Caribbean Black Beans with Sauteed Plantains

I feel somewhat cruel posting this while Tommie is stuck at work in Chicago. It's a sin how tasty this dish is. I purposefully don't make it that often, because I love it so much that I don't want to overdo it.

The beans are sauteed with orange juice, lime juice, garlic, and jalapeños. Then you add sauteed plantains and rice to the scrummy beans, y tienes una fiesta fabulosa!

Make this dish. You'll thank me. Needless to say: 6 out of 5 stars. No pregunta.

Black Bean Soup with Cumin, Chiles, and Lime

Best. Black. Bean. Soup. Ever.

No wait.

Best. Soup. Ever.

I've made this soup a few times, but I feel very strongly that the wrong beer (one of the ingredients) can destroy the dish. And, since I haven't had a beer in easily a decade, I have not been very good at picking beers. But today, I went to the old faithful Heineken, my beer of choice in the '90s. Complete fracking success.

Couple things if you make this: instead of removing 2 cups of soup and blending them, I just blended the soup in the pot a bit with my immersion blender. Not the whole thing, just enough so that when you stir it around you get that fabulous, thick texture that all black bean soups must have (IMHO).

Also, I opted for plain yogurt instead of sour cream, and I went with a fat-free one. Tasted fabulous. Why add the fat and calories if you don't need them?

So, for the first time EVER, I am awarding this dish 6 out of 5 stars. Best. Soup. Ever.

Black Bean Soup with Onions and Bell Peppers

I love black bean soup. Let me clarify -- I love Jack Bishop's black bean soups. This entire recipe uses only two tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. And, yet, despite it being incredibly light, it is extremely flavorful. The splash of balsamic vinegar at the very end adds a delicious complexity to the flavors. With the gobs of protein that come from the black beans, this to me is the perfect dinner.
I give it 5 stars.