This is not a food blog, but I do, on occasion, post something I find particularly useful or yummy. Cowboy caviar fits the bill. It’s fast, easy, versatile, and most important of all, tasty!

Look at all that color! Do you know what lots of color means? That’s right! Nutrition! Plus you get a major protein boost. Here’s the basic recipe:

Ingredients
1 15oz can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 15oz can blackeyed peas (drained and rinsed)
1 15oz can sweet corn (drained and rinsed)
1 red pepper (chopped)
1 orange pepper (chopped)
1/2 red onion (chopped)

For Dressing
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (or Italian parsley if cilantro isn’t your thing)
1tsp chili powder
1tsp garlic powder (I use dried minced garlic)
1/4tsp pepper
A Pinch of salt
1/3 cup good Italian dressing (I use Ken’s Steakhouse)

Optional ingredients could be chopped tomato, chopped avocado, chopped olives, it’s kind of like pasta salad because the beans don’t carry much flavor on their own but are fabulous when mixed with other things. If you want a little more heat add a pinch of cayenne or to your taste. You do you.

Instructions
Does that seem like a lot of ingredients? Don’t worry, this comes together in a snap. In measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside. Have a milk frother? It’ll work splendidly on emulsifying a salad dressing.

Let your can opener know it’s going to get a little workout, open your canned goods, drain and rinse them, and dump them into a big bowl. Chop up your peppers, onion, and anything else you’ve added to a size that roughly matches the beans and corn. Give everything a good, but gentle toss.

Whisk your dressing one last time and pour over mixture. Gently toss again until you’re satisfied everything has been covered.

You can serve this immediately but I prefer to let it marinate in the fridge for an hour or so. Serve with sturdy, tasty corn chips. It’s dip, it’s a meal, it’s yummy! Enjoy!