Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Make Black Bean Cakes

Use black beans to make some crispy black bean cakes.


Black beans are healthy and packed with protein, so they are a good option for vegetarians or for anyone who wants more protein in their diet. Consider making black bean cakes as an appetizer for your next dinner party or as a side dish to pair with a Southwestern meal. Black bean cakes should be crispy on the outside, but creamy and flavorful on the inside. After you make your black bean batter, cook a small one to make sure it tastes good before you cook the entire batch.


Instructions


Southwestern Black Bean Cakes


1. Rinse the dried black beans and soak them overnight. Drain.


2. Place the black beans in a large saucepan and add four cups of water. Bring the beans and water to a boil, then lower the heat and allow them to simmer until the beans are tender. This should take about an hour.


3. Drain the beans and place them in a large bowl with the garlic. Mash the two ingredients together with a potato masher. Stir in the cilantro and salt.


4. Form the mixture into eight black bean cakes and place them on a plate. Refrigerate them for about an hour so they firm up.


5. Place the olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Place the black bean cakes inside the pan and cook the first side. Turn over once, cooking the other side. The completed bean cakes should be warm on the inside and crispy on the outside. The cooking process should take about five minutes.








Creole Black Bean Cakes


6. Drain 30 ounces of canned black beans on paper towels to remove most of the moisture.


7. Place the black beans inside a food processor, along with the margarine, garlic, shallots, cilantro, Creole seasoning and bread crumbs. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix the ingredients until they are well combined. Place them in the refrigerator for one to two hours.


8. Heat the oil in a skillet. Form the bean mixture into patties and place them in the hot oil. Fry the cakes on one side until crispy, then flip each cake and fry until the other side is brown and crispy.

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