November 07, 2012

Election-Night Party Recipe: Vegan 7 Layer Dip


Ok, you got me, it wasn't much of a party.  It was just the hubs and I, but since 3 out of 4 people living in our household are American, the US election was even more of a big deal in our house.  Our 2 year old must have sensed something because he didn't once insist we put on "Buzz and Woody" instead of watching election results (which would qualify as a boring mommy and daddy show in his books for sure).  Sitting in front of the TV all night for what we knew would be a nail-biter demanded something we could snack on, so for dinner I made one of our favourites: 7 layer dip.


Here are the layers:

1. Smooshed black beans with onion and jalapeno: mince onion and jalapeno, add black beans, hot sauce, pinch of salt.  Mix and smoosh (I use the side of a tenderizer).  Spread into the bottom of a 8 by 8 baking dish.


2. Spiced quinoa: combine quinoa (I used red quinoa, its a bit less mushy than regular quinoa, but either will do), vegetable broth, water, and spices.  Bring to a boil then cover and reduce heat to low.  Simmer for 15 minutes then let stand 2 minutes covered.  Fluff with a fork.  Spread evenly over bean layer.


3. Vegan Queso: soaked cashews will form the base for the queso.  Soak cashews for at least 4 hours in water.  Drain cashews and puree in food processor.  Add remaining ingredients and puree until smooth.  Carefully spread over quinoa layer (the quinoa will want to stick to the queso so you'll have to do this gingerly).

4. Guacamole: combine all ingredients in food processor.  Blend until smooth.  Spread over queso layer.



5. Spicy olives and pickled jalapenos: in a small bowl, combine drained sliced black olives, pickled jalapenos and jalapeno juice.  Let stand for 5 minutes then drain so that the olives are coated with some of the spicy liquid.  Sprinkle over guacamole.

6. Salsa: spread salsa evenly over olive layer.



7. Green onions and shredded lettuce: sprinkle evenly over salsa layer, and your dip is complete!



This dip will keep for a couple days in the fridge, which is a good thing because otherwise we may have felt compelled to eat the entire thing.



Vegan 7-Layer Dip
Makes 1 8x8 dish full

Bean Layer
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 jalapeno, seeds removed, minced finely
1/4 c onion, minced finely
2 tsp franks hot sauce
pinch of salt, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.  Mash beans until they form a lumpy paste.  Spread into the bottom of an ungreased 8 x 8 baking dish.

Spiced Quinoa Layer
1/2 c red quinoa
3/4 c vegetable broth
1/4 c water
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
pinch of salt
pinch of cayenne


Combine all ingredients in sauce pan and stir well.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and cover.  Simmer for 15 minutes, then let stand, covered for 2 minutes.  Fluff with a fork.  Spread evenly over bean layer.

Queso layer
1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 4-8 hours
1/2 c water
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 c nutritional yeast
1 tbsp franks hot sauce
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
pinch of salt

Drain cashews and puree in food processor.  Slowly add water while processor is running.  Add lemon juice and garlic clove and puree.  Add remaining ingredients and puree until smooth and creamy.  Spread evenly over quinoa layer.

Guacamole
2 large or 3 small avocados
1/4 c onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic
juice from 1/2 lime
2 tbsp cilantro
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp franks hot sauce

Combine all ingredients in food processor and pulse until desired consistency is reached and all ingredients are well mixed.  Spread over queso layer.


Remaining Layers - Olive/Jalapeno, Salsa and Green onion/lettuce
1 can sliced green olives
1 can pickled jalapenos
1/2 c salsa
1 bunch of green onions (scallions), light green and white parts, minced
1 c romaine lettuce, shredded

Drain olives and place in small bowl with jalapenos and jalapeno juice.  Let stand for 5 minutes.  Drain and sprinkle over guacamole layer. Spread salsa over olive layer.  Sprinkle green onions and lettuce on top.  Chill in fridge covered for 30 minutes.  Serve with tortilla chips or veggies.



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