Zesty Red Bean Dip and Vegetables

Whether you're entertaining friends or family or snacking at home or work, this dip is sure to please. The red beans contain cancer-fighting anthocyanins and count toward your daily '5 to 9' servings of fruits and vegetables. Including the green bell pepper "bowl," this recipe delivers two 5 A Day servings per person.

Ingredients:

Dip:

• 1 15-ounce can dark red kidney beans, undrained
• ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoons cumin
• ¼ cup fresh dill, roughly chopped
• Dash hot sauce
• ¼ cup plain, low-fat yogurt

Vegetables:

• 1 green bell pepper, hollowed out (with top and seeds removed)
• 1 medium bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
• ½ cup grape tomatoes
• ½ cup mini carrots
• ½ cup bite-sized broccoli florets

Directions:

1. Discard two tablespoons of liquid from the can of beans.
2. Puree remaining liquid and beans, salt, pepper, cumin and hot sauce in a blender.
3. Stir in yogurt, and empty the puree into hollowed-out bell pepper.
4. Set pepper in the center of a medium plate or shallow bowl, and surround with bell pepper, grape tomatoes, carrots and broccoli florets.
5. Serve.

Optional:

To bring out more color and flavor in the broccoli florets, blanch and shock them before serving:

1. Bring ½ cup of water to boil in a small pan.
2. Add broccoli florets and cover.
3. Steam on high heat for 2 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare a small bowl of ice water.
5. Remove the broccoli florets from the boiling water and place them in the ice water.
6. Drain and serve.

Serves 4.

Nutritional Analysis per serving:

• 134 calories
• 24 grams carbohydrates
• 8 grams protein
• 0.8 grams fat
• 0.9 mg cholesterol
• 455 mg sodium
• 7 grams fiber

Recipe courtesy the National Cancer Institute