Kick-Ass Black Bean Dip

Habanero adds the kick!

The thought of bringing food to a pot luck scares me. Maybe it’s because if I fail at one of my latest recipes at home, it’s not a big deal. My husband and I will still eat it, and I will either never make the recipe again, or tweak to make it better. But at a pot luck, with people who have never tasted my food before, I feel like one misstep represents everything about my cooking skills. Dramatic, I know. I take my food seriously. So for my pot luck CSA core group meeting last week, I was in a slight panic. But then I came upon a black bean recipe that seemed fool proof. Easier than pie. Chop up a few veggies, then toss into a food processor with cilantro, lime juice, and spices. I made a few whole wheat pita chips to go with it, and I was all set. I was relieved when everyone at the meeting raved about the black bean dip. In fact, I think it was the only thing raved about that night. Whew. And my poor husband was sad he didn’t get to have any, so I made some again this past weekend. It is delicious. But I will warn you, I still had a bit of garlic breath the next day.

Black bean dip with homemade pita chips

Kick-Ass Black Bean Dip:

Adapted from Epicurious

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 of a medium red onion, chopped
• 2 16-oz cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons of white lemon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon roasted garlic olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 of a habanero pepper, or 1/2 a jalapeno (spicyness to taste!)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a blender or food processor, puree the beans, onion, vinegar, lime juice, cilantro, oil, garlic and cumin.

2. Transfer the dip to a bowl; add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with leftover cilantro or red onion and serve with homemade pita chips (see previous post for recipe).