Salsa Padre

(This post was originally published here as part of the Whip It Up challenge)

For whatever reason, I didn’t get the “this week, it is ‘pasta'” memo until considerably later in the Whip It Up game, and by that time I had already decided to post the recipe to my favorite salsa/bean dip dish. Everyone loves it, it’s super easy, and you’ll go away from your pock-luck/BBQ feeling like a domestic diva. Perfect for Whip It Up, no?

Salsa Padre was half-invented by my bachelor father, and then half-tweaked by yours truly. I actually made this last night at a family BBQ, in a kitchen-less park. With no running water and no electricity. In fact, I made this dish with nothing but a can opener and a large bowl. Goodness, I sound like an Extreme Survivor Chef or a Girl Scout on steroids or something! But seriously, that’s how easy-peasy Salsa Padre ranks in the wide world of recipe-ness. My aunts and cousins watched and oooh’ed and aaaah’ed and asked for the recipe, which I can spout off without the help of a 3×5 card. I felt decidedly domestic diva-ish, which is a rare turn from my usual domestically dormant state in the kitchen. Rachael Ray (and your super-annoying voice), you’ve got NOTHING on me! Ha!

Ahem, so, without further ado, Salsa Padre.

• 1 can black beans
• 1 can corn
• 1 can sliced olives
• 1 can green chilies*
• 1 tub of fresh salsa*
• 1 pound shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 bunch chopped cilantro
• 4 diced Roma Tomatoes**
• 2 chopped avocados, soaked in lemon juice.

Drain off all the liquids from the beans, corn, olives and salsa, (especially the salsa) and then dump everything but the avocado into a large bowl. Stir everything up to combine and add the avocado chunks at the end (so they stay more-or-less chunked), stir a few more times and Voila! You are the creator of the Best Bean Dip Ever! Add a bag of your favorite corn chips and wait for the compliments to start flowing.

*This dish can be as mild or hot as you like, depending on the hotness of your green chilies and your salsa, I generally use “medium” hotness. **Roma tomatoes work really well in this dip because they aren’t quite as watery as vine tomatoes.

The nitty-gritties:

• Total Prep-Time, including chopping: less than 10 minutes.
• Was the recipe easy to follow: Yes.
• Are the ingredients easy to find: Yes, in any grocery store.
• Does the end result taste delicious: Absolutely.
• Would I make it again: Absolutely, and again and again. I make this at least once a month, more often in the summer.