Although I am no longer vegetarian(I am thinking of going back, but unsure yet) I try to cook meatless dishes several times a week. I am going to a surprise birthday party for my boss today, and thought that I would bring a healthier dish to the potluck. After trying to decide what I could possibly bring, I decided on a bean taco dip. You'll find the recipe below and I'm sure you'll find it just as appealing as we did!
You Will Need:
-1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-1 tbsp butter or margarine
-1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
-1 jar of mild salsa, or homemade tomato salsa(1.5-2 cups should do)
-1 Jalapeno pepper, sliced(canned, jarred or fresh)
-1 Avocado that is slightly soft to the touch
-1 onion, chopped
-1/2 green pepper, chopped. Put a handful of this to the side for garnish
-1/2 tsp garlic oil OR 2 cloves or garlic chopped
-1 500ml container Sour Cream(yogurt can be used instead for a healthier choice)
-2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
-1 cup Ice Burg lettuce or Romain lettuce chopped(Spinach could also be used)
-1 bag tortilla chips
-1 tsp cayenne pepper
-1 tbsp chili powder
-1 tsp garlic powder
-1.5 tsp onion powder
-1 tsp cumin
-1 tbsp paprika
-salt and pepper to taste
Place a frying pan on medium heat and add olive oil. When the pan is hot, add onions, green pepper, garlic, 1/2 of the sliced jalapeno and salt. Turn heat down so that it is on the low side of medium and allow the veggies to slowly cook. You do not want them to brown. When the onions are beginning to go translucent, add your black beans and margarine/butter and cook until you can squash them with the back of your spoon. This can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of cool water as they cook so that they do not stick to the bottom of the pan. Burnt beans are no fun. When done, set aside to cool.
Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Scoop out the fruit and add it to a small bowl along with 1/4 tsp of salt, 1/2 cup of salsa, freshly ground pepper and, if you have it, a splash of lemon or lime juice. Mix this all together with a fork, making it a slight chunky, but spreadable paste. Set in the fridge.
In a large bowl, mix together your spices(cayenne pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika and pepper). Add all the contents of the sour cream to this mixture and stir until the spices are well mixed with sour cream.
Place your bean mixture in a blender for a smooth base to this dip, or leave as it is for a chunkier base. Add the bean mixture to the bottom of your dip bowl. Pour your sour cream on next and spread it so that it evenly covers the beans. Do not press down on this or it will mix everything together. Add your avocado mixture and gentle spread it across the sour cream. Spread the salsa across the avocado mixture and then top with lettuce. Sprinkle as much or as little cheese as you want on top of the lettuce(I use about 2 cups of grated cheese) and top with remaining jalapeno and green pepper.
This is enough to serve a family for a main meal or to bring to a potluck for snacks. Serve with chips!
**Tips**
- You can also top this with sliced black olives or add ground beef to the bean or mock ground beef
- You can add a layer of crunched up chips to this dip
- Try different cheeses and salsa's or beans to mix up the flavors
- If you are crunched for time, you can use canned refried beans, but I don't think they are vegetarian
