It's doable...Healthy & fresh, black bean, corn, red pepper and cilantro dip/ salad (vegan)

Words cannot express the delicious-ness of this dip! We eat it as chip dip, but sometimes you just can't resist taking a couple spoonfuls of it... I love how healthy and fresh it is. 

Things to know before making: start this the night before you want to eat it, I guarantee it tastes better the next day.  Prep time is about an hour, I usually get all of my items and do my slicing and dicing while listening to the TV.  I promise, it's worth it.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

- 2 15-ounce cans of black beans, drained and rinsed

- 1 1/2 cup frozen corn (if you are more patient than I am, you can cook and cut the kernels off of 3 cobs)

- 2 red bell peppers diced

- 2 cloves of garlic, minced (I use the kind pre-minced in a jar, found in the produce section of the grocery)

- 2 T minced shallots (you'll need one medium shallot)

- 2 tsp. salt (try 1 first, then add the second)

- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

- 1 T Splenda Blend sugar

- 9 T extra virgin olive oil

- 1 tsp. lime zest (be sure to do this before you juice them)

- 6 T FRESH lime juice (don't cheat on this one, fresh is what makes it... you'll need 2 limes to get this juice)

- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

- 2 diced avocados

STEPS:

1) Combine all ingredients except avocados in a LARGE bowl and mix well.  Cover and chill overnight.

 

2) Right before serving add the diced avocados and mix gently.

Hint: to dice an avocado, cut it in half and remove the center seed. Holding one half in one hand take a not-so-sharp knife and dice it within its shell.  If your knife is too sharp you might pierce through and cut yourself...we don't want that.  Then, take a large spoon and scoop it out.  Repeat on the other side.

 

This recipe was inspired by a co-blogger