7 Layer Bean Dip

Shout-out to Closet Cooking for this addictive and delicious recipe. LV made it for our latest BBQ/Picnic and not one of us (including LV) could stop shoveling it into our mouths. I decided to make it 2 days later for my brother. Naturally, I ate 1/2 of it. SO SO GOOD. I actually did mine based on LV's description and added a couple more ingredients, and her's was a carbon copy of the one at Closet Cooking.

This should serve 4, but it ended up serving 2 adults one of whom had no self-control.

Ingredients

Refried beans (I used the "vegetarian" "no lard" version) - 1 can
Green chillies- 2-4 or 1/2 Serrano finely chopped or jalapenos.
Black olives - sliced, about 15
Avocados - 1, coarsely chopped
Roma tomatoes (since it's summer, use cherry or grape tomatoes instead, so much better)- 2 finely chopped
Cheddar Cheese - to cover the top, about 1/2 cup-1 cup
Fresh Cilantro - finely chopped for garnish
Scallions - finely chopped 1 bunch
Cumin Powder - 1 tspn
Cayenne/Chilli powder - 1 tspn
Pickled Jalapenos (optional)
salt to taste

Method

1. Heat up the refried beans and add water until dippable consistency is reached. To this add the cumin and cayenne powder. Also add the green chillies to the hot beans and mix everything.

2. Pour the beany mix into serving dish. Top it off with cheddar cheese. Microwave this for about 30seconds for cheese to melt.

3. Next up are the avocados, follow this up with the tomatoes, jalapenos, black olives, cilantro and scallions.

4. Serve warm. Add sour cream to make this a 9 layered bean dip. ;)

Serve with tortilla chips.

Hot Crab Dip - It's Party Time!

My Aunt Jeannie brought this to a family dinner, and 20 minutes after she put it out, it was gone. It took me months to get the recipe out of her, so enjoy the fruits of my persistent wheedling. --AnglophileLV

Hot Crab Dip
2 Tb lemon juice
8 ounce 1/3rd less fat cream cheese
½ cup light mayonnaise
1/4th tsp tobacco sauce
3 green onions chopped
2 cups crabmeat (Costco has it)
2-3 Tb. Parmesan
½ tsp each salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix cream cheese and mayonnaise until fluffy. Stir in lemon juice, tobacco, green onions, crab meat, salt and pepper.
Spread in a 3 cup baking dish and sprinkle with parmesan.
Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Serve hot with wheat thins (my favorite—you could conceivably use other chips, but why mess with perfection?)

Cacik-Turkish Yogurt and Spinach Dip

This is kind of like Indian raita, and kind of like Greek tzatziki, but if I had to choose between the three, I like this one best. I could eat this all day - actually, that's exactly what I've been doing. --AnglophileLV

Turkish Yogurt and Spinach Dip, aka Cacik

Serves 4

1/2 bag baby spinach
1 fat clove garlic, minced fine
1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
1/2 lemon juiced
1 Tb. chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 Tb. chopped mint
1 Tb olive oil
1 cup Greek style yogurt

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the water comes to a boil, add the spinach and blanch for 10-20 seconds. Fish out the spinach with a spatula and transfer to the ice water. Cool, drain, and squeeze dry like a sponge. Chop coarsely.

2. Mince the garlic and combine with a pinch of salt. Combine with lemon juice and olive oil, and let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in the yogurt.

3. Combine the chopped spinach, dill, parsley and mint. Stir in the yogurt and garlic mixture. Add fresh ground pepper to taste, and more salt if desired. Serve with crackers, pita chips, or crudites.

*Additional note: this recipe can also include cucumbers, cabbage and beets mixed in.