The last entry in my January (well, now early February) dip series is a Tex-Mex inspired black bean dip published (a few days late!)  in honor of that big football game, which as you all know was played in Dallas, Texas this year.  We are had a Superbowl party Sunday, and like many of you, we served up lots and lots of unhealthy (yet delicious) tidbits.  This dip, however, injects just a little bit of sense into our day of beer, fried cheese sticks, and mini pizza bagels, while bringing those favorite Tex-Mex spices to the party.  While it’s creamy and delicious, it is also low-fat as you will notice, and is also full of fiber and vegetables…although granted we ate it off of tortilla chips.  It made me feel just a little bit less gross at the end of the day.  This is another one of those recipes that you can throw together from things you have (or SHOULD have) in your pantry for a day such as Sunday, when the store ailes are clogged with confused single men looking for something to serve during the big game.  (My apologies if you are a single man – clearly if you are one who happens to be reading this blog, you are enlightened and do not fall into this category!) 

I modified the recipe from the original in several ways – first, I used a can of diced tomatoes with green chiles, as I wanted to have a spicier bean dip.  If you would rather something with less of a kick, you can certainly use plain tomatoes.  I also added some light cream cheese at the end to give it silky smoothness that I just love in mexican dips.

Spicy Black Bean Dip

Source: Ingrid, via allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• Olive oil cooking spray
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2oz (1/4 of an 8oz block) light cream cheese
• 1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese
• 2-3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Place black beans into a sturdy bowl, and mash! ( This takes a bit of elbow grease – don’t worry about getting the beans too smooth, the texture gives the dip character!)  In a skillet over medium heat coated with cooking spray, saute the onion and minced garlic together until the onions start to turn translucent.  Add mashed beans, frozen corn, tomatoes and chiles, and spices, stirring well, and cook until the mixture starts to thicken.  Add in the cream cheese cut into 2 or 3 chunks for ease of mixing, and the cheddar cheese.  Stir well.  Top with chopped cilantro.  Serve warm with your favorite chips!

As an aside – the leftovers made an AMAZING quesadilla filling.

This was the first Mexican dish that I made that did not involve a pre-mixed packet of taco or fajita seasoning. When I first made this dish, my husband and I were amazed at how easy it was to throw together a warm, tasty Mexican dish. Turkey and bean burritos have become a staple meal in our home. They’re easy enough to make on a weeknight, and work well on their own or with a side of Mexican rice.

Over the years, the turkey and bean burritos have undergone some minor changes. The original recipe is for Turkey, Tomatillo, and Bean Burritos and can be found in Rachel Ray’s 365: No Repeats cookbook. The recipe uses tomatillo salsa as the base, but I initially used whatever regular tomato salsa I had on had. I now use tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder and poultry seasoning in place of the salsa. I think it makes the filling more moist, and the flavor more consistent.

If I’m just cooking for Mike and I, I will only assemble and heat two burritos and store the filling in a bowl. I’ve found that pre-assembled burritos get soggy in the fridge. When it’s time for leftovers, I warm the filling in the microwave, and assemble the burritos before popping them in the oven.

And of course, no Mexican meal is complete without a margarita!

Turkey and Bean Burritos
adapted from Rachel Ray’s Turkey, Tomatillo, and Bean Burritos (found in 365: No Repeats)

Yields 4-6 servings

6 10-inch flour tortillas
1 package (1 1/3 pounds) ground turkey breast
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp cumin
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 cup tomato sauce (plain, no-salt added)
1 cup chicken broth
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
shredded cheese of your choice

1. Preheat the oven to 275.
2. Brown turkey in large non-stick skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Once turkey is browned, transfer to bowl. Drain most of the fat, leaving a small amount in the skillet. (Or, drain fat and use olive oil)
3. Add onions, garlic and pepper to skillet. Saute on medium heat for several minutes until onions are translucent and peppers are soft.
4. Add browned turkey to pan and mix in. Season with cumin, chili powder and poultry seasoning.
5. Stir in the black beans, tomato sauce and chicken broth.
6. Increase heat and continue to cook for 5-10 minutes more, or until the mixture is thickened.
7. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.
8. Heat tortillas in microwave to make them more pliable.
9. Spoon turkey mixture onto tortillas, top with shredded cheese and roll up.
10. Place rolled tortillas seam-side down on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 10 minutes.