If your oven is out of commission for any reason, it is a good idea to have a non-perishable dinner in mind. This is all you need to throw something together that is fast and easy for "Cowboy Caviar" made with non-perishables. Photo by Kaycee Davis.
It’s dinner by flashlight for many families when the electricity goes out. Whether you are a college student or a person out on your own, it’s a good idea to have items on hand to make a meal when your oven doesn’t work. My favorite is cowboy caviar with corn chips.
Southern Living food magazine says that – according to legend – Nieman-Marcus food director Helen Corbitt first served this at a Houston country club during a New Year’s Eve party in the 1950s. She was creating a simple pickled black-eyed pea salad, but the combination of the buttery legumes and vinegary dressing became such a hit that guests dubbed it "cowboy caviar.’
There have been some changes over the years, and certainly my version – adapted for emergency pantry use from AllRecipes.com – is not the one Ms. Corbitt intended.
Obviously, the fresher the vegetables are, the better this is, but it’s a decent meal even when it’s made with items found on your shelf.
Ingredients:
3 15.5 ounce cans of beans, well drained
1 15.25 can of corn
1 jar of your favorite jar of salsa
1 cup Italian salad dressing
Optional:
Dried onion
Dried peppers
Dry seasoning, like Mrs. Dash, or dried cilantro or parsley
Instructions:
Drain the beans and corn into a strainer, add to a bowl with salsa. Pour in salad dressing.
If you have dried onion and peppers, mix in. Add several tablespoons of dried seasoning, cilantro or parsley.
Serve with a flashlight and corn chips.
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