Crispy Black Bean Cakes with Sour Cream and Avocado

I don't know what it is about the Summer, but I feel like time just slips away. I can pin some of it down: busy times at work, lazing by the pool, a dozen movies from Netflix. I just don't seem to notice the time. I don't know if that makes sense... but I am having a hard time wrapping my head around the last 10 days. Why? Because it feels like it was about 20 minutes. Can it really be so long since I've blogged? Crazy.

We are big fans of little veggie cakes. Ever since I tried my first meatless burger at home, we've been big fans. Variations are limitless and they are so easy to toss together (because odds are, you have most of the ingredients in your pantry already!)

What sets these black bean cakes apart is their crusty outsides/creamy interiors. Genius. Mind you, it calls for 12 cakes and we probably ended up with 6. C'est la vie. The mix out of the fopo is more than a little sticky, so keep a bowl of cold water nearby to wet your hands slightly - it helps, I promise.

Once fried and drained, I served the cakes with a little arugula, scallions, and avocados, as directed. You'll see the sour cream and tomatoes on the side - the husband isn't a fan of either, so I didn't mess with dolloping on both. I sauteed some cubed market potatoes to go with, on a lark, and the combo really worked. Not only that, but the variety of colors on the plate really made me happy.

Crispy Black Bean Cakes with Sour Cream and Avocado
c/o Melissa Rubel in Food & Wine Magazine, April 2008
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/crispy-black-bean-cakes-with-sour-cream-and-avocado

These pan-fried cakes are crispy on the outside (thanks to a thin coating of bread crumbs) and creamy in the center. They make an excellent vegetarian meal, especially alongside a green salad.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for frying
1 small onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 large garlic clove, minced
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Two 15-ounce cans black beans, drained
1 1/4 cups plain dry bread crumbs
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten
Sour cream, avocado, scallions and lime wedges, for serving

In a medium skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat just until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the cumin and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Scrape the onion mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Add 1 1/2 cups of the beans and pulse until the mixture is finely chopped but not smooth. Scrape the mixture into a medium bowl. Mix in the remaining whole beans and 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs and season with salt and pepper. Form the mixture into twelve 1/4-cup patties, about 1/2 inch thick.

Put the flour, beaten eggs and the remaining 3/4 cup of bread crumbs into 3 shallow bowls. Dust each black bean cake with the flour, tapping off the excess. Dip the cakes in the egg and then in the bread crumbs, pressing so that the bread crumbs adhere.

In a very large skillet, heat 1/8 inch of oil until shimmering. Add the cakes and fry over moderate heat until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Serve the black bean cakes with sour cream, avocado, scallions and lime wedges.

Wine: Soft, plummy Merlot: 2005 Mia’s Playground.

See the recipe...

Taste & Create VI: Bring on the Burger

I apologize for having this to you a day late - I was having some interweb-connectivity issues that seem to have resolved themselves. This is fortunate, because I am chomping at the very tasty bit to tell you about this lovely burger!!!

Quick note: While I haven't yammered on about it too much here (yet), I'm really trying to make an effort towards a more "flexitarian" diet. I won't buy and bring home meats that didn't lead happy lives as animals. It's a pretty abstract idea, for sure, what makes a happy animal happy, but for me to be able to WANT to eat it, I need to know that it was humanely raised and cared for.... that it knew sunshine and wind and life in a way that meant something. We are lucky to live in an area where this new way of eating has been relatively easy to source - between my Organic Butcher and our local Farmer's Markets (where I can get eggs from happy chickens.)

For this sixth round of Taste & Create, hosted by Nicole, I was paired with a fellow Daring Baker, Krishna from Cooking from A to Z. Truly, I couldn't have asked for a better partner. I seriously spent the better part of an afternoon reading through her blog. (Don't tell work!) I gotta tell you, the photography is AMAZING! I drooled over almost everything, from her Pomegranate Chocolate Pots, to her Hot'n'Sour Soup ... I wanted to try it ALL!! Ultimately, though, my choice was made - Black Bean Burgers!

Why the burgers when there were so many other tasty options? Well, because we love burgers and I've never made a vegetarian version - and considering my desire to lead more a meat-free life, these burgers seemed like a perfect choice. Because I'd never done this before, I kept a pretty open mind... bell pepper and apple in a burger? Sure, whatever! I'll take it! In fact, I love that there were so many flavor elements in these burgers - I love love love the feeling of knowing that dinner is delicious AND incredibly healthy. My only horse-up? I don't think I smushed enough of the beans... I had a teensy bit of trouble getting the burgers to stick together. So long as I was delicate enough getting the formed patties into the pan, the act of cooking them helped bind them together.

