Hasson's Famous New Years Day Bean dip

Okay, well maybe it's not famous yet... but it has potential!



20 min
10 min prep

SERVES 10

16 ounces refried beans
16 oz Ranch Style Beans

8 ounces pepper jack cheese
8 ounces cream cheese
1/4 C milk or Half & Half

About 5 or so slices of american cheese
Grated Cotija Cheese (can be found in the mexican foods section of most groceries. This cheese has a nice bite to it and enhances Mexican recipes)


1 chopped jalapeno (more if you like the heat!)
1/3 C chopped Red onion
About 1/3 bunch fresh Cilantro, chopped fine
Juice of 1 lime
lime zest


Combine pepper jack, milk, and cream cheese over medium low heat and stir until smooth and creamy.

Add beans and jalepenos and stir until uniform consistency.

Add chopped cilantro and lime juice... grate some of the lime zest into the pan. Blend.

If the consistency appears too runny, add some of the american cheese and stir till blended so that sauce thickens. (Remember, the sauce will thicken up when off the heat)


Pour into a small bowl and top with grated cotija cheese. Serve with tortilla chips.


If you want to cut the recipe, just keep proportion of cheeses in equal thirds, and add beans to taste.

New Mexico-Style Rub

This is probably my favorite rub. I use it on my Smoked Baby Back Ribs with Cherry Chipotle BBQ Sauce, and also beef, like skirt steak for Carne Asada.

This recipe is from Karen Putman's "Championship BBQ Secrets for Real Smoked Food", and if you are someone who loves to Barbeque, I would highly recommend this for your library.

New Mexico-Style Rub
For an authentic Southwest flavor, add this mixture to barbequed beans, pork, lamb or beef.

Mix all the following together and store

1/4 Cup chili powder
1tbsp onion powder
1tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper

Southwest Spiced Grilled Chicken with Apricot Ginger Sauce and Lime Cilantro Beans

The chicken breast was prepared with a spicy southwest rub and then grilled on direct heat till done and a drizzle of Aprcot ginger sauce. Pictured above with Cilantro Lime coleslaw, Southwestern beans, and tomato-cucumber salad with red onion and fresh oregano in Balsamic vinagairette

Apricot Glaze:

1 C Apricot preserves; 1/4 C maple syrup, 1/4 C packed brown Sugar, 3 tbsp Cider Vinegar, 1 tsp grated or minced fresh ginger, fresh ground black pepper

SOUTHWESTERN CILANTRO LIME PINTOS
All Natural Diabetes Cookbookby Jackie Newgent

Ingredients

• 2 tsp peanut or canola oil

• 1 large garlic dove, minced

• 1 small jalapeno pepper with some seeds, minced

• 1 (15-oz) can organic pinto beans, drained

• 1/4 cup natural vegetable broth

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

• 1 Tbsp lime juice

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and jalapeno and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the beans and broth and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until the liquid is nearly evaporated.

2. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Serve hot as a side or cool as a salad.

Southwestern Slaw
Recipe 2005, Ellie Krieger

Ingredients
1 medium jicama, sliced into thin strips (about 3 cups)
1/4 head cabbage, thinly sliced (about 5 cups)
1 red onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt and pepper

Directions:
In a large bowl, toss together the jicama, cabbage, onion, and cilantro. In a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, lime juice, salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss to combine.

Smoked Shrimp Tacos and Smoked Chicken Tacos

Marinade for Shrimp:

About a pound of large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Olive oil, cumin, chipotle powder, garlic powder, coriander powder.

Dust all ingredients on shrimp and toss the shrimp with Olive oil to coat... set aside.

Marinade for chicken:

2 - 4 chicken breasts.

(Note: If they are large, flay each breast to make thinner pieces of meat so the coating will be on a greater surface area)

Olive oil, cumin, chipotle powder, Fresh Ground black pepper, sea salt, garlic powder, coriander powder, and red wine vinegar.

Dust all ingredients on chicken and toss with Olive oil to coat... set aside.

Over medium heat, Grill/smoke the chicken with mesquite wood. Add the shrimp when the Chicken is almost done, directly over the coals for about 2 minutes per side or until pink.

Cilantro Lime Crema

(goes well with the Shrimp tacos)
I started with Crema Mexicana from the store, and added a bit of sour cream (3 tbs), about 1/4 C fresh cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, and a clove of garlic. Put it in the food processor till smooth and set aside to blend flavors.

Avocado Tomatillo Salsa:

(Goes well with both the Shrimp and the chicken)
1/2 small onion, quartered
1/2 jalapeno, quartered, seeds optional
1 garlic clove, smashed
2 medium tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and coarsely chopped
1 Hass avocado, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

Add all of the above to a food processor and blend to desired consistency... I made mine smooth.

Beans:

Mix one can refried beans with 1 can "Ranch Style" Pinto beans with Jalapeno peppers

Garnish all with grated Cotija cheese, fresh chopped cilantro, Chopped tomatoes... etc.