There is something so wonderful about having shaved leg and painted toe and finger nails AT THE SAME TIME. Guys don’t get this, but ladies do, it’s a lot of effort, so having it happen all at the same time is like a magical eclipse or alignment of planets. I wonder what the astrological sign for that is.
I told you I would think of something to write as soon as I said I had nothing about which to write. Granted, this actually wasn’t plan A, but it came up and weaseled its way into the forefront with its awesomeness.
I made this salsa on a whim to have a snack during the week. Turned out it was a brilliant idea because it is fantastic. I also had a whole mess of leftover corn tortillas, so I did what I usually do and made chips out of them.
I brought a batch of the salsa and chips out to The Boy so we could snack on it some and taste it. Pretty much, every batch of chips I made was eaten very quickly. I kept thinking eventually we’d stop and then whatever chips were left would go to snacks and lunches this week, except we didn’t. We ate a good 2/3 of the chips I made as they came out of the oven, because the chips and salsa are that good.
Seriously, this salsa is amazing and super easy and will go well on a lot of things, salads, tacos, quesadillas, soup, chips, a spoon, just to name a few. These are really healthy recipes because you can control what goes into them. Fresh tasting, low fat, high protein, and for those with celiac disease (or even those without it who just want a gluten-free lifestyle) this is gluten-free.
This recipe naturally makes a lot of salsa, and it won’t freeze too well, but if you’re like us, you’ll just end up eating so much of it, you won’t need dinner, so it goes pretty quickly.
You can adjust the salsa to meet your needs, say you want to add a third type of beans, just add another can of tomatoes. If you want to subtract a can of beans, also subtract a can of tomatoes. In the images, I only used 1 can of tomatoes for the 2 cans of beans, but I think the ratio was off. The best ratio will be a 1:1 ratio of beans to tomatoes.
I left the juice from the tomatoes in the salsa, and that’s a matter of how soupy you want your salsa. I’d say 1 can of tomatoes with the juice is best, and then drain the additional cans, but that’s totally up to you.
The jalapeno is totally optional. We have fresh jalapenos on hand basically all the time (The Boy is from Texas, so it’s kind of a staple), so I just cut a few rounds from it and minced it. If you like spicy salsa, add more, if you don’t, add none. Salsa is forgiving that way.
There are PDF recipes at the bottom if you want to print them out.
Corn & Black Bean Salsa
INGREDIENTS
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
2 cans tomatoes and green chilies (I used Rotel)
1 can whole sweet kernel corn, drained
1 small, or half a medium red onion, diced
1 table spoon minced fresh cilantro
1 clove of garlic, minced
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Minced jalapeno to taste (I used about ½ teaspoon)
Salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce to taste
DIRECTIONS
- In large bowl, combine all ingredients, stir to combine.
- You can enjoy it immediately, but it is best if given at least an hour to rest and chill in an air tight container.
You will note in the images how brown my chips are, that’s because I didn’t air dry them before cooking them. The drier they are, the faster they will cook in the oven and therefore be more of a golden brown than this color. However, these chips were fantastic, they did not taste over cooked or burnt at all, so feel free to save time and not dry them out.
These chips do take practice. I’ve made them several times, so I’ve had practice. What I’ve learned – the time they take to cook is based on the mood of my oven on that day. Also, the type of pan used will have an impact, so babysit the first few batches until you get the timing right. Start with shorter times, and add a minute or two until you find the groove.
Making a lot of these chips takes a while, I spent half a Sunday in and out of the kitchen making them. However, seal them good in a bag or tupperware and they’ll last a while, so they’re a great make ahead snack, and for some reason they really impress people. They’re really easy to make, just time consuming.
Oven Baked Tortilla Chips
INGREDIENTS
Corn Tortillas
Oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning mix (any brand)
½ teaspoon paprika
DIRECTIONS
- Cut the tortillas into triangles, they will shrink when baking. I usually cut mine in halves and those halves into thirds for 6 chips per tortilla.
- Set the uncooked chips out for an hour or overnight to air dry (this will speed up the cooking process.
- Combine the seasonings in a small bowl and stir for even distribution.
- Preheat oven to 350. Cover a baking sheet with tin foil and a thin coat of oil.
- Place tortilla chips in 1 layer on the baking sheet (I highly recommend having more than one sheet to speed things up.)
- Drizzle the tops of the chips lightly with oil and place in the oven. Back for 7-10 minutes, flip the chips, and then bake for 3-5 minutes more. Chips should be crisp all the way through. Monitor them until you get a feel for how your oven will cook them. There are only a few seconds between crisp and burnt.
- Set fresh batch in a large bowl and sprinkle with seasoning mixture.
So, go forth my lovelies and revel in salsay goodness.
