Spicy

I'm headed off to a party this afternoon and need to bring something to share. I am a big believer in a well-stocked pantry and usually have a few stand-by ingredients on hand. I love Mexican and Tex-Mex food and this afternoon the pantry yielded a spicy black bean salsa.

It tastes yummy and is a good appetizer with tortilla chips. With a quesadilla, it would make a nice, light supper.

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes (it must be Ro-tel brand.....no substitutes)
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (or substitute green onion or red onion)
4-6 radishes, finely chopped
fresh cilantro, finely chopped to make up a handful
juice of 2-3 slices of lime
1 avocado, finely chopped
salt & pepper
cumin

Drain and rinse the black beans. Drain the Ro-tel, reserving some juice. In a large bowl, combine beans, Ro-tel, onion, radish, and cilantro. Sprinkle with pepper and a teaspoon of cumin. Gently mix together. Just before serving, add the lime juice and chopped avocado and gently mix. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

I find that you can mix everything together, holding off on the avocado until just before serving. The avocado will stay green, thanks to the tomatoes and lime, but if it sits too long, it gets mushy (though it still tastes great).