Black Bean Dip

This recipe, from the cookbook Pumpkin: A Super Food for All 12 Months of the Year by DeeDee Stovel, is great. I don't even need the chips because I think it makes a great side dish. The pumpkin is undetectable. Here's what DeeDee has to say about it: "A smooth creamy texture with a bit of chunkiness, a deep rich flavor and bright hints of cilantro make this fresh-tasting bean dip a favorite on the hors d'oeuvre table." I couldn't agree with her more.

Black Bean Dip

Makes 4 cups

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon canola oil

1-2 jalapeno chilies, minced

1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups cooked black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

2-3 tablespoons water

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Assorted corn chips and vegetables

1.  Heat the oil in a medium skillet. Cook the peppers and onion over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until they soften slightly. Add the garlic and cook another minutes. Set aside.

2.  Place the beans, pumpkin, lime juice, cumin, salt and water in the bowl of a food processor and puree until partially smooth, stirring with a scraper as needed. Add the onion, peppers, garlic, and the cilantro and pulse a few times until blended but not completely smooth.

3. Scrape the dip into a bowl, garnish with a sprig of cilantro, and serve with corn chips and vegetables, such as a mix of white, blue, and yellow tortilla chips; baby carrots and slices of red bell pepper.