DYNAMIC DUO

0 Comments | Milwaukee Journal, The, Jan 25, 1995 | by ANNE SCHAMBERG

THE REMAINING recipes are from the Rice Council and the Bean Education & Awareness Network:

Black Bean Soup with Rice 1 pound dried black beans, sorted and rinsed 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) whole tomatoes (undrained) 1 cup sliced celery 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup chopped green pepper 1 smoked ham hock or ham bone 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 bay leaf 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper 1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth 4 cups water Salt and ground black pepper to taste 4 cups hot cooked rice 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup picante sauce Cover beans with water; soak overnight. Drain beans, and place in large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add tomatoes with juice, celery, onion, green pepper, ham hock, garlic, bay leaf, red pepper, thyme, chicken broth and water; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer, partly covered, 4 to 5 hours or until beans are tender, stirring occasionally. (Add more water if necessary during simmering.)

Remove and discard bay leaf. Remove ham hock, and cut meat off bone; return meat to beans. Puree half of soup in blender or food processor; return to pan. Season soup with salt and black pepper. Serve soup with rice, cheese, sour cream and picante sauce. Makes 8 servings.

Per serving: 423 calories, 67 g carbohydrate, 21 g protein, 8 g fat, 24 mg cholesterol, 9 g fiber, 328 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 17%.

Basque Paella 1 cup chopped onion 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup long- or medium-grain white rice 2 cloves garlic, pressed 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 can (15 ounces) whole tomatoes, halved (undrained) 1 can (13 3/4 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth 1 cup dried tomato halves, cut into strips with kitchen shears 12 ounces shelled shrimp, deveined (with or without tails) 1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained or 1 1/2 cups cooked pinto beans 1 can (15 ounces) light red kidney beans, rinsed and drained or 1 1/2 cups cooked light red beans 1 cup finely diced trimmed zucchini 1 cup fresh, frozen or canned corn kernels Salt to taste 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves 2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper 2 teaspoons finely chopped, seeded jalapeno pepper Saute onion in olive oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat about 5 minutes until golden. Add rice, garlic and cumin; cook, stirring, over low heat 1 minute. Add canned tomatoes (with juice), broth and dried tomatoes; heat to boiling, stirring once. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low; continue cooking 15 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, combine shrimp, beans, zucchini and corn in bowl. Add to skillet; mix. Cover. Reduce heat to low; cook about 10 to 15 minutes (depending on size of shrimp), mixing often until shrimp is opaque throughout. Season with salt.

Transfer to serving dish; sprinkle with cilantro, bell pepper and jalapeno just before serving. Makes 6 main-dish servings (about 10 cups).

Per serving: Calories 440, 65 g carbohydrate, 26 g protein, 10 g fat, 110 mg cholesterol, 710 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 20%.