Hey all, this is going to be a quick one. I’ve been chasing my tail since last week, and finding I barely have time to catch my breath. This holiday break is going to be a much needed rest period for me as I try to see how I can do better to manage my schedule in the new year.

Lexi chose this week’s Food Matters recipe: Pureed White Beans with Tons of Fresh Herbs. I didn’t have tons of fresh herbs, so I went with caramelized onions and red chard instead. It made my bean dip pleasantly pink! See what the gang thought up over here.

WHITE BEAN DIP WITH RED CHARD AND CARAMELIZED ONION
adapted from Food With Presence <-- I go to school with her, and you should check out her site for some awesome inspiration!
serves 4-6 as an appetizer

2 cups cooked canellini beans (soaked overnight and cooked for 35-40 mins or until tender)
2 onions, halved and sliced
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 bunch red chard, or 5 leaves, de-stemmed and sliced thinly
juice of one lime
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp maple syrup
1 drop stevia (this is my not-so-secret ingredient in just about everything)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground ginger
salt and pepper to taste

Caramelize your onions by sauteeing them in the coconut oil on med-high heat until soft. Turn the heat to low and continue to cook them for 45 minutes, stirring once in a while so they don’t burn. You can have the beans cooking at the same time as the onions and be prepping the chard and pre-mixing the rest of the ingredients while the beans and onions cook. Once the onions are all nice and brown they are done! Remove them from the pan, turn up the heat to med, and stir in the chard along with a splash of water. Cook for 2-3 minutes until softened. In a bowl, coarsely mash the beans with a fork and then mix in the rest of the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper and voila! Bean dip.