess marinade before cooking on the preheated Foreman Grill. (I've found if I leave too much marinade on meat, when I use the Foreman Grill, it 'steams' it more than grills it.  Personal preference, so leave it all on if you like)   Cook chicken tenders for approx. 4-5 minutes, or until done.

Spoon the Mango Salsa over the grilled chicken tenders & serve with the jazzed up rice & black beans.  Now it's time to enjoy your Cuban feast!  Care for another Cuba Libre?  Don't mind if I do...   :)

  

JR's Tex-Mex RO*TEL Salsa

JR's Tex-Mex RO*TEL Salsa   ~  This Tex-Mex salsa is zesty & full of the flavors that make a fresh salsa so great.  It's easy to make & it's perfect with chips, tacos, tostadas, burritos, eggs, chicken, steak, pork ~ just about anything that you want to add some bold,  Mexican flavor/flair to.

My friend, Rick, told me about this really great salsa that his wife, Jeannette, makes.  Since I'm a salsa lover from waaaaaay back, I told him I needed her recipe ~ ASAP.   He promptly gave me the recipe & I made it soon after...and proceeded to eat the whole batch that day...by myself.  (have I ever mentioned that I LOVE fresh salsa??) 

Jeannette's recipe calls for RO*TEL Diced Tomatoes & Chilies & I just so happen to always keep a few cans in my pantry ~ so I knew this was gonna be my kind of salsa.  I think her salsa would be a perfect addition to any party, celebration, buffet, get-together, breakfast, potluck or just because you feel like making some amazing, homemade fresh salsa.  So, if you're looking for a salsa recipe for your 4th of July party ~ look no further...this is the salsa you should be serving.  Be sure to make a lot, because it will be hard to share...  I know, from firsthand knowledge.    :)

Thanks for sharing the recipe, Jeannette & Rick!

JR's Tex-Mex RO*TEL Salsa

makes a big ol' bowl of salsa

• 1   10oz.  can RO*TEL Mild Diced Tomatoes & Chilies  (not everyone in my house can handle the heat of the 'Original' RO*TEL, but you can use your favorite variety/heat level instead)
• 1 small,  7oz.  can chopped/diced green chiles
• 1 really large bunch cilantro, chopped ~ about 1 1/2 cups chopped (or more, to taste)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion or green onion, rinsed/drained  (more or less, to taste)
• 3 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice, or to taste  ~ optional  (I added this to her original recipe because I always like the flavor of fresh lime in my salsa)
• 1 tsp avocado oil or olive oil, or to taste  ~ optional  (I added this to her original recipe because I think a little oil helps the flavors to blend together better)
• salt, to taste

• your favorite tortilla chips ~ (Rick & Jeannette like Tostitos Hint of Jalapeño Tortilla Chips) 

 

Add first 6 ingredients together in a big bowl & toss together until completely mixed & then add salt, to taste.

Let salsa sit in the fridge for about 1/2 hour for the flavors to blend.  As it sits, it will create a really flavorful juice in the bottom of the bowl.  Stir well & serve with your favorite chips.    Enjoy!