Texas Caviar

Texas has become famous for many things, but haute cuisine hasn't been one of them. That is, until 1941 when Dallas department store Neiman Marcus hired chef Helen Corbitt to bring more sophisticated fare to hungry Texans raised on chicken-fried steak and BBQ. Helen had never heard of black-eyed peas when she moved from the East Coast to Texas, but since they were so popular in the South, she decided to combine them with a tart vinaigrette on New Year's Eve and Texas Caviar was born.

Since its creation at Neiman Marcus many years ago, Texas Caviar has become a favorite condiment at American cookouts. Weight Watchers developed a low fat, low-calorie and insanely low-WW Point recipe and called it Cowboy Caviar. Helen's original recipe called for black-eyed peas, but you can use pinto beans instead. Serve it as a salsa over grilled chicken or fish, as a dip for tortilla chips or as a side salad with BBQ. It makes plenty and keeps well in the fridge for several days, so go ahead and dig in!

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

1 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15-oz.) can black-eyed peas or pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn

1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered

1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1 to 2 medium jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced

1 orange or red bell pepper, diced

In a large bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, black pepper and garlic. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeños and bell pepper. Toss well to combine and serve.

Serving size: about 3/4 cup

WW Points per serving: 1