Recipes from Wednesday - LOL!

Here are the recipes for the ranch dip and the taco, nacho, whatever-you-want-to-call-it dip.

Ranch Dip (slightly adapted from Everyday Food Magazine March 2008)

1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk

1/2 cup light mayonnaise

1/2 cup light sour cream

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

3 scallions, finely chopped 

1/2 teaspoon dried dill

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl, whisk together the above ingredients and serve.

(Note: The recipe in the magazine was for a ranch dressing that used  1 cup of buttermilk and omitted the garlic.  I cut down on the buttermilk to make it thicker for dipping, and I think every good ranch needs a little garlic, so I added it!)

Turkey and Bean Taco Dip

1 small onion, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeds and membranes removed, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 1.25 package ground turkey 

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 bottle Ortega mild taco sauce

1 package shredded Mexican cheese (2 cups)

1 tomato, seeded and diced

3 scallions, thinly sliced

handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

In a large skillet, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat.  Add onion, jalapeno and garlic and saute until soft.  Add ground turkey and cumin, and breaking up the meat with a spoon and cook until meat is no longer pink. Add about half the bottle of taco sauce and the black beans and stir to combine.  Simmer for 5 minutes on low heat.  Add more taco sauce as needed to make the mixture look saucy.  Spread the mixture in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan.  Top with an even layer of shredded cheese and place under the broiler until cheese is melted.  Remove pan from oven, and sprinkle with chopped tomatoes, scallions and cilantro.  Serve with tortilla chips, salsa, guacamole and sour cream.