Beans, beans they’re good for your heart, the more you eat, the more…

you’re smart!

You thought I was gonna say that other word, didn’t you?

The pooty word.

The flatulence word.

The gaseous escapeous word.

Fart.

There. I said it. It’s done with. Now we can all go on, as the mature adults that we all are, and talk about beans.

Beans. They’re good for what ails ya. They’re versatile. They offer a great variety. They’re cheap. Not to mention they pack the power of protein and flavor to boot. And they’re good for you. So for the next few weeks I’ll be promoting The Bodacious Bean. I’ll post a recipe utilizing beans once a week so be sure to check back regularly for your weekly bean update.

(And, no, I will not have any green bean casserole recipes – it’s on the back of the can of those fried onion thingy’s, if somehow, in the off chance, you’ve never made it. I ain’t knocking no green bean casserole either – it’s some good stuff.)

The first bean offering is a simple but yummy black bean dip. I love black beans. Love ‘em. Like they’re my kin folk or something. They’re meaty and oh, so good.

This recipe is easy peasy – a quick one to throw together for a last minute appetizer for sure. Here’s what you’ll need…

…black beans, tomato sauce, shredded cheese, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. The cilantro is for garnish if you like to fancy it up.

This recipe is flexible so have fun with it. You could switch the cheese, spice it up with some crushed red pepper, or leave out the cheese altogether if you don’t like it. And of course, if you’ve got the time, you can certainly start with dry beans.

Begin by warming the beans over medium heat. After they’ve warmed a bit and are a little softer, say 5 minutes or so, mash the heck out of ‘em. I use a potato masher first then – now you might want to take note of this fancy technique – I use a flat bottom glass and mash ‘em some more. You could definitely put them in a food processor if you’d like a more smooth texture. I’ve done that and it works great but it’s quicker and you only mess up one pot if you mash it where it is. Those handy dandy immersion blenders would work just fine too.

After the mashing has ceased, add the tomato sauce and spices, stir then add the cheese and stir some mo’. That’s it. You’re done.

This dip is fantastic on chips, celery, crackers, a stick. You can even use it inside of a burrito – yum.

Enjoy!