Black Bean & Corn Salad / by audrey gebhardt

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It's Wednesday at about 8:17am.

You've not yet finished your first cup of coffee, you're still kind've groggy because you stayed up too late watching This is Us.

Your extremely eager kind've dorky coworker that somehow never doesn't have broccoli in his teeth comes over to your desk and is practically bouncing up and down as he invites you to a barbecue at his house this Sunday. 

"I made a playlist and everything!" He brags. 

You already know that it's going to be mostly country with the occasional deep track from an early STYX album. 

In your pre-coffee state, you accidentally say yes to something you don't want to go to. 

You're not entirely sure if your host drinks. 

You need a conversation starter. 

You need this salad and a bag of Tostitos Scoops. For less than 10 bucks, in less than ten minutes you'll have an app that everybody will be begging you for the recipe for. 

You will be the star of the show.

Go even though you don't want to. I've found that often the things I least want to go to end up surprising me the most.

Maybe even put mascara on.

Black Bean & Corn Salad
(makes enough)

// 1 can black beans, rinsed well
// 1 cup frozen corn
// 1 bell pepper, diced
// 1/2 red onion, diced
// 1 jalapeno, diced (seeded if you don't want this hot)
// 1 medium tomato, diced (or a couple handfuls of cherry tomatoes)
// 1 handful of cilantro, chopped
// 1 TBSP cumin
// 3 dashes hot sauce (I like Cholula or Victoria)
// 1/2 tsp salt (more to taste)
// zest and juice of two limes
// 2 TBSP olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, in any order. Feel free to add diced jicama or radish for an added crunch factor. Add more or less seasoning to taste. Keeps well covered in fridge for up to one week! Serve with tortilla chips, on top of tacos, or my favorite way which is topping a baked sweet potato.

xo
Audrey