Cowboy Caviar Bean Dip

I made this for church coffee hour today, so thought I'd share the recipe here, too. This is one of my favorites, and I've just started tinkering with the recipe to make it a bit zippier, with not so much sugar or oil. Today's result was a hit, so I'm putting it here to make it easy for me to reference again.

My original recipe is from my Aunt Carol, but I made a few changes to suit our preferences, and it's easily adaptable. This is kind of a family tradition at the holidays, and it is always a big hit at parties. It makes a lot but keeps well in the fridge since it's in a vinegar/sugar dressing. I mix it up in an ice cream bucket. Serve with a slotted spoon.

• 2 cans black eyed peas  (rinse & drain)
• 2 cans pinto beans  (rinse & drain)
• 2 cans black beans   (rinse & drain)
• 2 cans shoe peg corn  (drained)
• 1 small can chopped green chiles (drained)
• 1 can sliced jalapenos, drained and chopped fine
• 1 jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped fine
• 1 med. diced onion (chop fine)
• 1 c. chopped celery (chop fine)
• 1 c. chopped sweet peppers (I used a mix of red, orange and yellow.)

Bring to boil:

• 3/4 c. cider vinegar
• 1/4 c. oil
• 1/2 c. sugar
• juice of one lime
• 2 T. Penzey's Bold Taco seasoning (or any taco seasoning)
• 1 T. Creole Seasoning (Tony Chachere's, or any other all-purpose season salt--to taste.)
• 1 T. Crystal Sauce (or Tabasco)

Bring to boil----cool and pour over ingredients. I do the dressing first, and by the time the veggies are chopped, it is cool enough to pour over. Allow to marinate several hours in the refrigerator. Serve with a slotted spoon and tortilla chips (scoops are perfect).  Keeps a long time in fridge. This can easily be cut in half, but this size serves a crowd!