Three Sisters Dip

The Navajo tribe refers to three particular staple foods as the Three Sisters. These foods are beans, corn, and squash. All three of these items are available fresh, canned, and often frozen, and they're CHEAP. I mean really cheap. Pennies a serving cheap. I bought all of these ingredients (except the taco seasoning) at Aldi, which is where I do about 70% of my grocery shopping. I think the pumpkin may be seasonal, but you can get it year 'round at other places, or just replace it with mashed baked sweet potato. This recipe uses canned versions, because that's what I had on hand when I made it. You can cook up dried beans if you have the time, though.

Note: Aldi's taco seasoning is vegan, but it contains cocoa powder, to which I'm allergic. If you can have chocolate, though, you lucky bastards, dive right in. Aldi has good stuff!

1 Thb. canola oil (which is healthier than soybean oil by composition)
1 large onion, diced
2-10 cloves of garlic (ie, to taste), crushed and minced
1 28-oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz can corn, drained
1 15-oz can pumpkin (or about 1 pound of baked sweet potato, for an Inca flair)
2 tsp. taco seasoning, or to taste

In a 2 qt. or large saucepan, heat the oil and saute the onion until translucent. Add the garlic and stir constantly until you can smell it. Immediately add the pinto beans and stir until well combined. Mash the beans roughly as you do. You want the dip to have a little texture.

Once the beans are heated through and at a slightly rougher consistency than you'd like in the finished product, stir in the corn and the taco seasoning. Finally, fold in the pumpkin. (If you use sweet potato, you might need to add a little water to get the right consistency.) Let sit over low heat until dip is heated through, stirring gently every minute or do. This is amazing with chips, in burritos, or as a taco filling.

Variations I'd like to try: adobo or molé verde in place of taco seasoning. You chocolate-eating jerks can try regular molé.

Serves lots. As there's only one of me, I'd divvy this into portions and eat it over a couple of days.

Enjoy!