Mango BBQ Beans

This dish screams "summer" in so many ways. First of all, they're BBQ beans, which is just a summer staple. Second, they're flavored with sweet tropical mango, which you can buy really deliciously ripe at this time of year. Even beyond their seasonal appropriateness, these beans are seriously delicious. They're sweet, spicy, and smoky, and they go great with all kinds of grains and green veggies -- so they're easy to build a meal around. The cookbook I got the recipe from also suggests serving them with fresh cornbread or over mashed yuca. Yum! 

Mango BBQ Beans

From Appetite for Reduction

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped finely
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 mango, peeled, pitted, and chopped small
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 14-oz cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 2 to 3 tablespoons agave nectar (to taste)

Preheat a large pot over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic in the oil with a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes, until translucent.

Add the mango, tomato sauce, broth, red pepper flakes, coriander, salt, and kidney beans. Turn up the heat and bring to a rolling boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover the pot, leaving a little room for steam to escape, and let cook for about 45 minutes, stirring often. The sauce should thicken and the mangoes should cook down a great deal.

Turn off the heat, mix in the agave and liquid smoke, and let the beans sit for about 5 minutes. Adjust any seasonings as necessary and serve.