Cowboy Caviar starts with a spicy base of black-eyed peas, tomatoes, corn, and avocado. Scoop it up with tortilla chips for an appetizer, or add cabbage and it becomes a coleslaw.
For a satisfying last-minute supper, it's hard to beat a sweet potato zapped in the microwave. The fragrant filling of beans and tomatoes adds protein. Be sure to eat the skin, which is full of fiber, as well.
At state fairs, funnel cakes are enormous, paper plate-sized affairs made by pouring batter from a funnel in a winding circular pattern over hot oil. This homemade version is simplified by using complete buttermilk pancake mix doctored up with a bit of sugar.
Bottled Thousand Island dressing and lime juice temper the heat from the spiced chicken and pepper cheese in this chopped salad. Tortilla chips offer a pleasing crunch.
