Black Bean Cakes

I wrote last week about my Cajun Artichoke Tart that was a recipe idea that answered the question “how do you come up with a dish when going to a hosts house for dinner?”  These Black Bean Cakes are the second recipe I made for that dinner.  My question or problem is/was “what do you do when you do not have the ingredient in your house the recipe calls for?  If this is a baking recipe, then that could be a big problem.  When it is an appetizer, you can probably work around it.

Black Bean Cakes

In this case, the Southern cookbook I was working with called for black eyed peas.  The grocery store I had gone to, did not carry them.  I found that surprising.  Even though I live in the Chicago suburbs, I can usually find most ingredients.  It was just the grocery store I was at.  I thought to myself that I could use a combination of black beans and white beans and get the same result.  If you are really familiar with black eyed peas, then maybe you could tell the difference.  Given our party was all Yankees, I figured I would be ok.

I have made black bean burgers before and loved them.  So this cake was essentially a miniature vegetable burger spiced up with Southern spices.  I love veggie burgers.  The only challenge with a veggie burger is how to make it stay together.  Have you ever made a veggie burger?  Then, you know what I am talking about.  Do you have a good story where the burger fell apart on you?  This Black Bean Burger I made would not stay together.  It was so tasty but had to be eaten with a knife and a fork.

The other part of this recipe that I really love is the red pepper aioli. You have heard me talk before about how much I love peppers.  I think I like them even more when made into a sauce.  I loved them in my Red Pepper Pasta Bake.  I need to find more ways to use them and a sauce is a perfect vehicle to get the essence of there flavor.

Black Bean Cake

2015-07-22 02:20:34

Serves 8

Black and white beans mashed and sauteed. Served with a red pepper aioli sauce.

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Prep Time

1 hr 5 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

1 hr 20 min

Prep Time

1 hr 5 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

1 hr 20 min

Ingredients

1. 1 tablespoon safflower oil
2. 1/4 red onion, diced
3. 1/2 cup green onion, thinly sliced
4. 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
5. 1/2 tsp garlic, minced
6. 2 teaspoons cumin
7. 1/4 teaspoon Creole seasoning
8. 1/2 teaspoon salt
9. 1 - 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed
10. 1 - 15 ounce can of white beans (canneloni or great northern), rinsed
11. 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
12. 2 eggs

Red Pepper aioli

1. 1/4 olive oil
2. 1/4 cup roasted red peppers, small dice
3. extra oil for frying

Instructions

1. Heat the safflower oil over medium heat.
2. Add the onions, bell pepper, garlic and seasonings and cook for 4 - 5 minutes until softened. Remove from the heat.
3. Take 2/3 of each bean with the eggs and place in a food processor. Process until smooth. Do not over do it.
4. Remove the pureed beans to a bowl and add back in the whole beans that were reserved.
5. Add the panko, the vegetables and stir all together. Form into small patties.
6. Place on a lined baking sheet and place in the fridge for 1 hour.
7. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
8. Heat 1 - 2 tablespoons of corn oil on medium high heat.
9. Place the cakes in the pan gently. Cook on each side for about 2 minutes. You are just looking to get a good crust.
10. Remove from the pan and drain on a paper towel.
11. Once all the cakes are browned and drained, return them to the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.

Red Pepper Aioli

1. Combine the roasted red peppers and oil in the food processor and pulse until creamy.
2. Serve the cakes topped with a dollop of the aioli.
3. Enjoy!

By Robert St. John

Adapted from Deep South Parties

Adapted from Deep South Parties

Feed Your Soul Too http://www.feedyoursoul2.com/

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