Chilled Black Bean Purée With Basmati And Mango Food

SUNNY CARIBBEAN BLACK BEAN AND MANGO DIP

Steps:

• In a small bowl, thoroughly mix cream cheese, sour cream, and dried seasonings.
• Taste for seasoning.
• Spread mixture in an 11 inch glass pie plate or other serving plate of same dimension.
• Sprinkle top with minced jalapeno, then black beans, then mango.
• Cover well and chill overnight.
• Just before serving, sprinkle tomato and cilantro over the top.
• Serve with tortilla chips.
• Preparation time doesn't include chilling time.

CHILLED BLACK BEAN PURéE WITH BASMATI AND MANGO

Steps:

• Soak black beans in cold water for 2 hours. Drain. Combine beans, water, herbs, vegetables, chili and sugar in 1 1/2-gallon stock pot, cover, and bring to simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, 45 minutes to an hour.
• Remove carrot, celery, onion and bay leaf from soup with tongs. Ladle half the soup into blender and purée until smooth. Transfer to a bowl (not plastic). Purée remaining soup and transfer to bowl. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Cover, and refrigerate, or stir over ice water bath at room temperature until very cold (about 5 hours in refrigerator, about 1 hour over ice).
• Bring 3 cups salted water to a boil over high heat in medium saucepan. Stir in rice, lower heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender, about 30 minutes. Drain rice, rinse with cold water, shake dry, transfer to bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
• To serve, taste soup and adjust seasoning. Stir scallion and cilantro into rice. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Peel, and dice mango or avocado, toss with lime juice and salt. Spoon 1/4 cup seasoned rice into center of 6 chilled soup plates. Ladle soup over it. Top with mango or avocado.