Texas Caviar

The reaction to the words "Texas Caviar" is usually mixed -- some people have no idea what you're referring to and some get really excited!

For those that are not in the know, it's simply a black eyed pea salad...with tons of flavor and a slight kick. I decided to make this as one of the items for my dear friend Rebecca's bridal shower this past weekend. She falls into the excited category when you mention Texas Caviar :) I also love that you can make this ahead of time, it's actually preferred and makes it much more delicious to let it marinate for 12 hours to a day before serving. This was a hit, and it's a great summertime dish! Enjoy! Ingredients:

Two 15-ounce cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1/4 red onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped (you can use canned, diced as well)

1-2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped (depending on what level of heat you want)

Dash hot sauce, such as Tabasco

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tortilla chips, for serving

Directions: Combine the black-eyed peas, red onion, parsley, vinegar, oil, garlic, tomatoes, jalapeno peppers and hot sauce in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours. Serve with tortilla chips.