Dip It! by Rick Rodgers Read Free Book Online

pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
One 14½-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
Two 15½- to 19-ounce cans black beans, drained, liquid reserved
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Sour cream for garnish
    1. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp and browned, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spatula, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain and cool.
    2. Pour out all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the skillet and return to medium heat. Add the onion, greenpepper, and jalapeño. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the cumin and oregano. Add the tomatoes with their juice and the beans and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, until the beans are heated through, about 10 minutes.
    3. Chop the bacon. Transfer half of the bean mixture to a food processor and process until smooth. Stir back into the skillet, along with the bacon. If desired, thin with some of the reserved canned bean liquid. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days.
    4. Transfer to a serving dish and top with a large dollop of sour cream. Serve chilled.
HOT BLACK BEAN AND BACON DIP The dip can also be served hot. Heat 2 tablespoons reserved bacon fat or vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the prepared dip and cook, stirring often, until heated through, about 5 minutes.
    Smoky Chorizo and Chipotle Dip
    makes about 2½ cups
    MAKE-AHEAD : The dip can be prepared up to 2 days ahead.
    T his dip gets a double dose of smoky flavor from chorizo sausage and chipotle chiles en adobo. Use smoked chorizo sausage, which is hard and can be diced. Fresh chorizo which is like a very spicy bulk sausage, isn’t right for this dip. You’ll find chorizo at Latino grocers and larger supermarkets.
what to dip
Tortilla chips,
store-bought or
homemade (page 176) •
Corn chips
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 ounces smoked chorizo sausage, finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Two 15½- to 19-ounce cans pinto beans
1 canned chile chipotle en adobo, minced
Salt to taste
½ cup sour cream for garnish
Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
    1. Combine the chorizo and oil in a medium skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the chorizo is browned, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chorizo to paper towels, leaving the fat in the pan.
    2. Add the onion and red pepper to the skillet. Cook, stirring often, until the pepper is tender, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, and cumin and stir until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beans with their liquid and the chipotle pepper and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
    3. Transfer 1 cup of the bean mixture to a food processor and puree. Stir back into the skillet, along with the chorizo. Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool. Season with salt, cover, and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days. (If the chilled dip is too thick, thin with water or broth.)
    4. Transfer to a serving bowl. Top with the sour cream and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
    Texas Caviar
    makes about 6 cups
    MAKE-AHEAD : The dip can be prepared up to 2 days ahead.
    E rsatz caviar, dip or spread made from small or chopped ingredients that somewhat resemble tiny grains of salted fish eggs, is an entire dip sub-category. In this case, the black-eyed peas play the role of caviar (although those would be Texas-sized fish)! I don’t think I’ve ever been to a party in Texas that hasn’t served up this kissin’ cousin to bean salsa. For tenderfoot-mild caviar with a gentle kick, use just one jalapeño.