Recipe For Bean and Cilantro Spread

Continuing with appetizer recipes, here is a favorite for a bean dip or spread, very low fat and delicious. Argentines are not big fans of beans, reserving them usually for cold winter days, but this seems to be a hit at parties. I use it as a dip with carrot sticks and cucmbers, as a spread on melba toast, or as part of a sandwich: thic-sliced whole grain bread, the spread, roast beef, ham or chicken, and cucmber slices.

Bean and Cilantro Spread

1-1/2 Cups cooked pinto or kidney beans, drained. Canned are OK if you rinse and drain them well
2 - 3 cloves of garlic, put through a press or minced
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 to 1 tsp Tabasco, Aji Chileno, or other red pepper sauce
2 Tbsp. olive oil, or more for texture
1-1/2 to 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Plenty of chopped cilantro: 2 tbsp minimum

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend to the texture you like.

Serve on melba toast, pita bread or similar, garnish with: boiled egg slices, anchovies, avocado, cucumber, roasted red bell pepper, etc.

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