The only thing I’m going to say about this recipe is BEWARE…once you try this recipe you’re going to want it on a weekly basis.  I’ve made this salsa for many a party…this salsa is so popular in my family that anytime I’m thinking about making this for a family party I call everyone first to make sure that they’re not making it also, because twice I’ve shown up to a family party with this salsa and another family member also made it!  But guess what…they both got eaten up so I guess it wasn’t that big of a disaster!

This is probably my favorite snack ever.  I made it for my friends and we ran out of chips, so my friend’s husband started eating it with a spoon!  This is also great over chicken tacos.

Shanelle’s Salsa

• 1 can black-eyed peas, drained but not rinsed*
• 1 can white corn*
• 4 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 2 avocados, diced
• juice from 2 limes*
• cilantro to taste (I use a whole bunch!)
• 1 green onion, sliced small (the green and the white part)
• Italian dressing packet
• oil & vinegar for dressing packet
• salt, pepper, & garlic powder to taste
• Tostidos hint of lime chips

1. Mix up Italian dressing according to package directions.
2. Combine all other ingredients (except chips) in a bowl.
3. Pour dressing over salsa.
4. Add salt, pepper, & garlic powder to taste.
5. Serve over Tostidos hint of lime chips.  No other chips will do.  You must eat this with those lime chips, or you’re not doing the salsa justice.

Recommendations:

• Black-eye peas: Normally, I rinse canned beans before using this (I heard it helps you not get gas from them!).  I tried that once with this recipe and it made it taste different to me.  I think it’s because the starchy liquid leftover on the beans after you drain them kind of helps thicken this salsa and bind it together.  So I wouldn’t recommend rinsing the beans for this.
• White corn:  You should be able to find white corn in any grocery store.  Be careful though, because if you ask someone that works there they’ll most likely point you to hominy (that has happened to me twice when I’ve looked for it in a store, as well as to 3 of my friends!).  The white corn in this recipe is NOT hominy.  It is VERY different than hominy, so if you can’t find white corn don’t substitute hominy for it, just substitute plain canned corn for it, although it won’t come out as good.  White corn is similar to normal yellow corn, but it’s smaller, softer, and sweeter.  Like I said, most groceries carry it, but they usually only have one row of it so look hard.
• Limes: Roll them on the counter or put them in the microwave for 10 seconds to get the most juice out of them.
• Chips:  Seriously, you’re going to want to get those lime chips for this!

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There’s a newer show on the food network called Simply Delicioso.  I haven’t watched it a ton because it’s not my typical type of food that I like to make, but I watched it a while ago and she made a thing called emerald rice.  It’s a really good way to dress up rice.  I really like it because I’m all about cooking something once and using it twice…so recently when I’ve been making a dish that you eat over rice like Chicken Divan, Katie Couric’s Lemon Chicken, or Stir Fry I’ll make extra rice and use it to make this Emerald Rice as a side dish later that week.  It’s surprising how much you can spice up simple rice with this recipe with ingredients that alot of times you already have on hand!

I’m not usually a huge fan of rice, but I really love this dish!  It’s called Emerald Rice because it has cilantro and parsley in it so it has pretty green flecks all through it.  Then you broil it with parmesan cheese on top so it comes out with a golden crust.  So not only does it taste delicious but it’s a pretty looking little side dish too!

Emerald Rice

• 2 c. cooked rice
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 c. finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves*
• 1/4 c. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 tsp lime zest
• 1/4 c. finely grated Parmesan (I use more!)
• s&p

1. Preheat your broiler to high.
2. Place the rice and butter in a 8×8 pyrex dish and heat in the microwave until it’s warmed through.
3. Mix in the cilantro, parsley, lime zest, and s&p.
4. Sprinkle the top with the Parmesan.
5. Place the dish under the broiler for 5 to 7 minutes, until the cheese is browned.

Recommendations:

• I know a few people that don’t like cilantro (I don’t understand why!), so if you don’t like cilantro, or if you don’t have any on hand I’m sure you could use all parsley.  I’m sure it would still be great because the main components of this dish are just the fact of having fresh herbs and the Parmesan crust on top.

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