Warm Black Bean and Corn Dip

This is a crowd-pleasing dip for parties and a good asset to have in the fridge as a healthy snack.

DIFFICULTY: Don’t sweat this one.

COOKING TIME: Half a football game

RECOMMENDED DRINK: Guinness

What you’ll need:

• 1 large red onion, julienned
• 1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can of corn, drained
• 8 oz. can of salsa
• ½ Tbsp. cumin
• ¾ Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 bunch of cilantro, coarsely chopped
• Fresh juice from one lime
• Salt (to taste)
• Olive oil

Note: If you want, you can add a chopped avocado right before serving.

For the optimal cooking experience, you should also have:

• A televised sporting event of minimal personal importance (e.g. the Superbowl)
• Lots of Earth, Wind, and Fire songs cued up on YouTube

And here’s how it’s done:

1. When the olive oil in the pan is hot, add the onion and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Casually begin watching the sporting event, muting generously as needed.

2. Add the peppers and reduce heat to medium-low. Keep stirring. Cook for 20-30 minutes.

Once the halftime show comes on, it’s time to lament the quality of modern-day singing. Select a band from your childhood--the Groovy Chef prefers Earth, Wind, and Fire--and argue why they would make a better halftime act. Mute the TV and start playing that band’s songs on YouTube.

3. Stir in the black beans, corn, cumin, and chili powder. Lower the heat to simmer and cook for another 10 minutes.

Keep the Earth, Wind, and Fire songs coming. Intersperse your game talk with exclamations about the band’s “roller disco” style and “interstellar outfits.” If anyone challenges the band’s ability to play a halftime show, balk at them and ask, “Are you kidding me?”

4. Turn off the heat and stir in salt, cilantro, lime juice, and most of the 8 oz. can of salsa (roughly five heaping tablespoons).

5. Serve with blue corn chips.

If you have any dip left over after the game, it's great to serve with eggs for breakfast the next day!

Here's to a future New Orleans Saints / Earth, Wind, and Fire Superbowl! A Groovy Chef can dream...