BAKED CREAMY REFRIED BEAN SPREAD

BAKED CREAMY REFRIED BEAN SPREAD

with seasoned greens, soy sour cream and pickled Serrano peppers. Topped with chopped tomato, cilantro and soy sour cream. Served with fresh flour tortilla wedges!

Makes 3-1/3 cups spread

14 oz. can Seasoned Southern Style Mixed Greens; drain, then wrap in tofu cloth and twist/squeeze to remove all excess liquid

15 oz. can refried beans

½ c. soy sour cream, plain

½ c. chopped fresh cilantro

3 lg. peeled garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 t. fresh squeezed juice of lemon

3 pickled Serrano peppers, finely chopped

1 t. juice from Serrano pepper jar

1 t. liquid smoke

1 t. onion powder

1 t. ground coriander

½ t. sea salt

1 t. sugar

¼ t. finely crushed dried oregano

lots of freshly ground black pepper

½ c. additional soy sour cream

fresh chopped tomatoes for garnish

additonal chopped cilantro for garnish

additional soy sour cream for garnish

Place all ingredients, except additional soy sour cream and garnishes, in large mixing bowl. Mix well to evenly distribute the greens and all other ingredients.

Add additional sour cream, mix well till as creamy as you can get it. Adjust for salt.

When ready to serve, place in small-medium cast iron skillet, cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Raise heat to 400 degrees and bake another 30 minutes. Remove from oven, remove foil and smooth top with spoon.

Top half with fresh chopped tomatoes and the other half with fresh chopped cilantro.

Spoon some sour cream in the center of the dish.

Serve with fresh flour tortilla wedges, along with a serving knife, so guests can help them themselves.

Notes: If you prefer, pan-fry small flour tortillas, in just a bit of oil, till they’re lightly browned in spots on both sides. If you’re serving the pan-fried wedges, fry them before the spread comes out of the oven so you can serve it piping hot.

No one would know there were greens in this spread. They add a rich dimension and just enough bitterness to please the palate, and just enough texture to make the dish exciting – sort of like a spinach dip/bean dip combo.

Serve with guacamole and a side of salsa with chips and you’ve got yourself an hors d’oeuvre buffet, or a family dinner.

Optional:  You know that lemon you squeezed? Cut it into 3 or 4 pieces, knife out the pulp, then before you place the spread into the cast iron skillet for baking, place them into the bottom of the skillet, white side down, pressing them down to flatten them, then place the spread on top. Effect? While it bakes the flavor of the lemon will rise up through the beans to impart a stronger lemon flavor. With or without, it’s equally great.