Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Southwestern Bean Cakes






Day 2 of Bean Week here! I decided to take a recipe from Mark Bittman for Bean Dish #2, because he knows his legumes.

However, Bittman calls his recipe for bean cakes Bean Croquettes, which made me think of a very unfortunate and nauseating incident I had with Tuna Croquettes in junior high home-ec class. No croquettes for me--cakes suit me just fine.

And, of course, I tinkered around with the recipe. It's a sickness--I cannot follow a recipe to save my life. So it's a good thing I don't bake.

Southwestern Bean Cakes
inspired by Mark Bittman's Bean Croquettes
serves 2-3


2 cups cooked white beans
1/4 cup salsa
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper
1 egg
about 1/2 to 3/4 cup panko or breadcrumbs
olive oil
Remoulade sauce, for serving

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place all ingredients except breadcrumbs and olive oil into a food processor. Pulse until combined but still a bit chunky.

Stir in enough breadcrumbs to bind the mixture but still remain quite sticky--if you add too many crumbs, your end result will be dry. At this point, I covered the mixture with plastic wrap and popped it into the refrigerator for 10 minutes while I wrangled with a feral 4 year old.

Form the mixture into cakes (I made mine about the size of crab cakes).

Heat about 1-2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a non-stick skillet. Add bean cakes and cook until crusty and brown, about 3 minutes; flip and cook 3 more minutes. Remove from heat, put on a baking sheet and place in oven. They will keep in a warm oven for about 30 minutes.

I threw together a quick mixed lettuce salad, topped the bean cakes with a drizzle of Boar's Head Remoulade Sauce, placed the cold salad on top of the warm cakes and...YUM!!!



The outside was crisp, the inside was creamy and zesty, and the salad provided a nice hit of freshness.

Even hubs had to admit that this was a winner. We love crab cakes in this house, and this is a stellar veggie version.

I sauteed one up this morning, topped it with a poached egg and some salsa, and all I can say is...don't knock it 'till you try it!

**ps: I am admitting defeat and buying Beano today.

18 comments:

  1. oh wow this looks amazing i adore the header of your blog Rebecca

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  2. Gotta agree, still have nightmares about my uncle's ham croquettes. Urgh. Those look tasty and a little remoulade sauce never hurts.

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  3. Looks yummy and sounds great with eggs on top. Yum!! :o)

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  4. You're so fancy. I admire you. (And good luck with the Beano.)

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  5. LOL @ beano I got a ton when I was doing the grovery game, if I still have some I can end you some.

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  6. When I think of the chicken croquettes we had in our college dorm I could puke. But I'm glad you're sick because these look delish.

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  7. Oh, yum! Love the flavor combo in these. Your picture was to die for. Could be a Bon Ap. shot! Keep em coming...

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  8. This sounds yummy!!!

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  9. This looks fantastic! We made a very similar dinner on Thursday with chickpeas. I made the mistake of not using a non-stick pan...ugh, poor Mr. B scrubbed the pan for two days!

    Good luck with the beano! =)

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  10. I don't bake for the same reason, following a recipe as is it's not in my dna.
    this little bean cakes look yummy -I love to make cakes out of pretty much anything!

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  11. I've been eating hommos and pita chips for breakfast all week and knew you'd probably be the only person in the world who understands the need for salt in the morning, not sugar.

    (PS: Good call on the Beano.)

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  12. OK, now THESE look deelish! This is a bean dish I will try.

    And if I were you, seeing as it's only Day 2, I might get some of those Glade plug-ins. I'm just sayin'...

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  13. Chow and Lisa: Hi! Thanks for stopping by! And Lisa/Unconfidential, Ham and/or Chicken Croquettes sound just as vomitous as the Tuna ones...I do believe they are White Trash Motherlode Food at it's worst?

    Amy--Fed-Ex the Beano! I went to the store today and guess what is the ONE thing I forgot? I am an asshole.

    Laura--thanks for the photo compliment--Awesome Stepkid R is here for the week (fall break, and poor dude has to be here for Bean Week) and so photos are courtesy of him...I have Parkinson's hands, so any really good photo ain't mine...but that kid has mad skillz!

    "Kiki"--glad to know there's someone else out there with baking ADD. :)

    Ink: you think I'm fancy? You know me far better, my friend...if you don't recall, I was the kid in the grad. classes with the baggie of Bagel chips at all times?

    Keyona: the egg on top works, girlfriend. It ain't pretty to look at, but mmmmmmmm....

    Phoo-D: Mr B does dishes? Wait. Let me wrap my mind around that...Mr B does dishes?!!! Fed-Ex him to me, please. Hopefully he will arrive at the same time as Amy's Beano.

    ck: you know it. Breakfast this morning (and yeah, I already have it planned because I am sick like that) is leftover shrimp dumplings from yesterday's lunch. Can't wait to see hubs gag at that one...

    Gibs: Glade Plug-Ins? They just might save this marriage this week. You are Einstein!

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  14. This sounds lush! I like your thinking! But the sauce - what is that? I have not come across it - can you suggest an alternative? And for the cup of salsa - was it shop bought or did you make some? xxx

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  15. Focaccia and pizza doughs are the only ones I like making because they don't have a lot of ingredients to muck up--otherwise, I am not a baker either.

    These, by the way, look fabulous.

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  16. I will definitely do this one! Although I'm way behind on all of the other stuff you've done that I want to do. I can't keep up!

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  17. Curious: I will post a remoulade recipe for you so you can do it from scratch...Look for it this weekend! xoxo

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  18. Okay, so you're not necessarily going to see this comment posted to something you wrote last month, but I clicked over to this recipe from Momalom and had to say that Mark Bittman is one of my personal gods and you, my dear, are quickly joining my pantheon of godesses! This recipe sounds delicious and will certainly appeal to this house full o' vegetarians. Many thanks!

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