Avacado bean Dip

2 Avocados

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tbsp sour cream

1/2 tsp. salt or to taste

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 c. fresh or frozen corn

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

In a nonstick pan, without oil, add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until starting to brown. Add the corn and continue to cook until it is also browned. 

Meanwhile, mash one of the avocados with the sour cream, garlic, and salt. Chop the remaining avocado.

Stir the chopped avocado, corn and onions, and black beans into the mashed avocado. Taste for seasoning and serve with chips.

Cheesy dip

I buy nacho cheese sauce in #10 cans at Sam's club. Then I added some veggies and beans to have for a quick lunch. If you want more heat in it add some jalapenos in with the bell peppers or add a 4 oz. can of diced jalapenos in with the salsa verde

1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper chopped
olive oil
1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained really well
1/4 c. salsa verde
1 can black beans, drained
4 c. cheese sauce

Saute the onion and pepper until tender, add the tomatoes and simmer to remove and excess liquid. Add the salsa verde and the beans and then stir in the cheese sauce. Heat through.

Carrot Curry Dip

This is something I created when I ran out of spinach for saag. I made used the same seasonings, just changed the vegetable.

Splash Olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic
3 inch piece of ginger
1 1/4 c. water, divided
1 Tbsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. turmeric
3 c. carrots, cut into chunks
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1 can coconut milk
1 tsp. vegetable bouillon (I used Superior Touch Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base)

Heat the olive oil in a pretty large skillet. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger an cook just until fragrant.

Add the carrots, seasonings, remaining water and vegetable soup base. Let that simmer, covered, until the carrots are tender.

Pour into a blender and puree until smooth, then add the beans and coconut milk and puree until combined. Taste and season with salt to taste.

Ham & Bean Dip

1 can Campbells Ham & Bean Soup, undiluted
1/4 c. milk or water
1/4 c. mozzarella cheese

Combine all and microwave until cheese is melted. It takes a little longer to melt with the water.

Serve with corn chips

Lentil Bouchees Pauillacaise with Walnut Cream Sauce

Potatoes
2 lb potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 c milk
salt and pepper to taste
Dash freshly ground nutmeg
4 eggs,
1 c. breadcrumbs
vegetable oil for deep frying

Lentil Filling
1/2 c. brown lentils

1 Tbsp butter or olive oil

1 shallot, minced fine
1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp flour
1 1/2 c beef broth
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 300 F.

Boil potatoes until soft enough to mash.

Meanwhile melt butter or oil in a saucepan. Add the shallots and onion and saute
over a medium heat. Add the flour and cook 5 minutes longer, stirring. Add the lentils, beef broth and marjoram, and simmer until the lentils are super tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Mash the potatoes. Add the butter and milk. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Beat the pureed potatoes well over low heat, 3-5 minutes until they are very dry and thick. Add 2 beaten eggs. Beat again. Your mix should be very thick. Remove from the heat and cool.

Make balls the size of an egg with the potato puree. Flatten the potato mixture and top with a about a half of a tsp of the lentil mixture and pull the potato up around the lentil mixture to close the filling on the inside.

Heat oil to 365 F. Dip the potato balls in remaining beaten egg and then in the breadcrumbs. Fry in the hot oil, in batches, until golden, about 2 minutes. Drain on towels. Serve with walnut cream sauce

Walnut Cream Sauce

1 1/2 c. walnuts, toasted
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp presh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup milk,
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Dash nutmeg
Grind walnuts, garlic, parsley, marjoram, and olive oil together. Heat over medium heat. Slowly stir in ricotta, then milk. Add the cayenne and nutmeg.

Spicy Bean & Bacon Dip

2 cans black beans, smashed
1/2 lb bacon
1 onion, chopped
4 - 5 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. water
1/2 vegetable bouillon cube
2 chipotle chilies, chopped fine, adobo sauce reserved
2 oz. Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated
1 oz. Bleu Cheese, crumbled

Saute bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and crumble, set aside. In the bacon drippings saute onion until tender. Add garlic and saute just until fragrant. Add the beans, water and bouillon cubes and simmer 10 - 20 minutes, until thick enough to dip into.

Add the chilies, 1 Tbsp of the reserved adobo sauce, cheddar, and bleu cheese. Stir to mix well, cover, removed from heat, and let sit for 5 minutes.

Uncover, stir to mix the melted cheese. Add the crumbled bacon and stir again.

Serve with corn chips

Broccoli Quesadillas

8 flour tortillas

1 can small white beans, drained

4 oz. cheddar cheese

3/4 c. fresh broccoli, chopped pretty small
1 large carrot, grated
drizzle heavy cream
2 Tbsp. Freshly shaved parmesan cheese
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
Salt to taste

Combine broccoli and carrots and about a tablespoon of water (just enough to steam it). Microwave until crisp tender. Drain and add the cream, parmesan cheese, garlic, and salt.

