Must-Have Dip for Super Bowl

Photo by Lorelle Del Matto

 Smoky Sun-Dried Tomato & Bean Dip

This is an especially super super bowl because my local team the Seahawks is playing.  For once I’ll be watching the game instead of listening from the kitchen where I’m most likely to be on a Sunday afternoon.  I want foods I can make ahead and that will sustain us through hours of game-time nibbling without having to adjust my belt buckle by the final score.

It’s hard to imagine a super bowl party without dip.  Such finger foods are popular because they keep people busy nibbling throughout the game.  

I’m including this Smoky Sun-Dried Tomato and Bean Dip in my super bowl spread.  It satisfies meat eaters and vegetarians and is a perfect accompaniment to another favorite, guacamole.  Avocados are rich and can be filling.  Super Bowl is a long event so if you don’t want to fill up before half-time try my Guacamole Light.

This dip features pinto beans, the most widely consumed bean in the United States.  (Reference 1) Like other legumes they’re nutrient super foods with protein, soluble and insoluble fiber and a wealth of nutrients.  In fact, legumes supply so many nutrients the Dietary Guidelines 2010 says they can be grouped with either protein foods or vegetables. 

Buying and cooking dry beans makes them especially economical (about 25 cents per serving) and more ecological than using canned beans. 

Photo by Lorelle Del Matto

If you forget to plan ahead and soak the beans overnight, do a quick-soak: Put rinsed, drained beans in a large heatproof bowl.  Cover with a generous amount of boiling water and let sit for one hour.  Drain well.  Cook in boiling salted water until tender. 

Tests reported in the book Cook’s Illustrated, The Science of Good Cooking (Reference 2) showed that the quick soak method help make beans a little easier to digest for some people.  Background:  Small-chain carbohydrates called oligosaccharides are not digested in the small intestine but go on to the large intestine  where they are digested by bacteria that may produce gas as a by-product 

Quick-soaking reduced more of the oligosaccharide stachyose in beans than the overnight soaking method.  More beans were broken during cooking however so if you want perfect looking beans for a salad you might go with an overnight soak. 

These facts should make beans more appealing to you. We derive unique health benefits from beans’ non-digestible carbohydrates. Resistant-starch (RS) which comprises as much as 35% of a bean, and resistant- fiber (RF) are considered “prebiotics” because they promote the growth and activity of “probiotics” or good bacteria in the colon.  These probiotics make nutrients and may protect against colon cancer, among other benefits (Reference 3).

Back to the party. Go hawks!

References

1. Beans, Pantry Staples, Nutrition Stars Marisa Moore, MBA, RDN, LD. Food and Nutrition Magazine 2013 http://www.foodandnutrition.org/September-October-2013/Beans-Pantry-Staples-Nutrition-Stars/

2. Cook’s Illustrated The Science of Good Cooking, The Editors at America’s Text Kitchen and Guy Crosby, PhD. 2012. p. 264.

3. Resistant Carbohydrates in Dry Beans: Friend of Colonic Probiotics, Foe of Colorectal Cancer. Dry Bean Quarterly. Vol. 4, No. 1. The Bean Institute.  www.beaninstitute.com

Smoky Sun-Dried Tomato & Bean Dip

Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are found in cans in the Mexican or ethnic section of stores. They are smoked jalapenos in a sauce and offer a nice smoky-spice flavor to the dip. 

2 cups cooked pinto beans (rinsed and drained well if canned)

1/2 cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion, white and green part included

2 tablespoons fresh oregano or marjoram leaves

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 to 3 teaspoons chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce

1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Combine all ingredients in food processor bowl.  Pulse several times to create a blended dip with a chunky texture, stopping to scrape bowl once or twice.  Add a tablespoon or two of water if desired for a thinner consistency.  Taste and adjust seasonings to taste.  Scrape dip into a small bowl, cover and chill for 1 hour to blend flavors.  Serve with baked tortilla chips, carrot slices or strips and bell pepper wedges.  Makes about 1 3/4 cups. 

Copyright © Lorelle S Del Matto 2014

Photo by Lorelle Del Matto