Texas Caviar




chowtimes.com

I remember back in high school when the Hudson family began to eat 'Bean Salad'. This may be a funny statement, but the truth of the matter is that until recently I could not for the life of my understand why they, or anyone for that matter, would want to eat canned beans. They have a pasty texture, are a bit mushy, and they plain ole look unappealing. But the Hudsons couldn't get enough of the little suckers, so I knew there had to be something there.

Then a few years ago, I met Amy. Amy is married to my cousin Andrew (and therefore my cousin now as well), and she introduced the MacDougald clan to Texas Caviar. I couldn't figure out what all the fuss was about. We MacDougalds are very set on which dishes are family-gathering acceptable, and it takes a lot for a new dish to make the rotation. But Texas Caviar has been a hit for me. Brent loves it, and it tastes delicious with all of the fresh and lively tastes. So thank-you Andrew for finding Amy, and thank-you Amy for Texas Caviar.

The best recipe I have tried is from www.allrecipes.com. I have adapted it slightly to suit my own personal taste.

NOTE: This recipe makes a gigantic batch. You may want to consider making a half-batch for smaller gatherings.

Ingredients

• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 (15 ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 (15 ounce) cans white corn, rinsed and drained
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles, undrained
• 2-3 jalapeno chile peppers, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
• 1 red bell pepper - cored, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper - cored, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1 big bunch cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

1. Mix the black beans, pinto beans, white corn, green chiles, jalapeno pepper, red and green bell peppers, red onion, and cilantro together in a large bowl.
2. To make the dressing, stir the rice vinegar, olive oil, sugar, and garlic powder together in a pan. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat, and cool. Pour dressing over bean mixture, and toss to mix evenly.

Cooking notes:
1. If you cannot find pinto beans, feel free to substitute another bean of equal size.