Cheesy Coconut Bean Dip

Hey there friends.

Are you still recovering from a post-Valentine's Day sugar overdose like I am? This is what I was surprised with on Tuesday:

B-e-a-utiful flowers, but more importantly, half a dozen cupcakes from Cupcake! AH! I was so excited. And a little overwhelmed with where to begin. So many choices! 

"They're alllll yours," Greg says as I hold the box in my hands, shaking my head saying, "I really shouldn't eat all of these myself. I really shouldn't......but I will if I have to!" 

And I am going to have to. Greg won't even eat one. Not even half of one. 

So that's what I have been working on for the past couple of days...eating cupcakes. And I still have two and some crumbs left. It's like a magical never-ending cupcake box. (I can't eat these cupcakes quite as quickly I can eat others. They have so much delicious, but rich, frosting that I fill-up more quickly than usual.)

If you had a sugar-filled Valentine's like I did, you might just need something, well, not so sugary. 

After making the coconut cake last week, followed by the coconut cupcakes, I was left with an open can of coconut milk in the fridge (that's a lot of 'coconut' in one sentence, huh?). 

When I saw Jessica's recipe for Coconut and Citrus White Bean Spread, I was thrilled to have a reason to use the rest of that milk. 

I loved the dip with whole wheat Ritz crackers, but I found another use for it as well. The past couple of days for lunch I have spread about 1-2 tablespoons of the dip on a hamburger bun with turkey and/or avocado. 

Well, here I am again, about to go spread this dip on a sandwich for lunch today! I am all out of avocado, so maybe I'll throw on some extra turkey.

Tonight Greg and I are going on our Valentine's Day date. We never did get a reservation on Tuesday, so we agreed we were just fine with waiting for a special dinner until today (the only reservation they had available for the rest of the week!). I still don't know where we're going, but I have a good guess. I'll let you know if I was right tomorrow.

Meanwhile, have some coconut bean dip. Or, just keep on eating those Valentine's chocolates :)

Cheesy Coconut Bean Dip

(Adapted from How Sweet It Is)

Makes about 1 cup of dip

Ingredients:

1-15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

4 cloves garlic, roasted

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

1/3 cup coconut milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. In a food processor, combine beans and roasted garlic. Blend until smooth. Add orange juice and coconut milk. Pulse until well-combined. Add salt and pepper and pulse to combine. Pour into small bowl and set aside.

2. In a saucepan, melt shredded cheese over medium-low heat. Stir cheese continuously until completely melted, about 3-4 minutes. 

3. Pour melted cheese into bowl with bean mixture. Stir with spoon to combine. Serve immediately.