Back in high school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, my little brother Michael and I would race home to the kitchen impatient and ravenous for sustenance.  For me, I needed to calm the storm of angst and hormones feverishly brewing inside.  For Michael, to refuel the enormous man-boy body he possessed by age 14.  

We got smart when it came to quick remedies for the gnawing hunger always keeping the essentials on hand to make one of our favorite mainstays: quesadillas and chunky salsa.  But we didn’t crack open just any old jar of watery Tostino’s- oh no, we considered ourselves fancy connoisseurs of “the finer salsas” of life. We would grab a big bowl and empty the contents of one can of fancy salsa, one can of black or pinto beans, one can of corn, and seasoned the mix with fresh lime, cilantro, and cumin to brighten it up a bit.  YUM.  It never failed us.  Chunky, satisfying, and hearty: we’d forage through bowls of it with thick blue corn tortilla chips and pile it on freshly grilled quesadillas.   The amount that boy could consume was truly, truly amazing…

But those times are ones that I will cherish forever.  We became friends in the kitchen- talking about life and the ladies and whatever else was on our plates.  It was in the kitchen where we once made the pact to “Never Be Normal” and shook on it.  Was our salsa “normal?” Au contraire! It was simply revolutionary! (Or at least that’s what we thought.)   So this recipe for homemade Chipotle Black Bean Salsa is an ode to you, my dear brother. 

I hope you all enjoy this simple, brilliantly satisfying, and very “un-normal” salsa and healthy baked tortilla chips.

Chipotle Black Bean Salsa

10 Ripe Roma Tomatoes

1 Cup Cooked Black Beans

2 Canned Chipotle Peppers

1 Teaspoon Adobo Sauce (from pepper can)

½ White Onion

1 Serrano Chile Pepper (2 if you like it hot)

¼ Cup Finely Chopped Cilantro

2 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice

1 Teaspoon Olive Oil

Salt to Taste

Baked Tortilla Chips

1 Package White or Yellow Corn Tortillas

Fresh Lime Juice

Table Salt