Warm Cheeze and Bean Dip

Last night a friend hosted a mom and teen get together with appetizers and wine.  I promised her I would bring some cheezy goodness to win over some young teenage palates!  My aim was to show the girls and their moms that delicious cheezyness can come in a dairy free version.  The kids all know that I will have some “weird” dish to share but ironically the moms say they love trying what I make.  I guess it’s always about what some one else’s mom prepares. 🙂 Hopefully one day my dishes will become the norm when society as a whole, realizes the pitfalls of consuming animal products.

I modified a couple of recipes I found online to come up with something that is plant-based, oil free and full of fibre and flavour.  Many of these types of dishes have a cashew base, which is great unless you are watching your fat intake or have a nut allergy.  I created this recipe using white beans instead of all cashews for the base.  You could in fact take out all the cashews and use only beans if you prefer.

This recipe makes quite a good amount.  As you will see from the photos, it made enough for a medium sized casserole dish and a small one.  I left the small one at home for my family to devour and took the larger one to the party.  I was already full when I left from sampling and making sure I got the recipe just right!  The thing is, because it is so healthy, there really is no guilt.  I hate it when I get a craving for something not so healthy and chow down on that before dinner!   Like popcorn… Not that the right popcorn is that bad, but when you eat a large bag before dinner it can pose a problem!  There is a new brand out now called 3 Nutritious Sisters that uses nutritional yeast and spices to make it cheezy… Oh lord, help me!  I think I found it at Urban Fare.

I digress… this appetizer could be accompanied by bread, nacho chips, whole grain crackers or vegetables.  Any way you dip it, it’s yummy!  I like it best warmed up.

Warm Cheezy Bean Dip

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Serves: 12-14 Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes 10 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cashews (could be substituted to use only white beans)1 cup white beans (I used cannelloni)1 orange pepper, seeded and roughly chopped1 cup unsweetened plant based milk (I used almond milk)2 teaspoons chilli powder1/4 cup nutritional yeast1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 medium onion, minced1 large clove of garlic, or 2 small, minced2 tablespoons taco seasoning1 can of black beans1-12 ounce container of fresh salsapepper to tastegreen onion, chopped (optional topping)nacho chips, crackers, vegetables or bread

Instructions

1. Place the first 7 ingredients into the Vitamix or blender and blend until smooth.
2. In a frying pan, using a bit of water to keep the ingredients from sticking, fry the onions and garlic until translucent.
3. Add the taco seasoning and cook for a couple of minutes.
4. Add the contents of the frying pan to the blender and blend again.
5. Rinse and drain the beans and add them and the salsa to the frying pan.  Heat for a couple of minutes.
6. Pour the contents of the blender into the frying pan and stir into the bean mixture.
7. Cook for about 5 minutes so the flavours have an opportunity to mix.  Add black pepper, extra chilli powder or taco mix to taste if needed. 
8. Pour the dip into one or more bowls or casserole dishes.  Reheat in the oven if serving at a later time.

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