Chili Dip, Timbales, Guacamole, Oh, My!

Jalapeno Popper Timbales

While my title of this post is rather lame, my attempts at creating a Vegan Super Bowl Smorgasbord this past weekend were anything but. Ryan and I mustered up a valiant effort to cook and test three of the recipes I saw floating around online in less than one hour. First up was Fruit Guacamole on Delish.com. Next came Jalapeno Popper Timbales on FourGreenSteps.com--I've missed jalapeno poppers since becoming vegan! Finally, I whipped up one of the easiest appetizer recipes in my arsenal: Vegan Chili Layer Dip. So how were they? Read on...

Fruit Guacamole

Time: 20 minutes
Servings: Good size for 2-3 people; double the recipe for a bigger get-together.
Overall Rating: 7

Hectic getting ingredients together for 3 recipes at once

I must be honest: I was a little nervous to add fruit to an already-near-perfect snack food. I actually bought enough avocados to make a double batch...half with the strawberries and pineapple and half without. However, I put Ryan in charge of the guacamole, and he wasn't crazy about separating the green mushiness into two bowls. So in the end, we had a big double batch of fruity guac. We were not disappointed.

Ryan and I, as well as my omnivore parents, thought the fruit added a fun kick to traditional guacamole. Because the recipe only asks for a couple tablespoons of each fruit, the taste was not overwhelming but rather complementary to the creamier, more subtle avocado. The only change I would make is to add a bit of salt. I am talking less than 1/4 teaspoon...a few sprinkles ought to do.

Overall, I still prefer plain ol' guacamole, but I do appreciate the option of busting out something a little more unique on occasion.

Jalapeno Popper Timables

Time: 40 minutes, plus 25-30 minutes cooking time
Servings: About 10 servings of 3 timbales
Overall Rating: 6.5

This recipe title seemed a little deceiving to me after actually cooking the timbales. Perhaps this is because I was ignorant as to what, exactly, a timbale was. I was expecting something more similar to a traditional jalapeno popper. Ryan and I still liked the timbales, but they were not as big of a hit with my parents, who stuck mostly to the guacamole and chili dip in the Super Bowl Smorgasbord.

The trick to this recipe is a good food processor. Don't bother attempting it unless you have one!

Also, I was a little unsure of how much 1-3 tablespoons of jalapeno would look like. Should it be 1-3 T of finely diced jalapenos, or 1-3 T of large chunks? I chose finely diced, which translated to 3 jalapenos. The result was not spicy at all. Next time I will probably use double the jalapeno.

Ryan and my parents enjoy our Superbowl creations

Some other tips: I used Daiya cheddar shredded cheese instead of the three slices suggested by the recipe. In the past five or so years as mostly vegan, I never really used faux cheeses because none of them did a good job imitating real cheese. After trying Daiya this past weekend, I just may start re-introducing "cheese" into my diet.

Finally, the parchment paper is key. I did not have any, and, despite lightly oiling, the timbales stuck to the pan.

Overall, this recipe is healthy and tasty. Next time (and there will be a next time!) I will definitely add more spice.

And last but not least...

Vegan Chili Layer Dip

Time: About 4 minutes
Servings: Good appetizer for a group of 5-6
Overall Rating: 8.5

I adapted this dip from a recipe my mom always uses. It is pretty much as easy as an appetizer gets.

Ingredients

• 1 Tub Vegan Cream Cheese, such as Tofutti
• ~1 Cup Vegan Burger Crumbles, such as Smart Ground by Lightlife
• 1 Can Vegan Chili; Amy's Kitchen makes a variety of them
• 1 Jalapeno, sliced or diced
• Tortilla Chips

Chili Layer Dip

Spread the cream cheese across the bottom of a pie plate. Spread the burger crumbles on top of the cream cheese. Next, pour the chili over the top of the crumbles and spread evenly. Spread the jalapenos on the top of the dip. Microwave approximately 4 minutes (cooking times will vary based on the microwave). Enjoy with tortilla chips.

Ryan and I LOVE this dip, and my parents ate their fair share, too. With a recipe this easy, you must try it at least once.

Well, there it is: my review of our Vegan Super Bowl Smorgasbord. I look forward to making each of these recipes again, and I hope your taste buds agree with conclusions.