Hello City!

Hello city kitchen!

A week away at the beach, relaxing in the sun and enjoying dinners out every night was a wonderful break from the every day drudgery of alarm clocks and subways and desk jobs. But it’s always good to be back home.

As crazy as the city gets (and as bad as it can smell in the summer) it’s home and I love it dearly.

We got back pretty late last night so I only got the essentials at the store – milk, half and half and orange juice – so we could have breakfast.

I was excited to get back to cooking, but the first day back at the office is always brutal. So by the time I got home, I really had no energy for dinner.

And if you’re vacations are like ours, you come home with your wallet and your waistline a little bit angry with you.

Ice cream every night, boardwalk fries and heaping plates of fish tacos had done a number on my tummy.

So tonight would be light. And cheap. And super easy.

So easy that I’m embarrassed to post this as my first post in a week.

I’m kind f inclined to not even call it a recipe.

For this dish you will need two things:

Yup. A jar of salsa and a can of black beans.

Think about black bean soup. It’s got beans, obviously, tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic and some spices. Now read the ingredients on the jar of salsa. Yup. Same thing.

If you’re in a bind, why not?

Dump the jar of salsa and the can of rinsed and drained black beans into a pot.

Add 1 salsa jar of water to the pot (precise measurements, no?) You could use chicken or vegetable broth too, but the salsa has so much flavor that I usually stick with water.

Stir and let simmer over medium heat for a few minutes until warmed through.

Top with some taco cheese, tortilla chips and sour cream. Add a side salad dressed with a squeeze of lime to keep the Mexican flavors and you , and you have dinner on the table in ten minutes and for like seven bucks.

Your tummy and your wallet will thank you.