Cowboy Caviar
I just love this dish. It can hold its own as a healthy lunch, a side, or a universal crowd-pleaser at your next neighborhood event. Additionally, it becomes more delicous the longer it marinates. Cowboy caviar is colorful, flavorful and so versatile; add in your own favorite ingredients to make it your own.
Ingredients:
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup chopped tomatoes, Cherry or Roma
1 cup sweet corn kernels
1 sweet potato or yam, steamed or roasted, cubed
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
cilantro, loosely chopped
1/2 avocado, as garnish
Dressing:
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 lime, juiced
1 Tbsp brown rice syrup or agave
1/2 tsp tajin
1/2 tsp cumin
s/p to taste
Prepare the dressing. Whisk together the vinegar, lime juice, agave, tajin, and cumin. Season with a dash of salt and pepper, set aside. Again, my dressings rarely include oil. If that's not your style, go ahead and add in a tablespoon of grapeseed oil. This recipe also intentionally does not yield a lot of dressing. It is meant to lightly coat and highlight the fresh flavors, not overpower it.
In a large bowl, gently mix the beans, tomato, onion, corn, sweet potato and cilantro. Pour the dressing over the dish to coat evenly and then garnish with avocado. The reason why I don't mix the avocado in with the rest of the ingredients, is because it gets mushy and muddy. I prefer to cut fresh avocado with each serving, retaining its freshness and vibrancy. However, if you are certain leftovers will not be an option, incorporating them in would be fine. Other great additions would be black eyed peas, cannellini beans, bell peppers, and even chili peppers, if you want to add a little heat to the mix.
Enjoy!