Layer in tortillas cheese, beans, and vegetable mix. Fold in half and cook in a little oil until crisp on both sides.

Bacon would be a tasty addition, just cook and crumble a few strips and add it to the filling with the cheese and vegetables before browning

Two great looking dip recipes I found on other blogs

I just thought these two dip recipes looked amazing

1) A black bean dip topped with cheese and broiled to perfection

2) A white bean and rosemary dip that also looked amazing

Sweet Potato Quesadillas

8 Tortillas

1 large sweet potato
2 large onions
3 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp. sugar
3 oz. cheddar cheese, grated
3/4 can black beans, drained
3/4 can corn, drained
1/2 bunch Fresh Cilantro, chopped

Melt butter and in a large skillet. Add onions and saute until tender. Add sugar and let the onions brown a bit over medium heat. Heat, stirring occasionally until the onions are caramelized.

Meanwhile, prick the sweet potato all over and microwave until soft. Mash

Combine the mashed sweet potato, half of the caramelized onions, and cheese.

Heat the remaining onions, add the corn and cook a few minutes until the corn starts to get golden in spots. Add the black beans.

Divide the sweet potato mix evenly between the tortillas and spread on half. Sprinkle with a generous amount of chopped fresh cilantro. Top with bean and corn mix.

Heat a splash of oil in a pan, the one you used on the onions is fine, and cook each tortillas on either side until golden.

Baba Ganoush Wrap

Tortilla
big glob of baba ganoush
1/4 c. garbanzo beans
leaf lettuce

I used a tortilla but a more traditional bread would bet better here. More like naan or lavash. Even a soft pita would work.

Mash the garbanzo beans pretty well but not puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread the tortilla with the baba ganoush, a leaf of lettuce on top and spread with bean mix. Roll up and eat.

Thanksgiving Balls

The stove top brand stuffing isn't vegetarian so make sure whatever brand you buy is if you don't eat meat.

1 large carrot, chopped pretty fine but not as small as grating it
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 Tbsp. butter
1 box. Stovetop Savory Herb Stuffing
2 chicken bouillon cubes (Or imitation)
1/3 c. red lentils
1 can garbanzo beans
splash milk
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
dash black pepper

Combine lentils, 1 chicken bouillon cube and 2 cups water. Simmer until lentils are very tender. Drain any excess liquid.

Melt butter in a large skillet. Add the carrots and saute over medium high heat until the are starting to brown a little. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring until the onion is tender making sure not to let the onion burn. Add 1 1/4 cup water and 1 chicken bouillon cube. Bring to a boil, add the stuffing mix, cover and remove from heat. Let sit 5 minutes.

Drain the garbanzo beans, Remove 1/4 of the can and puree with a splash of milk. Lightly mas the remaining beans to break up into smaller pieces but not made a paste.

Combine the cooked lentils, stuffing, pureed beans, mashed beans, eggs, and seasoning. Form into meatball sized balls and bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 2o minutes, turn over and bake an additional 10 minutes. Serve with Gravy

Onion Gravy
4 Tbsp butter
1 large onion, sliced
1/4 c. flour
2 c. chicken broth (OR imitation vegetarian bouillon cubes dissolved in boiling water first)
dash black pepper
3 Tbsp. heavy cream

Saute onions in butter until translucent. Turn heat to medium and continue cooking 20 minutes more, stirring occasionally until golden brown. Add the flour and cook 2 minutes more. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and black pepper and cook and stirring until combine and thick. Whisk in the cream and and heat through

Fall Black Bean Dip

I was thinking caramelized onions would be great on top in place of the green onions here,

2 c. refried black beans (for a recipe click here or canned works fine)
1 large sweet potato
2 Tbsp butter
Salt & Pepper to taste
small pinch cinnamon and nutmeg
Large dash cumin
Cayenne pepper to taste (optional)
1 c. sour cream
Green onions, sliced

Corn chips or crackers to serve (I used the Food Should Taste Good brand multi grain chips)

Prick sweet potato with a fork a few times on both sides and bake until tender. When cooked remove center from the skin and mash. Add the butter and seasonings to taste.

Spread black beans in the bottom of a 9x9 pan. Top with mashed sweet potato. Spread with sour cream and top with green onions.

White Bean Croquettes

3 cans white beans, drained and rinsed
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp freshly black pepper
1/2 c. plus 3/4 cup dry Italian bread crumbs
1/2c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
About 1/2 lb mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes
1/2 c. sun-dried tomatoes, chopped pretty fine

Marinara dipping sauce

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Puree the beans. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir in the 1/2 c. italian bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Refrigerate several hours, until firm.

Form the mixture into balls, using a slightly rounded tablespoon for each one. Press one piece of mozzarella and a pinch of tomato into the center of each and reshape into a ball. Coat with the remaining bread crumbs.

Deep-fry the balls, a few at a time, until nicely browned. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot with a marinara dipping sauce.

