Cheesy corn dip

This dip is so easy to throw together. You really can't mess it up. I change it a bit every time I make it depending what I have on hand. Wish I could come up with a more glamorous name, however...

Serve with crackers, pita chips, tortilla chips, veggies-- whatever you have in the pantry! Great on bagel crisps too!

About a half-cup each of sour cream and mayo (light, if you want to up the healthy factor)

small can of diced green chilies

one ear of corn cut off the cob (or sub frozen as I did in these photos)

diced shallot or red onion

a few squirts of hot sauce (I like to use chipotle tabasco for a smoky flavor)

a tablespoon or so of cumin

maybe some salt and pepper

sometimes I throw some fresh jalapeno in there if I have one....

 Then just mix it all up, and add a couple big handfuls of a nice, sharp cheddar.

Stir together...

Top with diced sweet bell pepper (red is pretty, but I had a yellow one today)

Yum, yum!

Black Bean Soup with Cilantro Lime Cream

Ok, a little disclaimer before I post this "recipe".... it's not a recipe at all. Just a guideline, you could say. But a friend had black bean soup while we were out together the other day. Our conversation went something like this:

me: That soup looks so yummy! Such a good day for black bean soup, think I'll make some for dinner. 

friend: Oh, yeah? Do you have a good recipe?

me: Well, I have a good idea of what stuff I throw in the pan.... 


So I tried to pay attention to measurements while making this. But seriously, you can't mess up black bean soup. Almost anything would be good in there.

Black Bean Soup

2 T olive oil
2 or 3 cans black beans
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 or 2 cans veggie broth
1 bell pepper, any color, chopped ( I got a big bag of colorful baby bell peppers super cheap at Winco so I chopped up a few of those for some color)
1/2 to 1 sweet onion (depends how onion-y you like it. Or how big the onion is.)
1 can diced green chiles
3 or 4 cloves garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 can diced tomatoes (I was out of these, so I used a can of Embasa salsa from the hispanic foods aisle)
Cilantro Lime Cream (see below); shredded sharp cheddar; chopped fresh cilantro; chopped avocado, to top soup

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat; add onion, peppers and garlic....

Saute for 3-4 minutes. Add green chiles, cook a couple minutes more.

Add beans (I used 2 cans), corn, tomatoes, cumin and chili powder, cook 3-4 minutes. 

Add broth (I used 1 can, and my soup was nice and thick), simmer uncovered 15 to 20 minutes. Using an immersion blender, partially puree the soup to your liking. (That step is optional, I just love it a little bit creamy)

Top with cheddar, fresh cilantro, avocado and Cilantro Lime Cream (recipe follows)

Cilantro Lime Cream

1/2 container sour cream

juice of 1 lime

big handful coarsely chopped cilantro

Combine ingredients in bowl; puree using immersion blender. (you could also use a blender or food processor)

This cream is fantastic on any mexican dish: soup or chili, burritos or enchiladas, quesadillas.... It's a nice tangy way to cool down a spicy meal. Yum. 

Mexican Rice Salad

A great friend of the family, Debi, shared this recipe with me, and I modified it a bit. Here is my version, using brown rice. There aren't measurements for the rice and veggies, so just make as much as you want; I always have leftover dressing which keeps well in the fridge and is delicious over a taco salad or drizzled over enchiladas.

Mexican Rice Salad

For the salad:
Cooked brown rice
Shredded carrots
Chopped green onion
Chopped cilantro
Rinsed, drained black beans
Rinsed, drained (or thawed) corn
Avocado, chopped

For the dressing:
1 cup red wine vinegar
2 cups salsa
1 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
1 T sugar
Process dressing in blender (I use my immersion blender for less dishes), toss salad ingredients together (except avocado) and add dressing to taste. Top with avocado and serve with green tabasco as desired.

Tex-Mex Brown Rice Chili

Mmmm, yummy recipe from Rachel Ray magazine... one of my favorite sources for new recipes. This chili is super hearty thanks to the addition of brown rice. Since I'm vegetarian and hubby is not I've made 2 versions of this recipe- one as I found it, with the ground turkey, and one with a couple veggie burger patties broken up in place of the turkey. My very, very fav veggie burgers (and I've tried a few...) are from Costco but I can't remember what they're called. They come frozen in a big plastic container, and they are large oval patties made up of mostly veggies. I love that they have sunflower seeds in them! Adds such great flavor and crunch and really gives this chili recipe a little something extra!

Tex-Mex Brown Rice Chili

serves 6

5 T evoo

1 lb ground turkey (or a couple veggie patties)

salt and pepper

1 onion, finely chopped

1 jalapeno chile, finely chopped

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

one 28oz can crushed tomatoes with basil

one 12oz bottle light beer

3/4 cup brown rice

chopped cilantro, shredded cheddar, sour cream, sliced scallions, chopped avocado and hot pepper sauce (my fav: green tabasco) for serving

1. In a large pot heat 3 T evoo over med-high heat. Add the turkey and cook, breaking it up, until browned, 7-10 mins. Season with salt and pepper; transfer to a plate.

2. Add the remaining 2 T evoo to the pot and stir in the onion and jalapeno; cook until softened, about 5 mins. Stir in seasonings and cook 1 min more. Stir in tomatoes and their juice, beer, and 2 cups water. (the first time I made this it was a bit bitter... my guess is my beer wasn't "light" enough... but I don't know beer. so the next time I subbed some veg broth for half the beer... better. ) Stir in the rice and 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 35 mins. Stir in the turkey, cover and cook until the rice is tender, 20-25 mins. Season with salt and pepper, serve with toppings.

I just love dishes that come with toppings!! Yum, pile on the avocado!