I served each patty on a roll smeared with goat cheese and topped with sliced avocado (I know, I know, I'll take any opportunity to use either or both in a meal!) I'd meant to roast some baby red potatoes to go with, but I got distracted. Didn't matter in the end anyway, as the burgers were super filling on their own! (And Dave had two!)

Would I make this again? You betcha. And you should, too.



Black Bean Burgers
c/o Cooking from A to Z
http://cookingfromatoz.blogspot.com/2007/10/good-old-black-bean-burgers.html

(makes 10 large patties)

1/2 medium Vidalia onion - chopped fine
1/3 medium red onion - chopped fine
1/2 orange bell pepper - chopped fine
1/2 granny smith apple - chopped fine
4 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno pepper
1.5" ginger
2 cans black beans
1/2 t allspice
1 t olive oil
1 t cumin seeds
salt
a few drops of habanero sauce

Grind up the garlic, ginger and jalapeno into a coarse paste, adding a little water if needed.
Heat the oil in a saucepan and toss in the cumin seeds. Once they're browned, add the onions and sauté them till translucent.

Add the bell peppers, apple, allspice and ginger/garlic/jalapeno mix and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Now add the black beans, salt and habanero sauce and stir. Lightly mash the mixture with the spoon, leaving half of the black beans whole.

Cook, stirring, for a two to three more minutes. Remove from heat.

Once the mixture cools, take generous handfuls and flatten each into a chubby 4" diameter patty.

These can be cooked in batches on a lightly greased pan till browned and crisp on both sides. Serve with your favorite burger fixings!

See the recipe...

Truffled Wild Mushrooms Over Whipped White Beans (with Chicken)

Contrary to the picture, dinner wasn't really ALL beige. I forgot the parsley garnish... and yah. It certainly doesn't taste beige, so give it a shot.

This recipe is also from the magazine Lori P. lent me. The Vegetarian Times website is pretty fickle as to what recipes it shows you when you search, so don't get frustrated.

The whipped white beans are dreamy, I think I could eat them all myself as a standalone dinner. (If Dave was out and I wanted something other than cereal) It supposedly feeds 4, but not at our house. I sliced two roasted chicken breasts into it. If you're keen on maintaining its vegan-ness, omit the chicken.

Truffled Wild Mushrooms Over Whipped White Beans
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/document/575

Truffle oil and earthy wild mushrooms turn a simple ragout into a sublime main dish. Truffle oil is a worthwhile investment. A few drops can transform roasted vegetables, bean dishes and even a plain ol’ bowl of mashed potatoes.

2 tsp. olive oil, divided
1 medium leek, white and pale green parts chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp.)
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 lb. wild mushrooms, halved
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp. truffle oil

Heat 1 tsp. oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add leek and sauté 2 minutes. Stir in beans, broth, garlic and thyme. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer bean mixture to food processor and blend until creamy and smooth. Return to skillet, cover and keep warm.

Heat remaining 1 tsp. oil in medium skillet over high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté 8 minutes, or until soft and brown. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in parsley.
Spoon whipped bean mixture into shallow bowls. Top with equal portions of mushrooms. Drizzle each serving with 1/2 tsp. truffle oil, and serve.

PER SERVING: 299 CAL; 15G PROT; 7G TOTAL FAT (1G SAT. FAT); 46G CARB; 0MG CHOL; 691MG SOD; 17G FIBER; 2G SUGARS

See the recipe...

Summer on the Eve of Flurries

Why is it that when it was actually winter, I hated the cold - but now that its a weird cold spell in April, I'm really digging it?

You'd never know it wasn't the middle of summer after the dinner we just had. All it needed, really, was a side of juicy hamburger and fries.... or maybe a nice potato salad.

Went really well with a nice, cold beer. I'll have to file this away and bring it out for the next bbq we go to. (hint hint!)

Found in and adapted from Vegetarian Times (Thanks go to Lori P. for letting me ogle her magazine!)

Chopped Black Bean and Avocado Salad (With Shrimp)

Serves 4, 30 minutes or fewer

2 tbs. lemon juice

1 tbs. whole-grain mustard

2 tbs. olive oil

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup fresh or frozen corn, thawed

2 avocado, diced

1/2 cup diced sweet red pepper

1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish

1/2 cup diced celery

2 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)

1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled, deveined, and sauteed

Whisk together lemon juice and mustard in large bowl. Add oil, and whisk until smooth. Add all remaining ingredients, and gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

See the recipe...