Buffalo Salad

4 handfuls of spinach green, chopped if large leaves
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 carrot, grated
1/4 c. blue cheese crumbles
1/2 can white beans, drained and rinsed
bottled hot wing sauce

Chow mein noodles

Ranch dressing

Combine the beans and enough hot wing sauce to coat and make slightly saucy. Microwave until hot.

Layers spinach, carrot, celery, and hot beans. Sprinkle with blue cheese and noodles. Drizzle with ranch dressing and enjoy.

Of course feel free to add any salad fixings you like, tomatoes, black olives, bell peppers, etc...

Greek Kale Pot

3 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. greek seasoning
1/2 c. chicken broth (Imitation or just water work)
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 can white beans
2 medium potatoes, cut into tiny (1/4 in) cubes
2 bunched kale, washed, stems removed and chopped

Saute onion in olive oil. Add potatoes and cook 1 minute until starting to cook. Add remaining ingredients and cook until potatoes and kale are tender.

Appetizer version: Skip to potatoes. Chop the kale really fine, when cooked, make sure the mixture isn't to wet and serve on toasted bread.

Potato Bites

12 small red potatoes, boil with skin on

1 small onion
3 Tbsp. butter
1 can white beans, drained and pureed
1/4 grated asiago cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

cheddar cheese

bacon crumbles, sour cream, chives, etc....

When the potatoes are cooled enough to handle slice into 1/4 in rounds. Saute onion in butter. Add beans and asiago cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Spread 1 tsp. of the bean mix on top of each potato round (more or less bean mix to taste). Top with cheddar cheese. Broil a few seconds until cheese is melted and starting to turn golden.

Top with bacon crumbles, sour cream, or whatever tastes good to you. Serve immediately.

Artichoke Spinach Dip

10 oz. spinach, chopped
olive oil
1 can artichoke hearts (14 ounces), drained and roughly chopped
1 cup shredded parmesan romano cheese blend
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
6 ounces alfredo sauce (jarred is fine)
1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 can white beans, pureed
fresh black pepper, to taste

Saute spinach in olive oil until wilted, Combine remaining ingredients. Spead into an 8"x8" baking dish.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until cheeses are bubbling and melted.

Serve with chips or bread

Greek Pastries

Olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped fine
3/4 lb. ground beef
3/4 c. cooked lentils
1 3/4 c. water
1 beef bouillon cube
3 or 4 sun dried tomatoes, chopped
pinch basil
3 Tbsp. unsweetened real grape juice
1/4 c. tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
dash pepper

2 eggs, beaten
1 c. feta

1 pkg, phyllo dough
butter

Saute onion in olive oil until tender. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink and breaking up into small pieces. Add lentils, water, beef bouillon, tomatoes, basil, grape, tomato sauce, nutmeg, and pepper. Simmer until liquid is absorbed.

Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Add eggs and feta.

Remove phyllo one sheet at a time and recover remaining sheets with a damp cloth, the dough dries out really fast). Brush with butter (I use butter flavored pan spray). Fold sheet length wise into thirds. Place 1 tablespoon of filling on one end of the pastry. Told dough around filling into a triangle. Spray finished triangles with pan or brush with more butter. Bake at 300 until golden, about 30 minutes

Greek Macaroni Salad

1 lb small pasta (Piccolini is really fun here)
Salt

1/2 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 can black olives, cut in half
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 small container feta cheese, crumbled
1 tiny bottle pimentos, drained
1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1 pkg cherry tomatoes, cut in half OR 2 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 small handful fresh parsley chopped (optional)

1/4 c. mayonnaise
2/3 c. greek salad dressing or other vinegar and oil salad dressing

Cook pasta in boiling salted water until tender. While cooking prepare vegetables and set aside.

Whisk mayonnaise until smooth. Slowly whisk in salad dressing until blended. When pasta is cooked, drain and rinse with cold water. Toss with dressing until coated. Stir in chopped vegetables

Other tasty additions:
Sliced zucchini
chopped spinach
Toasted pinenuts

Spicy Quinoa Peppers

This makes 8 peppers for an entree or use the smaller peppers for an appetizer. If you want yours a lot spicier add the seeds you remove from the peppers into the onions when you saute

4 Anaheim peppers or 12 jalapeno peppers, cut in half lenght wise, seeds removed
1 c. cooked quinoa
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and divided
1 onion, chopped
3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
1/2 c. cheese, plus more to top
1/4 green bell pepper, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. salsa verde

Saute onion and garlic until onion is tender. Add bell pepper and saute until soft, add salsa verde. Mash half of the beans until a paste and lightly mash the other half, just to break up a bit into smaller pieces. Combine beans, quinoa, onion/salsa mix, and cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Fill peppers with quinoa mix. Place in a greased baking dish and cover with tin foil. Bake at 420 for 30 minutes or until peppers are tender. Turn oven to broil, top with remaining cheese and broil uncovered until cheese starts to bubble and brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving