Black Bean Salsa with Tortilla Chips

This dish is ideal to share at the round of potlucks that crop up in May as classes, sports clubs and other groups break up for summer. The sweet and hot combination of mango and jalapeño is a new taste thrill for many while the black beans pack a serious nutritional punch. The original recipe was created by Arthur Birnbaum for the Eating Well Guide used by Food & Friends, a wonderful organization here in Metro-Washington that offers cooking classes, nutrition counseling and home-delivered meals to people facing life-challenging illnesses. For more information about Food & Friends, check out their website by clicking on the link above. Then try this recipe below:

Ingredients:

1 package of corn tortillas

1 jalapeño pepper, finely minced

1 /2 cup diced red onion

1 crushed garlic clove

1 to 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (or parsley), chopped

1 ripe mango, chopped

1 15 oz can black beans, drained

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (or 1 cup chopped fresh tomato)

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

Process:

Prepare the tortillas first so they can bake while you put together the salsa. Preheat the oven to 325. Cut the tortillas according to your preference—I like “Doritos-sized” chips, but you might want to cut the tortillas into quarters for hearty “dinner” chips. Spread on a foil covered cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. You may want to flip the chips mid-way, but don’t fuss. The baked chips will crisp further as they cool.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix the jalapeno, onion, garlic and cilantro. Add the mango along with the drained black beans and tomatoes. Stir thoroughly, then sprinkle the olive oil and salt over the salsa and stir again.

Serve the salsa and chips as a snack—or add a green salad and corn on the cob for an easy summer dinner.