Sunday, July 19, 2009

taco dip for dinner


Taco dip... a staple at parties. You know it. You love it... admit it! Usually a layer of beans, some sour cream, some veggies and olives, and shredded cheese. There are many variations, but that's the gist. The other night I thought why not make myself some taco dip for dinner? So that's what I did. This was a departure from the norm, however.... made it a bit simpler, healthier, fresher.

First I made a quick salsa... a few tomatillos, a couple jalepenos, garlic, LOTS of fresh cilantro, salt, pepper, cumin, all munched up in the food processor to a rough chop. Then I added a couple of avacadoes to the mix and blended it some more. I wondered briefly if this creation was indeed still a salsa, or if I had just made it cross the line into guacamole territory. Then I decided I really didn't care about semantics... it tasted damn good.

I seasoned up some canned refried beans with plenty of cumin (one of my favorite spices), Mexican oregano, chili flakes and Tapatio hot sauce, my new favorite condiment. That's about it as far as cooking.... spread the beans on a plate, spread the salsamole on top, sprinkle with crumbled queso fresco and you have a satisfying yummy dinner or party dip.


I made chips by cutting corn tortillas into triangles with a pizza cutter, lightly spraying them with olive oil spray and a sprinkle of salt, and baking them in a pre-heated 375ºF oven until they were crunchy... about 10-15 minutes. Making chips like this is the way to go... they are healthier and have more substance and flavor to them than store-bought. And so easy to do!

And yes, I feel that taco dip is a perfectly legit dinner option.

2 comments:

Toontonearmy1 said...

Fuhreeeeek

Robyn Wright of Robyn's Online World said...

my cousin and her hubby told me they have dips like this as their dinner sometimes (she doesn't really enjoy cooking) and I was a bit surprised at first thinking that isn't much of a meal - but once I thought about all the veggies and stuff I thought it really is sort of a meal. I'll have to tell her she is not alone in her dip dinners.