My New Red Hot Latin Love: A Guest Post by Healthy Sous Chef Partyologist, Lea Bowen

I want to introduce you to my new favorite spice. It's smoked paprika. Quite frankly, I have become a bit obsessed with this beautifully hued, smoky spice. It is most commonly used in Spanish cuisine and adds a deep, smoky flavor and a touch of heat. Smoked paprika can transform a simple salad vinaigrette or a roasted potato into a taste sensation. This spice adds such a nice smoky flavor, that many times, vegetarians use it as a substitute for bacon. It adds a smoky, bacony flavor without the bacon. Earlier this week I made croutons with smoked paprika and tossed them with a tomato and lettuce salad for a new twist on the traditional BLT. Most recently, I made a white bean dip with this wonderful spice. I hope you will enjoy this recipe for white bean dip with smoked paprika. It is great with pita chips, crudite or as a sandwich spread. I hope you will give smoked paprika a try whenever you need to take a bland dish to the next level.

White Bean Dip with Smoked Paprika:

2 cans of Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed

3 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

1 TB Smoked Paprkia

1/2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper

Sea Salt To Taste.

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, season with salt to taste. Drizzle with olive oil and an additional sprinkle of smoked paprika for garnish. Serve with pita chips or carrot sticks.