Southwestern Layered Bean Dip

This is the ultimate bean dip. It has cheese, salsa, avocado, olives, beans, sour cream —everything you could ever want in a bean dip. After spreading thin layer on top of thin layer on top of thin layer, we scoop it up with tortilla chips. We make it to celebrate the birth of every New Year and it’s always just as good as we remember. I (Amelia) even have it for breakfast, though I admit that’s just me.

This recipe is the brainchild of my lovely grandmother, Kathleen Stewart, who knows her way around dips. Grandma was the inspiration for this lemon bundt cake, and we owe her many a tradition, culinary or not. It’s been hard having to socially distance from her, but eating this dip and thinking of her brought her a little closer.

2020 might be gone, but the problems we encountered then have not vanished. We still need to socially distance, take care of our planet, and work to build a more equal society. So, as we enter into this new year, I suggest doing so with some beans in the belly.

Southwestern Layered Bean Dip

Layer in this order (we use an 18-inch round platter, and smooth smooth each layer with a spatula):

• 1 15-ounce can Refried beans (Taco Bell Brand)

• 1 16-ounce Pace Picante Sauce

• 1 Avocado, cut into ¼” chunks

• Tomato or red pepper, cut into 1/4-inch chunks

• 5 -ounce can diced, mild green chilis

• 1 1/2 cups sour cream

• 1/2 package of McCormick  or 2 tablespoons Penzeys taco seasoning

• small can chopped olives

• 2 to 3 green onions, sliced

• 3/4 cup grated cheese

• Also be good with lime juice squeezed over the top, optional

• 1 to 2 packages of your favorite tortilla chips (we love Juanitas brand), for serving.

This dip is one of the only ways Lucia likes beans.

Lemon Blueberry Oven Pancake

Happy blueberry season everyone!

To celebrate blueberries’ arrival, I (Amelia) thought we should all make a giant pancake. I adapted this from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe, adding lemon and vanilla, swapping the white sugar for brown, and using kosher salt instead of table for a more present flavor. The result was a perfect weekend breakfast, one that does not require individual flipping, scooping, and burning and feeling bad about yourself because you can’t even get pancakes right. Instead, you can enjoy the weekend with something delicious and simple.

Lemon Blueberry Oven Pancake

Serves 5 

• 3 tablespoons butter, melted

• 3/4 cup (3.75 ounces) regular whole wheat flour

• 3/4 cup (3.75 ounces) all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

• Zest of 1/2 medium lemon

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk

• 1 large egg

• 1 1/2 cups blueberries

• White sugar, for sprinkling

Heat the oven to 350 degrees, melt the butter in a medium bowl (doing this earlier will give it time to cool before it meets the egg), and grease a 9x 13-inch baking pan.

Mix the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt together in a large bowl. Whisk the brown sugar into the melted butter in a medium bowl, followed by the lemon zest, vanilla, buttermilk, and egg. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir with a spatula until just combined. Carefully dot the batter in blobs with the spatula over the pan (pouring it all in at once will make it much trickier to get an even layer) - it’s VERY thin! It will make you a little nervous, but just do your best to get all of the surface area covered and trust in the power of leaveners. Sprinkle the blueberries on top, followed by about 1/2 tablespoon of white sugar, and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Serve warm with your favorite syrup!

Chocolate chip oven pancake: Replace the blueberries with 1 cup of chocolate chips and omit the lemon zest, sprinkling the chocolate chips on and baking it just like the original.

I would try to eat this within the first day. Leftovers look a little sad, though toasting helps.