Spicy Black Bean Cakes

The first recipe to be featured in Little Scarlet’s Thursday’s Terra Treats is a Martha Stewart recipe for Spicy Black Bean Cakes. These cakes are full of heart-healthy black beans and sweet potatoes rich in anti-oxidants. Try them with a generous serving of Lime Sour Cream (recipe also listed below) and a simple green salad for a full meal.

Recipe yields about 24 black bean cakes

Directions (Everyday Food, September 2004):
Black Bean Cakes:
2/3 lb dried black beans (yields 4 cups cooked beans)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 scallions, thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, pressed
1-2 jalapeños, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 large sweet potato, peeled and coarsely grated (2 cups)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ cup plain dried breadcrumbs

Lime Sour Cream:
½ cup sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 small jalapeño, finely minced
Cumin, garlic powder, and coarse salt, to taste


Black Bean Cakes:

1. Pick over beans to remove any debris or withered beans, then soak beans in water overnight. Drain and rinse beans. In a medium covered pot, cook beans in boiling water over medium heat until tender, about one hour. If you decide to use canned beans, use 2 cans low-sodium black beans and rinse them well before proceeding.
2. Heat broiler. In a small skillet, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Cook scallions until softened, 1 minute; then add garlic, jalapeño, and cumin, cooking just until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Transfer to a large bowl.
3. Add cooked beans to bowl; mash with a fork or a potato masher, leaving about ¼ of the beans whole; season generously with salt and pepper.  Using clean hands, gently fold in grated sweet potato, beaten egg, and breadcrumbs. With your hands, create lacrosse ball-sized mounds (slightly smaller than a tennis ball), and flatten into patties. Be careful not to make the mounds to big, or else the cakes might fall apart when you flatten them.
4. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and brush foil with remaining oil; place patties on sheet, ½ inch apart. Broil 4 inches from heat until golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Carefully flip cakes with a thin metal spatula, and broil about 2-3 minutes more.

Lime Sour Cream:

1. In a small bowl, combine sour cream with lime juice and jalapeño; add a light dusting of cumin and garlic powder, stir well. Add coarse salt and stir well. Increase amounts of lime juice or spices, as desired.