AVOCADO STUFFED WITH BLACK BEAN AND MANGO SALSA

I currently have family visiting in town, so I am trying to feed them things that are delicious but also pretty fast to whip up.  I prefer to enjoy my time with them, rather than be in in the kitchen all day.

This dish came out perfect for this situation! 

We ate this for lunch, but it could work as an appetizer as well. It really had the perfect balance of sweet, sour, and spicy. It was so delicious, that I plan on making it again very soon.

I like to cook a big batch of beans at a time, and freeze what I do not need for later use. You could use canned beans if you are pressed for time, but I recommend the homemade ones all things equal. They do require more planning ,but they taste better, have a lot less sodium, plus, you don't have to worry about preservatives or BPA's from the can. 

If you decide to make a big batch, and want to freeze some of the beans, they will keep for a few months in the freezer.  You will just need to thaw the beans once you want to use them for a recipe.

AVOCADO STUFFED WITH BLACK BEAN AND MANGO SALSA

Ingredients:

6 small avocados, pitted, and cut in halves

3 tablespoons of red onions, chopped small

1 mango, pitted, skin removed, cubed

1 jalapeno, seeded, and chopped very small

1/4 cup of frozen corn (preferably organic to avoid GMO's), thawed

1 large tomato, cubed

1/4 cup of cilantro, chopped small

1 1/2 cups of cooked black beans (about 2/3 of dried beans)*

Juice from 2 limes

1/2 teaspoon of dried cumin powder

1/8 teaspoon of dried chipotle powder

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Place 2 avocado halves per plate, flesh side up.

In a bowl, mix together all of the ingredients to make the salsa (except the avocados).

Place the salsa equally on top of all the avocados.

Serve for a light lunch or as an appetizer.

Bon appetit!

This will make 6 servings

*To cook the black beans: Soak the beans for 6 hours and/or overnight, then rinse. 

Bring to a boil in a small saucepan with about 5 cups of water. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and let them simmer for about 90 minutes, until tender. Add water if needed during cooking. Once tender, let them cool, and drain before using.