Sweet-n-spicy black bean salad

In preparation for a friend's party, I made a dish that reminded me of one of the lovely Sunday dinners that I had with the girls. I think it was Emma who made a delicious black bean salad. 


For this recipe, I decided to kick up the heat with some cayenne, emphasize my island flavors with some lime juice and some sweet-n-tangy combo of sweetener with apple cider vinegar. You will love this quick and easy, sweet-n-spicy recipe for a party with some chips, or alone, as a salad.  


Sweet-n-spicy black bean salad


Ingredients:


1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can whole kernel corn, no salt added, drained
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/4 cup diced canned tomatoes
2 tsp cilantro, chopped
1/8-1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced


3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/8 tsp baking soda (to calm acidity)
2 1/2 tsp Splenda or another sweetener equivalent
1/8 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne 
1/2 tbsp Adobo light seasoning or garlic-onion powder
1/4 tsp ground pepper
garlic salt, to taste
1/2 tsp olive oil
1/2 lime, peeled and mashed




Recipe:
(1) Mince garlic in food processor
(2) After draining and rinsing the black beans and corn (preferrably low or no salt added), toss together the black beans, corn, garlic, diced onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers.
(3) In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and seasonings, with the exception of the Adobo light and garlic salt. 
(4) To taste, add the Adobo light seasoning and additional garlic salt depending on your salt preference or dietary restrictions.


Note: To keep this completely low-carb, omit the corn kernels altogether and increase the onion and bell pepper ratio.