On Saturday we had a family favorite for dinner, 7 Layer Mexican Bean Dip. It's the typical layered bean dip complete with sour cream, guacamole, and cheese served with tortilla chips. We like it so much, we eat it as a meal. On Monday, I was back at the market and while I was in line to check out (don't ever go shopping when hungry), I was trying to keep myself distracted from the candy calling my name to the left of me by reading the magazine titles on my right. I was attracted to the Taste of Home spring edition featuring a fabulous alternative to the classic layered bean dip.

(I was going to take a picture of this fantastic fusion explosion, but it was eaten so fast I never had a chance! So I lifted this directly from the magazine, please don't turn me in!)

Subtract the sour cream, guacamole, and cheese - add in fresh papaya, smooth avacado, and "kick" it with ancho chili pepper and serrano's -- and this MAKEOVER is complete! It's not designed to be a "main dish" so I added chicken. It was still not as filling as I'd like, but Brian ate so much of it, he was full!

Tropical Fusion Salad with Spicy Tortilla Ribbons

2 cups cubed and peeled papaya
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and cubed
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 serrano peppers, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Dressing:
1/4 cup orange juice
2 T lime juice
1 T cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp ground ancho chili pepper
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Tortilla ribbons:
corn tortillas
salt
ground ancho chili pepper

In a large bowl, combine salad ingredients and dressing ingredients together. For the chips, cut tortillas into 1/4 inch strips and place on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and chili pepper. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes until crisp. Serve with salad.

Yields 4 servings: 1 1/4 cup salad with 10 tortilla strips equals 321 cal., 8g fat (1g sat fat), 58 carb., 11g fiber, 9g protein. Weight Watchers=6 pts