Peas Pass the Salsa

No matter how healthy of an eater you are, I'm sure you have your weaknesses for certain things that you wished you didn't love.  Do you have a sweet tooth?  Can't pass up chocolate or want to die if someone eats a brownie in front of you?  Or maybe you love candy, the sticky chewy kind like skittles or gummy bears.  Or, maybe you can't have just a few potato chips.  Whatever it is, I find the best thing to do is not to give up these things entirely but maybe find better, less processed versions that you can enjoy occasionally without beating yourself up over it.  My weakness is for the salty and crunchy type of snacks.  I freakin love queso.  Gross right?  Not anymore since I found a fabulous recipe for homemade queso that isn't all nasty and processed and made of mystery ingredients.  It took a while but I found one and trust me the stuff in the jar is no longer a weakness.  Unfortunately that's not what I'm sharing with you today, but I will.  Soon.  I promise.  Today I have a salsa to share that I made up myself but there are a few similar recipes floating around out there too.  What's so bad about salsa you ask?  Well as far as snack foods go it's surely not the worst thing you can eat but my new salsa is actually on the healthy side (think fiber and NO added sugar).  Next time you grab a jar of salsa at the store, notice if it has sugar listed as an ingredient (why?) and if it contains "natural flavors" which are often a way of hiding MSG.  Or worse yet...Beaver Butt! and that is no joke, click that link and hopefully be totally grossed out enough to start reading labels if you haven't already!  Okay, now that you've lost your appetite I guess I won't need to share my recipe.  Just kidding.  Whip up some of this black eyed pea salsa to eat with chips, on your taco's or over some leafy greens with a touch of shredded cheese for a nice taco salad, or what ever else you might like to eat some salsa with!

Start with a can of black eyed peas.  Be sure to rinse them well and drain.

Chop a 1/4 cup of red onion.  Scallions would work well too.  I would use the white and light green parts if going that route.

Add the onion to the black eyed peas along with 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro and a can of Ro-tel.  If you want to cut back on the sodium, use about half of a small (4.25oz) can of diced green chilies and chop a large tomato, about a cup.

Add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of salt (to taste) and 1/2 tsp of cumin.  Next add 1 Tbs of olive oil and 1 1/2 Tbs of red wine vinegar.

Squeeze a half of a lime over the bowl and give it a good stir until well mixed.

Give it a taste and adjust the lime as needed and enjoy.  I like to let it sit in the fridge for about an hour to let the flavors blend.  I'm thinking I need to make another batch very soon.  Gotta love a snack that adds 5 grams of fiber to the daily tally!

Easy Peasy Homemade Salsa

1 can black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 can Ro-tel, original or mild
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 Tbs olive oil
1 1/2 Tbs red wine vinegar
1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp cumin
Juice from 1/2 lime

Mix all ingredients, adjust salt and lime to taste, let rest for an hour before serving (if you can stand it).