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  Kathy Manweiler  


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KATHY'S NINE-LAYER DIP

Use kidney beans and baked chips to make this Mexican dish more healthful.

Ordering an appetizer at a Mexican restaurant could eat up your calorie allowance for an entire day, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

The watchdog group says an item with ingredients such as fried chips, guacamole, cheese, refried beans and sour cream often contains as many as 2,000 calories. So it's no wonder that lots of Don't Say Diet readers keep requesting lighter versions of Mexican foods.

Today, I'm sharing my recipe for a healthy nine-layer dip.

Refried beans often contain lard, but I slimmed down this recipe by simply mashing some kidney beans. If you want to kick up the flavor, you could mix some salsa into the beans once they're mashed. I also chose reduced-fat versions of sour cream and cheese.

Plus, I make my own guacamole because some brands of guacamole are high in fat and calories. My guacamole recipe makes more than you'll need for this dip, but you can save the rest for another day or freeze it.

My homemade tortilla chips save more calories and fat grams because they're baked, not fried. These chips taste best when they're served straight from the oven, so if you're not going to eat them all at once, I recommend making the chips in smaller batches.

You can have a serving of my nine-layer dip for 225 calories and 7 grams of fat.

Reach Kathy Manweiler at 316-268-6266 or kmanweiler@wichitaeagle.com. For more Don't Say Diet recipes, visit the Alive & Well Web site at www.wichitaaliveandwell.com.

We'll slim it down for you

Do you have a favorite food or popular recipe that you'd like to see made healthier? Send your ideas and recipes, along with a daytime phone number, to me at kmanweiler@wichitaeagle.com or:

Don't Say Diet

c/o The Wichita Eagle

P.O. Box 820

Wichita, KS 67201

FOR LIGHTER GUACAMOLE:

1 or 2 jalapeno peppers

1 large ripe avocado, peeled and cut in half, divided use

½cup light sour cream

2 tablespoons chopped onion

3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½teaspoon salt

½teaspoon cumin

1/8teaspoon pepper

½cup tomato, seeded and chopped

FOR DIP:

2/3cup light sour cream

1/8teaspoon cumin

1/8teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8teaspoon paprika

Dash salt

1 16-ounce can of dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

¾cup sharp Cheddar cheese made with 2 percent milk, finely shredded, divided use

½cup lighter guacamole

¼cup sliced black olives

¼cup sliced green onions

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro

FOR CHIPS:

16 6-inch corn tortillas

Cooking spray

Optional seasonings: Salt, chili pepper, cumin, cayenne pepper

To make guacamole: Use rubber or plastic gloves to seed the jalapeno peppers and finely chop them. In a food processor, combine one half of the avocado and the sour cream, onion, jalapeno peppers, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, cumin and pepper. Cover and process until smooth. In a bowl, mash the remaining half of the avocado with a fork. Stir in the pureed avocado mixture and gently fold in tomato.

To make dip: Combine the light sour cream, cumin, cayenne pepper, paprika and salt in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside. Put the beans in a microwave-safe shallow dish and mash them with a stick blender or a fork. Put the dish in the microwave and heat the beans 2 to 5 minutes, or until hot. Sprinkle half of the cheese evenly over the beans. Spread the guacamole over the cheese. Sprinkle the olives over the guacamole. Spread the sour cream mixture over the olives. Sprinkle the green onions on the sour cream. Put the tomatoes on top of the green onion. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the tomatoes and top with the fresh cilantro.

To make chips: Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges, put them on a baking sheet and spray them lightly with cooking spray. Sprinkle on salt or other seasonings to taste, then bake the tortilla wedges for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted and crispy. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings.

Per serving ( 1/8 of dip with 16 chips): 225 calories, 35 carb grams, 292mg sodium, 7 fat grams, 5 protein grams, no cholesterol, 5.6 fiber grams

Dip recipe adapted from "Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2." Guacamole recipe slightly adapted from the "Taste of Home Cookbook."

The Wichita Eagle