Black Bean & Corn Salsa

My husband Daniel thinks I should jar this stuff and sell it. He loves it so much that one batch lasts less than a day. It's fresh, sweet and has a little zing at the end from the chipotle chiles. The recipe sounds complicated, but it's really just a little chopping and dropping and then letting everything simmer. It takes less than half an hour to make. Try it at your next gathering. I'd be surprised if there are any leftovers.

Ingredients:
1-2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped (seeds removed)
1 tablespoon honey
juice of one lime
2-3 tablespoons butter
half a red onion, diced
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1 cup corn kernels (frozen)
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
half a teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
half a teaspoon paprika
half of a 15 oz. can of black beans (with liquid mostly drained)
1 15 oz. can roasted tomatoes (do not drain)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions:
In a small sauce pan, bring about 2 cups of water to a simmer. Add chipotle chiles, honey and lime juice. Let it reduce by about half. Meanwhile, in a larger pot, melt about 2 tablespoon of butter (or oil if you prefer) over medium heat. Add corn and let it get brown around the edges. Reduce heat a little and add garlic, onion, red bell pepper, cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt and pepper (to taste). If the pot is a little too dry, just add another pad of butter or another splash of oil. Let all the veggies soften (3 to 5 minutes), then add the tomatoes and the black beans. Bring to a simmer. Now take the chiles and the liquid in the smaller pot and add it to the larger pot. Let it all simmer together until the liquid has reduced by about half. Then, add the vinegar and let it simmer for another 5 minutes.

Optional: You can also stir in some chopped cilantro at the end.

Try this: This salsa is delicious on top of a piece of breaded and fried fish fillet. I like to add a little chili powder and lime zest to the bread crumbs. Dunk the fish in egg, then in the bread crumbs and pan fry it. Then pour the salsa on top and enjoy. Yummy!

Made with love from the Phelps kitchen.