Black Bean Mango Salsa

Okay, guys. It's the beginning of a brand new week. What's on your plate? Busy week ahead? 

One question: Do you customize your dinnertime meals to fit those plans? I have done this since we got married almost 7 years ago, and it has made such a huge difference in getting a great dinner on the table =no matter how busy things get. 

I do one grocery run a week. Just one. So I know that when I do that one trip to the store, I've got to fill my pantry and fridge with every ingredient I'm going to need to make the 6 meals until the next grocery day (we do Papa Murphy's $5 Pizza every Friday night). Before I plan out that grocery list, I look over my schedule. How many nights are swamped? How many are mostly free? This always determines what meal I'll make that day for dinner, and what ingredients I plan to purchase to prepare those meals. 

If it's going to be a super-busy night, I try to plan a meal that's either in the slow cooker, or very easy to make in under 20 minutes start-to-finish. If it's a more relaxed evening without the crazy rush, I take my time and plan something that may require a little more time. Planning ahead saves us so much money! We don't go out to eat unless it's a special occasion, and our "date night / entertainment " budget doesn't get blown before we even have a chance to plan something special. 

This black bean salsa was a quick make-ahead treat I used in one of those crazy-busy dinner nights. 

It fuses together some spicy, some sweet, and an all around beautiful texture that you won't be able to resist dunking several chips into. This salsa is something we slather on our tacos, tostadas, on our burritos, and are completely satisfied enough just dunking a mound of tortilla chips into. It's pretty simple, just toss everything together. But here's the kicker: you can make this gorgeous salsa in advance, and have it ready to whip out at dinnertime no matter what kind of busy is staring you in the face at dinnertime. It makes an awesome snack as well! I know summer is winding down, but it certainly has a lot of kick left - eat up those summertime flavors while they're in full-swing, and make sure this salsa is at the top of your menu for this week. :) 

Black Bean Mango Salsa

4 servings

ingredients:

1 can black beans, rinsed, drained

2 large ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted, and finely chopped

1 poblano chili, seeded and minced

1/4 C honey

3 limes, juiced

1/8 C cilantro

1/4 C chopped red onion

salt and freshly ground pepper 

method:

1. Mix together all the ingredients in a medium bowl until all the honey and lime juice has been evenly distributed. Serve with chips, on your tacos, in a burrito or wrap, etc. 

inspired by: The Food Network