Corn & Bean Salsa Night!

Nothing satisfies the appetite and taste buds like salsa or Pico Del Gallo! Salsa is a Spanish term for sauce. In the United States we usually think of salsa as a tomato based mixture with peppers, onion, garlic, cilantro, spices and lime juice. It can be cooked or fresh and is often made with a variety of vegetables or even fruits. In Mexican cuisine Pico Del Gallo is also know as salsa fresco. It is generally a combination of the same ingredients but is served raw and is much drier than traditional salsa.

Corn & Black Bean Salsa

When it comes to nutrition, salsa is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, phyto-chemicals and can be a good source of protein too! Season this black bean and corn salsa recipe to taste and personalize the ingredients to make your own special healthy snack :) One of my favorite variations is adding a diced avocado!!!!

Ingredients:

4 plum tomatoes (1 cup diced)

4 cloves roasted garlic (minced)

½-1 yellow or red diced bell pepper

¼ cup chopped cilantro

2 cups corn (fresh roasted cut off the 

cob or frozen)

1-2 minced jalapeno peppers

1 ½ cup black beans

¼ cup chopped onion

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon cayenne  pepper or 1/2 t  

red pepper flakes (optional to taste)

2 T lime juice

1. Chop, mince, and dice the vegetables and herbs.

2. Juice the fresh lime.

3. Combine corn, drained and rinsed beans, vegetables, spices and lime juice in a large bowl.

4. Serve with tortilla chips or use as an accompaniment to your favorite taco, burrito or burger too!

Nutrition Facts  (http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php)

Serving Size 45 g 

Amount Per Serving

Calories 

68

Calories from Fat -3

Total Fat 

0.4g

1%

Cholesterol 

0mg

0%

Sodium 

118mg

5%

Potassium 

287mg

8%

Total Carbohydrates 

13.2g

4%

Dietary Fiber 

3.0g

12%

Sugars 

1.4g

Protein 

3.9g

Vitamin A 3%	•	Vitamin C 10%
Calcium 2%	•	Iron 8%

Nutrition Grade A

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Additional Resources:

http://girlfromtexas.blogspot.com/2011/11/salsa-vs-pico-de-gallo-whats-difference.html

http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Pico_de_gallo.html