Recipe: Taco Dip

Eating out is fun, but not nearly as fun as spending time making a full out meal at home. I'm not talking about a rush job like a sandwich or stir fry. I'm talking about an entree, side dishes... maybe even an appetizer. It's rare in our house to make the time to make full out meals. We're usually running from one thing to the other, or working late. But not tonight...and tonight was good, really good.

In celebration of the 4th of July, I wanted to make a vegan version of a family favorite: taco dip. It's layered with a chili-seasoned sour cream/cream cheese, salsa, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. This stuff is a hit at family gatherings and really easy to make vegan.

Vegan Taco Dip

1/2 tub Tofutti cream cheese (or your choice)
1/2 tub Tofutti sour cream (or your choice)
3/4 c Pace medium salsa (or your choice)
1 romaine heart
1 medium tomato
1/3 white onion
1 fresh jalapeno (optional)
1/2 T cumin (to taste)
1 T chipotle (to taste)
2 tsp ancho (to taste)
1/2 T garlic powder (to taste)
1 T lime juice (to taste)
1/2 T hot sauce (to taste

Mix cream cheese and sour cream in a small bowl until smooth. Add in spices, lime juice and hot sauce (you can skip this step by mixing in a half package of your favorite taco seasoning (check ingredients if you're making it vegan.)) Spread this mixture at the base of your dish (use a large dinner plate or you can double this recipe for a 9x11 dish). Top with the salsa and spread even (try not to mix the layers.) Dice the lettuce, tomato, onion and jalapeno and layer in that order on the salsa mixture (think you want to be able to get a good mix of this on a chip, so dice it small.) Serve with chips or fresh veggies.

That was just the appetizer! Check out this spread: homemade refried pinto beans; fajita-style peppers, onions and mushrooms; fresh guacamole; and jicama-mango salad (recipe upcoming.)