7 Layer Taco Dip (Vegan, Gluten Free)

I know what you're all probably thinking, "Really Joy? This is your Halloween post? Taco dip?!"

I realize that the calendar reads October 31, but I'm just not feeling it. It does not feel like it should almost be November. I thought about sucking it up and posting a recipe for chocolate chip pumpkin chia pudding or something, but I forgot to buy pumpkin at the store yesterday, a somewhat crucial ingredient in a pumpkin pudding. Then I thought about waiting to post this recipe until tomorrow, but then I realized I was just being ridiculous. If I want to post a recipe for Taco Dip than gosh darn it I will! 

Ahem. Anyway.

I have always loved taco dips (anything involving tacos, really). I think it runs in my family, like loving ice cream. My sister-in-law, Nancy makes an awesome taco dip. Her taco dip is the reason I didn't survive going vegan the first time I tried. I couldn't resist the cheesy goodness! But that is no longer a problem thanks to this Vegan 7 Layer Taco Dip!

Not only is this Taco Dip vegan and delicious, it is also chock full of nutritious ingredients so there's no need to feel guilty about eating it (especially if you're using veggies instead of chips!). Plus it makes a great healthy appetizer or snack at a party or holiday get-together. 

Vegan 7 Layer Taco Dip

• 2 Cups Vegan Refried Beans
• 1 Batch of Guacamole
• Approximately 1 Cup of your favorite Salsa (amount depends on salsa consistency)
• 2-3 Large Kale Leaves, Shredded
• 1/4 Cup Black Olives, Sliced
• 1/4 Cup Diced Tomatoes
• 1 Jalapeno, seeded and diced

Makes one 9 inch pan.

Simple layer your ingredients. Spread the beans across the bottom of the pan until they make an even layer. Next evenly spread the guacamole, then the salsa. Sprinkle on the shredded kale, olives, tomatoes and jalapenos. Serve with your favorite chips or veggies. Try not to eat the whole pan yourself. 

Notes:

-If using canned beans be sure to read the label, maybe refried beans are made with lard. I would also suggest mixing in some garlic, cumin and black pepper for a better flavor.

-This dip refrigerates really well if you want to make it ahead of time for a party. It lasted over 24 hours in my fridge without going bad or the guacamole turning brown. It actually tasted better after chilling for a little while. 

Did anyone catch how many times I said "taco dip"? 'Cause it felt like a lot. Also the word "layer" looks like it's totally spelled wrong after looking at it for too long. 

What's your favorite appetizer?

Blueberry Banana Bran Muffins (Vegan)

Bran muffins are one of those great dividers. Like olives, sushi or mushrooms, people either love them or hate them. I have always loved bran muffins. Growing up, I remember my mom bringing home boxes of the day-old muffins from the grocery store and I always wanted the bran muffin. Not the blueberry, not the lemon poppy seed or the corn, I wanted the bran muffin. I'm weird, I know.

Along with great dividers, bran muffins are also many times great deceivers. People tend to just assume they're healthier. Whether this is consciously or sub-consciously, I think we all do it on some level. Unfortunately bran muffins are often times anything but healthy. Out of curiosity, I did a quick Google search  for nutrition facts for the average bran muffin. The results for one muffin? Almost 350 calories with over 11 grams of fat and 23 grams of sugar. Yikes!

But have no fear! I have come up with a solution for us bran muffin lovers! A recipe as nutritious as it is delicious! My recipe has only 160 nutrient-dense calories per muffin with only 2 grams of healthy fat, almost 5 grams of protein and half the amount of sugar that bakery muffins have. Plus they are loaded with fiber (over 8 grams per muffin!), manganese and vitamin B6. Now there's a muffin to feel good about!

Blueberry Banana Bran Muffins

• 3/4 Cup Whole Spelt Flour
• 3/4 Cup Wheat Bran
• 1/4 Cup Old Fashioned Oats
• 2 Tablespoons Ground Flax Seeds
• 1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• Pinch of Sea Salt
• 2 Overripe Bananas
• 1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1/8 Cup Blackstrap Molasses
• 1/8 Cup Pure Maple Syrup
• 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
• 1/2 Cup Blueberries

Makes 6 muffins.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine first 6 ingredients. Mash in the bananas. Then add the vanilla extract, molasses and maple syrup. Stir in the almond milk until just combined. Carefully fold in blueberries. Line a muffin pan with liners or lightly grease with coconut oil. Fill each muffin liner to the top with batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and cleanly removed. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Then sit back, relax and enjoy a muffin you can feel good about eating.

So how 'bout you, are you a fan of bran?

[Green Thumb] Why Greens Taste Best in Winter

Hey Everybody! Hope your week is going well. I'm excited to present you with the first official installment of the Green Thumb series...

Hello blog-readers, -writers, -collectors, and basically anyone else I missed...maybe you're just bored or sick like I've been. Either way, I think I've got something for you today that I'd bet you didn't know. We'll call this Green Thumb Fact #1.

We're going into fall...I say that somewhat presumptuously, because here in Austin it's still mid- to upper-90s every day. Most of the country, though, has transitioned into cool season planting which means all sorts of leafy greens, root veggies, and dark green veggies like broccoli and Brussels sprouts. These crops are grown during the coldest months of the year for a few reasons...

1- More popular fruiting veggies like peppers, melons, and tomatoes can't withstand the cold temperatures.

2- Although greens can be grown in most areas even during the warmer months, they typically require more water to sustain themselves - a commodity which is increasingly rare during the summer months.

3- (The reason I'm writing...) Greens, the healthiest of all veggies, taste best when grown in cold weather.

If you're like me, you probably heard people say things like that until you simply accepted it, but unlike me, you may not have searched out the reason why...did that make sense? Anyway, greens taste best when grown in cold weather, plain and simple. Kale, being the hardiest (and healthiest) of the leafy greens, can actually withstand temperatures of -10 degrees! I grew up in Iowa, and not even I can (or want to) withstand that kind of cold. Blech!!

Regardless I'm sure plenty of you have seen perfectly healthy kale or chard or spinach plants in the summer, though, so why is it that kale tastes best when it's been dug out from under a foot of snow? The answer? Because a large part of the composition of almost every leafy green or root crop is starch, and just as starch that's ironed into a shirt stiffens said shirt, so too does the sun stiffen the leaves of dark green crops during warmer months. Cold weather, on the other hand, breaks down those starches into sugars, and come on guys...let's be honest. Who doesn't like sugar? I certainly do...just ask Joy! :p

So armed with that knowledge, the next time someone you know - maybe friend, family member, or the produce vendor at your local grocery store - says greens taste better when they're harvested in the winter, ask them why. I'll betcha most of them can't, and won't you look smaht when you can enlighten them! ;)

What's your favorite winter veggie?

What questions do you have about gardening?