Cranberry Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip

I have long lost the original source for this ah-mazing Cranberry Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip, and there are a bunch of sites that host it or something similar. And it is fabulous. When a friend passed the now-lost link on to me, I was hesitant when I saw the jalepeno. I'm Minnesotan! I don't do spice! But she assured me that when seeded, it's not very spicy at all. And she's right, it's the perfect amount of zip, adding very little heat.

I brought this to a potluck at work and it was an absolute hit! It's very festive around the holidays, especially when the cranberries are fresh, but if you freeze your cranberries, you could bring this year-round. I bet it would be delicious at a summer picnic! Can you tell I'm thinking of warm weather?

1 12-ounce bag cranberries
1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
pinch salt
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

Dice cranberries and jalapenos to your preference. I like to run it in a food processor or bullet-type appliance. This gets it really thin and juicy. If you do this, you'll want to strain some of the liquid out right before you spread onto the cream cheese. If you like it a bit thicker, you can do this by hand. 

Add sugar, lime juice, cumin and salt and stir to combine. Cover and let sit either for 4 hours, or overnight. I recommend overnight, it's really lets everything soak up the sugar.

Spread softened cream cheese onto a large platter or dish and spread the cranberry mixture over. 

I served with Wheat Thins, but any yummy party cracker would be great. Shoot, cardboard would be great, this stuff is fab. 

Sweet Potato and Aduki Bean Borritos

These burritos are not only delicious, but they are filling and packed with nutrients. Sweet potatoes are source of potassium, fiber, beta carotene, calcium, protein and vitamin A. The beans are a good source of minerals such as folic acid, magnesium, zinc and iron. Good belly filler, indeed!

Ingredients:

Filling:

• 1 can (15 oz.) aduki beans (I used no salt added variety. You could use black beans instead)
• 2 large (orange fleshed)sweet potatoes, diced in 1 inch cubes
• 1/4 cup vegetable stock or canned vegetable broth
• 2 T fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 c shredded Monterrey jack cheese, queso fresco or whatever you have in the house (I had sharp cheddar so that is what I used today)

Tortillas (Based on Deborah Madison's recipe)

• 2 c flour (can use white or whole wheat)
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• ¾ milk (water can be used also)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt or other seasoning like garlic powder or cumin or both
• I sometimes through in a tbsp or two of flaxseed meal

To make the tortillas: Whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl. Drizzle the oil throughout the dry ingredients and work it into the mixture with a fork or your fingers. Pour in the milk and combined until you have a shaggy dough. Turn this out onto a floured surface and kneed until combined. Be careful not to over-knead.  Place a damp towel over the dough and let rest for 20 minutes. Heat a cast iron pan on th stove on med-high. Cut the dough into eighths. Roll out an eighth onto a floured surface. Place the tortilla in the hot pan. When air pockets start to appear (40 seconds or so), flip your tortilla.

To make the filling: Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or large pot on medium. Add sweet potatoes. Cook for a half hour or until they start to get pretty soft. Add vegetable stock and deglaze. Add the beans and spices. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add lime. Simmer for another couple minutes. Spoon the filling onto a tortilla. Top with cheese and enjoy!