Taco Tuesday with Zach's Refried Bean Dip

Every other week I have my brothers over for dinner. They requested that we have tacos this week and I happily obliged. 

The boys love tacos. 

For one of them in particular, I'm looking at you L, I think tacos actually qualify as a food group. 

In order to make the meal a little special I made my mom's bean dip recipe, "Zach's refried bean dip."

This dip has been a staple in our house at almost every family party.
We never did learn who this Zach character is, but we owe him... big time.

It's not the most glamorous appetizer, but the ooey-gooey deliciousness cannot be denied. 

During dinner, the boys decided to add it to their tacos and a whole new level of scrumptiousness was discovered. 

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Zach's Refried Bean Dip: 

1 16 oz. can of refried beans

1 package of taco seasoning

1 8 oz. bar of Philadelphia cream cheese 

1 4 oz. can of diced jalapeños 

1 4 oz. can of chopped olives

1 8 oz. package of shredded Mexican cheese

[Optional: 1 8 oz. container of sour cream]

Mix all of the ingredients together. Pour into a baking pan, bake at 375° F until bubbling, usually about 45 minutes. I then like to broil it for a few minutes to get the top crispy. 

Serve with chips and enjoy! 

Or, as the boys did, add to your taco for an additional pop of flavor. 

Butternut Squash Soup

This butternut squash soup is a game changer. 

It’s simple, delicious, fast, hearty, and easily modified to fit dietary restrictions.

Butternut squash soup with pan-fried salad turnips

Butternut Squash Soup with pan-fried apple sausage, shallots and escarole

You will need:

2 large yellow onions

1 shallot

1 tbsp. olive oil

The flesh of 2 butternut squash

36 oz. Chicken Stock (or Vegetable stock)

1 tbsp. Garlic

1 tsp. Turmeric

1 tbsp. Ginger

1 tsp. Paprika

1 tsp. Cumin

1/2 tsp. Sage

Himalayan Salt

Pepper

Optional: Curry Powder

Cut the squash into chunks approximately 1 inch long. 

If you are in a bit of a rush, a lot of grocers are now selling butternut squash already prepared (peeled and cut).

You do not need to cook your squash before adding it to the pot.

Caramelize the onion and shallots with about 1/2 tsp. of salt in the olive oil over medium heat until almost translucent. 

Add the butternut squash chunks, spices, and the chicken stock. 

Cook for approximately 20 minutes until the squash is tender. 

Turn the heat to low, use your emulsion blender to puree the mixture; season with salt and pepper to taste. 

I like to top the soup with additional protein or sautéed vegetables in order to make it feel heartier. 

This time around, I decided to pair the soup with pan-fried apple sausage, shallots, and escarole.

Dragon Tongue Bean Stir Fry

Crunched for time? Try this recipe. 

I kept my stir fry VERY simple with three principle ingredients, Dragon Tongue beans, Mung bean sprouts and Garlic Chives.

Dragon Tongue beans are pretty long beans, so I cut mine into 1 inch pieces. 

Turn your stove to high heat. Add 1-1 1/2 teaspoons of grape seed oil to your pan. 

Allow it to heat. Add the Dragon Tongue beans. 

Get a good sear on the beans, you'll notice that where visible, the beans will change color to a more vibrant green, this only took me a little over two minutes.  Quickly add the sprouts, sauté for maybe one more minute, add the chives, some salt and pepper, and  you're ready to serve!