Anchovy & Butterbean Dip
Serves 6
I love eating raw vegetables with hummus, curried yogurt, charred corn and tomato salsa, or freshly made guacamole. One day, I found a half-open can of anchovies in the fridge from making a pizza for the boys. I remembered having butter beans in the pantry, and an idea for a new creative combination sparked. My new dip fulfilled my need to find new dips that are also nutritious.
I’ve always loved butterbeans, especially when added to a rich braise, heartwarming stew, or mashed with parsley and garlic then spread on warm toasted bread. One cup of cooked butter beans contains approximately 216 calories. Of these calories, only six come from fat, making butter beans an excellent low-fat food. They also have 15 grams of protein, and a total carbohydrate count of 39 grams, or 13 percent of the RDA. The carbohydrates may be further broken down into 5 grams of naturally occurring sugars and 13 grams of dietary fiber. This fiber level equals over half of the RDA, coming in at 53 percent. Diets high in dietary fiber increase intestinal health and the lower the rate of colon cancer.
I’m a strong believer in the food we eat having great nutritional value. Otherwise, we’re not feeding our body the foods that help ward-off infection, inflammation, and disease. My rule of thumb is to eat 80 percent nutrient dense, whole foods such as whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables and beans, and 20 percent lean meats, such as chicken, fish and shellfish. I focus on naturally processed foods that contain five or less ingredients. This dip fits this rule perfectly.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped small
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 can low sodium butterbeans, rinsed
8 anchovy fillets
½ fresh lemon
¼ to ½ cup low sodium vegetable stock
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons washed and dried capers
How to make:
Take a medium size saucepan and place over a medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil followed by the chopped onion. Cook for 2 minutes then stir in the garlic, and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, and allow to cool.
Tip the contents of the pan along with the butterbeans, anchovies and lemon juice into a food processor. Blend until smooth. If it is too thick, add the stock. Taste and season, if needed. Place into a serving bowl. Sprinkle on the parsley and capers. Serve with bread sticks, vegetable crudité, or toasted pita bread.