Rice Corn Cakes with Black Beans

1 cup brown rice
6 scallions, trimmed and sliced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
1 cup frozen sweet white corn
1 cup fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 large eggs
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
1 cup tomato salsa, mild, medium or hot

Cook rice with the amount of water called for in the package directions, adding scallions, garlic and thyme to the water. Remove from heat and stir in corn, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Let stand for about 5 minutes to cool slightly.

Whisk eggs in a large bowl until frothy. Add the rice mixture and mash with a potato masher until the mixture holds together (it will be fairly soft), about 1 minute. Shape the mixture into 8 patties.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully transfer 4 patties to the pan with a spatula and cook until browned and crispy, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; cover to keep warm. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and repeat with the remaining 4 patties.

Meanwhile, combine beans and salsa in a small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until hot, about 5 minutes. To serve, divide the beans among 4 plates and top with 2 patties each. Garnish with sour cream and cilantro.
From Lizzy Writes

Bean & Corn Tortilla Lasagna with Avocado

Here's what I am making for dinner tonight. I wasn't so sure about the avocados being cooked in it, but it was very tasty and soo easy. It's from the cookbook "Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero.

Bean & Corn Tortilla Lasagna with Avocado
MAKES 4-5 SERVINGS. I WHEAT-FREE


1 can (14-oz/398-ml) tomato sauce
1 tsp chili powder
11/4tsp cumin powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp (rounded) sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ tsp chipotle hot sauce (I use Tabasco brand)
1/4 tsp agave nectar
2 medium cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
1/3 cup onion, diced
1 can (14-oz/398-ml) black or pinto beans, rinsed and drained(about 1 ¾ cups)
6-7 (6-in/15-cm) corn tortillas
1 large avocado, thinly sliced(or 2 small)
1 pinch sea salt
¾ cup frozen or fresh corn kernels
11/2 tbsp fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
112 cup tortilla chips, crushed
¾ cup vegan cheese, grated (optional)
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (for finishing)
fresh lime wedges (for garnish,a must!)

Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). In a large bowl, combine tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, allspice, 1/4 tsp salt, pepper, hot sauce, agave nectar, garlic, onion, and beans and stir to mix well. Lightly oil an 8x12-in (20x30-cm) baking dish. Pour half of mixture in baking dish and tip back and forth to distribute evenly. Place half of tortillas on top of mixture (use 2 whole tortillas and cut a third tortilla to cover spots; or cut them all into strips). Place avocado slices on top of tortillas and season with a pinch of salt. Distribute corn. kernels over avocado, then drizzle with lime juice. Top this layer with remaining tortillas, spread with remaining sauce, and sprinkle with crushed tortilla chips, then cheese. Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 7-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and casserole is bubbling at edges. If cheese hasn't melted, broil for 1-2 minutes. Remove from oven and cut into squares. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Cabbage Slaw

I made this for dinner tonight. It was really quick and easy and very good. I used plain old green cabbage instead of a coleslaw mix and for hot sauce, I used Valentina. It was a bit too spicy for my kids, but they had no interest in the "lettuce looking" garnish anyway. Also, we used mexican cheese (cojita) instead of feta. Out of 5 stars, Spencer gave this a 5 1/2.

Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Cabbage Slaw
AP/adapted from the February 2009 issue of Bon Appetit magazine
Published: Friday, March 6, 2009 9:54 a.m. MST (Deseret News)

Start to finish: 25 minutes
Servings: 5
Ingredients

15-ounce can black beans, drained
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 white or yellow corn tortillas
1 tablespoon lime juice
5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 cups coleslaw mix
2 scallions, chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Ground black pepper, to taste
Hot sauce, to taste
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions
In a small bowl, combine the beans, cumin and salt. Use a fork to partially mash. Divide the mixture between the tortillas, spreading it evenly over 1 side of each. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the lime juice and 2 teaspoons of the olive oil. Add the coleslaw mix, scallions and cilantro, then toss well. Season with pepper and hot sauce. Set aside.
In a large skillet over medium-high, heat the remaining 3 teaspoons of olive oil. Add the tortillas in a single layer, bean side up, in batches if necessary, and cook for 1 minute.
Fold the tacos in half, then cook for about another minute per side, or until golden brown.
Fill each taco with a quarter of the coleslaw mixture and the feta cheese. If desired, drizzle with additional hot sauce.

Black Bean Burgers

Challey's friend, Emily posted this recipe on a different blog. Challey told me these were pretty awesome, so I am cutting and pasting it here. I may try it with whole wheat bread crumbs and fresh seasonings. Can't wait to try it.

These burgers are awesome! Cooking the onions and peppers over high heat helps to give the burgers a "grilled" flavor.

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, large dice
1 red bell pepper, large dice
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. grill seasoning (such as McCormick Grill Mates)
salt and pepper to taste
2 cans black beans, rinsed and well drained
1 egg, beaten
3/4 c. Panko bread crumbs

Heat oil over medium-high heat until it is just starting to smoke. Add the onion and bell pepper and stir constantly to avoid scorching. When onions are golden brown, reduce heat to low; add garlic, grill seasoning and salt/pepper to taste. Stir occasionally until onions and peppers are softened.

In a food processor, pulse the onion and pepper mixture until finely chopped. Add the black beans, and process until the desired texture is achieved. TASTE the mixture at this point to check for seasonings. If necessary, add more salt or pepper.

Beat the egg in a large bowl. Add the bean mixture and the bread crumbs. Stir to combine. Use a large ice cream scoop to form balls, and shape into patties using wet hands. Place patties on an oiled baking sheet, and cook at 375 for 10 minutes. Flip the patties over, and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Avoid overcooking or the burgers will be dry.

Serve the burgers on crusty rolls with your favorite burger fixins'.

Mexican Tortilla Pizza

We loved this for dinner. I added cheese to some of the pizzas. The black bean dip was very good. We liked it with chips. I would definitely double or triple it and leave it in the fridge for a black bean hummus. It was also very quick to make.

Mexican Tortilla Pizza

(Black Bean Mexican-Style Pizza From The Food You Crave by Ellie Kreiger)

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 2 as a main course or 8 as an appetizer (It easily fed our family of four)

Ingredients
4 corn tortillas, or whole-wheat tortillas (6-inches in diameter) (we used 6)
1/2 cup Black Bean Dip, recipe follows
1 large tomato, seeded and diced
1 cup shredded green cabbage
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the tortillas onto a baking sheet and spread 2 tablespoons of black bean dip on top of each tortilla. Top with tomato and cabbage and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the pizzas from the oven and sprinkle some cilantro on each one. Allow to cool slightly before cutting into wedges.

Black Bean Dip:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno pepper
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a skillet over a medium heat. Add onions and saute until they soften, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and jalapeno and cook for 1 minute more.
Put the beans into a food processor. Add the onion mixture and the rest of the ingredients and puree until smooth.
Yield: 1 cup