San Mateo Bean Dip

This bean dip is in honor of the start of football season. (Go Irish! 35-0 yesterday! :) It's one of my husband's favorite football snacks. It also makes a great appetizer for a party. The dip is probably devoid of any real nutritional value, but it's pretty darn tasty, and sometimes that's all that matters, right?

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 can of Frito's plain bean dip
• 1 package of McCormick's Original Taco Seasoning
• 3/4 cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 3 chopped scallions (optional)
• 10 drops Tabasco sauce (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and beat with mixer until thoroughly combined. Put dip in casserole dish. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve warm with tortilla chips.

(Sorry there's no picture. Kendall started eating it before I could take one!)

Like A Young Dylan, Chasing The Ghost of Woody Guthrie…Through Beans

I’m not sure if making beans is as back-to-basics as Erik’s attempts at making bread, but there is something fundamental about beans. You can do pretty much anything to them and they have great bang-for-your-buck when it comes to protein. And, as I mentioned to somebody the other day, the economy of beans brings to mind some kind of depression era, Woody Guthrie, box car jumping type of diet. And the recipe below adds to that boxcar feel by including beer as an ingredient[1].

Beer-Glazed Black Beans w/Tomatoes[2]

What You Need

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 Cup Beer (in this case, Oranjeboom)
3 Cups Black Beans (canned or cooked)
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
1 Tablespoon Honey (bear shaped container optional)
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste (fresh or canned work as well)
Salt/Pepper

Work
Cook onion until soft. Add garlic and cook for minute. Then add beer, beans, chili powder, honey, tomato paste, salt, pepper. Bring to steady bubble, cook until it thickens, about 15 minutes.

Assessment
Turned out well, not much to screw up here, this is more utilitarian than foodie. But, a good way to spice up black beans. The tomato element is optional, but I recommend it. Could work as a side, or serve on rice as we did and it will go a long way.

[1] Note: if you are further interested in embracing the boxcar lifestyle, a good first step is to live on a grad school stipend, see evidence here
[2] Another Mark Bittman recipe