Them Beans…

 

You’re about to head out to a party and just realized you forget to make the appetizer.  What do you do?  If you’ve got a can of black beans and some sour cream in the fridge, you’re in luck—you can make our 5 Minute Black Bean Party Dip.

Didn’t Think I Liked Beans

It turns out I love black beans, and that wasn’t always the case.  As a kid, I practically made a point to turn my nose up anything that remotely resembled a fruit or vegetable—just ask my mom.  Who knows?  If Mom had discovered this black bean dip back then, maybe it would have been different.  In any case, I’ve long since discovered beans not only taste good, but they contain many important nutrients I need like protein, vitamins and fiber.   And in the case of black beans, they’re not only good for you, but they one really easy to make dip—one good for just about any occasion.

 

Ingredients:

 

For this recipe you’ll want to gather up a few basic ingredients. These include:

 

1 can black beans (15 ozs)

2 to 3 cloves of crushed garlic

2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice (bottled is okay if you don’t have fresh)

1/3 cup low or non-fat sour cream

1 teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon chili pepper powder

2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro (you can use a half teaspoon of dried or skip it if you don’t have fresh)

Optional: For extra zing add 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Whipping it together:

 

The best way to put this together is with an electric mini-chopper.  If you don’t have one see the suggestion below.

Okay, I’m Ready…

Start by rinsing the beans.  Some people don’t seem to care, but I like to rinse my beans first as they always appear “soapy” when I take them out of the can.  Now, add the ingredients into your mixer, but hold back 1 clove of garlic and ¼ teaspoon of the red chili pepper.  Thoroughly mix the ingredients and taste.  I suggest using a good, fresh tortilla chip to taste the dip.  If you want a little more zing, add in the items you held back, more salt and pepper, and/or a pinch (about 1/8 teaspoon) of cayenne pepper.  Scoop the dip into a dish and serve with fresh tortilla chips.

 

Doing It By Hand

 

If you don’t have an electric mini-chopper, then cut up everything you can into very small pieces and then use an old fashioned potato masher on the beans.  Just keep mashing and stirring until you’re satisfied with the consistency, then mix everything together.

That’s it, you’re done.  Time to grab a handful of tortilla chips.

Enjoy!

Happy Cinco De Mayo.

 

By Bob Anderson
© 2011 Javabird LLC.  All rights reserved.

 

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