7 Layer Dip

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

1/3 pound dried baby lima beans, soaked in water for 24 hours
16 oz homemade vegetable stock (see recipe)
2 large red beets, stems removed
1 teaspoon safflower oil, divided
3 small whole wheat tortillas, cut into thin triangular strips
3 cups cauliflower florets
3 cups nonfat milk
10 shrimp, peeled and deveined
½ cup fat free yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1 oz fresh Alaskan King Crab Leg, out of the shell
(may substitute with 1 oz fresh cooked shrimp or lobster)
10 to 12 leaves of watercress

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 400F.
• Place beets in foil and drizzle with half the oil and 1 teaspoon of water.
• Close the foil around the beets and bake on a tray in the oven for 1 hour or until a knife inserts into the center of each beet without resistance.
• Cool in the refrigerator.
• Cook tortilla strips in oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until strips have colored slightly and are crispy.
• Remove from oven and cool at room temp.
• After the beets go into the oven, drain off soaking liquid from beans and rinse with cold water.
• In a medium pot, bring vegetable stock and beans to the simmer over medium high heat.
• Once simmering, reduce heat to low and cook gently for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until beans are soft and cooked through.
• Once cooked, drain off liquid and move beans to a blender.
• Reserve cooking liquid.
• Cover the lid of the blender with a hand towel and keep it open slightly to release steam, begin pureeing the beans on the lowest speed.
• Slowly drizzle in enough of the cooking liquid to make a smooth puree, about 4 to 6 tablespoons of liquid.
• If puree is still too thick, add more cooking liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time until puree is smooth.
• Remove from blender and leave covered at room temp.
• While beans are cooking, bring cauliflower and milk up to the simmer in a medium pot over medium high heat, but do not allow the milk to boil.
• Once cauliflower has softened, about 10 to 15 minutes, remove from heat and drain.
• Reserve milk.
• In a blender, puree cauliflower on lowest speed, keeping the lid open slightly while covered with a towel to allow steam to escape.
• Slowly drizzle in 3 to 5 tablespoons of the milk and puree cauliflower until smooth.
• Strain cauliflower puree through a fine mesh sieve and leave covered at room temp.
• Heat a large nonstick sauté pan over high heat.
• Sauté shrimp in remaining ½ teaspoon of oil for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until shrimp is just barely cooked through and pink in color.
• Remove from heat and allow to rest at room temp.
• Chop all but 2 shrimp into a fine dice.
• Peel skin from cooled beets and cut into a small dice.
• Mix yogurt and chives in a small mixing bowl until well incorporated.
• In a small glass bowl or ramekin, begin layering the dip.
• Start out at the bottom with an even layer of the bean puree.
• To that, add the crab, followed by the yogurt, the beets, cauliflower puree, and the chopped shrimp.
• Place the watercress leaves in the center of the shrimp layer.
• Cross the tails of the 2 remaining shrimp and place on the watercress leaves.
• Serve with whole wheat tortilla chips.