Texas Caviar

I am not sure when I will learn that procastination is not a good thing.  Every month I get my SRC assignment choose 2 or 3 recipes that look really good and am determined to make them right away.  Yet every month it seems as if I am scrambling to make something a few days before the posting deadline.

This month I knew I had to make something early in the month because of travel plans.  I gave myself a deadline of June 28th, but did I have anything made by then - no.  I was still ok though, I had a few days before we left on vacation and I had all the ingredients to make one of Noelle's Green Monster Smoothies, in Popsicle form.  I knew we had some super hot days coming up and couldn't wait to have a Cherry Bom Bom waiting in the freezer.

Then the power went out for two days, making our refrigerator look like this.

One good thing about an outage is that your fridge gets a really good cleaning.

 I knew the produce wouldn't last while we were gone so I passed it on to neighbors and decided to get back to An Opera Singer in the Kitchen when I returned from vacation.  I knew there were a lot of great recipes I could choose from and would definitely be able to find something to make, even if I only had a day to do it.

Since our weather was still unbearably hot I decided to go for something light and easy - Texas Caviar Salad.

This was the perfect dish for a hot summer night.  We made a meal out of it by serving it with some tortilla chips and avocado slices, but it also makes a great side dish.  I made it early in the morning, allowing all the flavors to meld together. I didn't need to turn the stove on during the heat of the day and we came home to a delicious and belly filling meal after an afternoon at the pool.  

I modified Noelle's recipe slightly - using canned beans instead of dry and reducing proportions.  Be sure to go visit An Opera Singer in the Kitchen. she has a lot of great vegan recipes on her site, so be sure to go check them out.

Texas Caviar


1 can black eyed-peas, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn (canned, frozen or fresh)
2 cups tomatoes, diced
1 cup cilantro, finely diced
1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
1/2 cup Italian dressing

Combine all ingredients, mix well.  Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Enjoy!