Black Bean & Corn Salsa

A few years ago, my friend Abby brought this into the Governor's office with tortilla chips and I've been making it every spring/summer since. Hallie makes a similar version and serves it as a side dish. It is also great on top of grilled chicken or fish. Really, you could put whatever vegetables you like in it. It's a lot of chopping, but very worth it in the end. This salsa is also always better the second day.

-1 can of yellow corn, drained (I guess you could use frozen)

-1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

-1 red pepper, diced fine

-1 orange pepper, diced fine

-2 or 3 jalapenos, diced fine (leave the seeds if you want some heat)

-1 small red onion, diced fine

-1 pkg cherry tomatoes, cut in quarters or halves

-1 bunch of cilantro, chopped

-juice of 1 or 2 limes

-salt and pepper to taste

Dice everything and combine in a large bowl. Chill and serve. This feeds and army! I have also started zesting the limes and adding that as well. YUM!

Black Bean Burritos

I wasn't sure how this recipe would turn out, but I tried it anyway and it was absolutely delish! We served Mo's lime grilled shrimp on the side and a big salad with Hallie's Mexican salad dressing. Really yummy meal and healthy, too! Enjoy.

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 small onion, diced

1/4 cup frozen corn

3 tbsp reduced fat cream cheese

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 - 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

whole wheat tortillas

Preheat oven to 350. Wrap tortillas in foil and heat until just warm.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion, bell pepper, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes for about two minutes. Add black beans and cook for about 5 minutes. Add corn, salt and cream cheese. Stir together until combined and cream cheese is melted. Remove from heat. Stir in fresh cilantro and serve in warm tortillas.

Baked Beans

These might sound weird, especially with the pineapple, but they're a hit every time. They're kind of sweet and sour with a little kick. I served them for the first time at Ellie's Baptism celebration, and since then they've shown up at our family parties no matter who is hosting. We just had them at my brother-in-law's 40th birthday party. I saw this recipe on Paula Deen's show (Tammy!) and on the Food Network Web site it has rave reviews.

4 (16-ounce) cans baked beans (I drain these part way, my sister doesn't)

1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained

1 cup molasses

1 cup BBQ sauce

2 tablespoon yellow or brown mustard (I use spicy ground mustard)

5 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

1 (6-ounce) can french-fried onions, crushed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl, mix together beans, pineapple, molasses, BBQ sauce, mustard, bacon, and a third of the onions. Add some salt and pepper, to taste. Pour beans in 9 by 13-inch casserole dish and sprinkle remaining crushed onions and bacon on top. Cook in oven for 1 hour or until beans brown and bubble. Serve warm.

I've also done these in the crockpot all day and they're wonderful. YUM!