Spicy Black-Bean Cakes

So here's my last Martha Stewart recipe of the week. Since I had those carrot and parsnip fritters last week, I have been thinking about what other vegetables could be made into a patty form. I guess the possibilities are pretty much endless, but this one appealed since I had most of the ingredients on hand. Since I cook for one and prefer to cook in season, I freeze a lot of things so that I can have them when they aren't readily available at the farmers market. Several months ago, I bought a huge basket of jalapenos and have them in my freezer for whenever I need them. Hopefully by the time we get to this spring and summer, I will clear a lot of things from my freezer so I can make room for next year's goodies. These bean cakes are really easy to prepare and healthy, especially since they are broiled versus fried. I think I still have to learn some tricks with my broiler. I almost had a situation similar to my herbed-baked eggs. Luckily, I was able to save these before they totally burned, but they weren't as crispy as they could have been. I loved that the heat in these is subtle and kind of creeps up on you. They are slightly sweet from the sweet potato and the lime sour cream added some nice coolness AND heat with the jalapenos in it.


The weekend is almost upon us, do you have any plans? Winter has finally descended on La La land (at least for this weekend), I am staying in and making soup!


Spicy Black-Bean Cakes with Lime Sour Cream
(Adapted from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast)

For the cakes:
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing
2 scallions, thinly sliced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, finely chopped (ribs and seeds removed, if desired)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup sweet potato, coarsely grated (about 1/2 a sweet potato)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs

Lime Sour Cream
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 jalapeno, mined (ribs and seeds removed, if desired)
Kosher salt

To make the cakes:
Heat the broiler. In a small skillet over medium heat, warm 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Cook the scallions until softened, about 1 minute. Add the garlic, jalapeno, and cumin; cook until fragrant, about 30 more seconds. Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl.

Add the beans to the bowl; mash with a fork or potato masher, leaving about a quarter of the beans whole. Season generously with salt and pepper. Fold in the sweet potato, egg, and breadcrumbs. Divide into 4 balls of equal size; flatten into patties.

Brush a baking sheet with a small amount of olive oil; place the patties on the sheet, 1/2 inch apart. Broil 4 inches from the heat until golden brown, 8-10 minutes. With a thin, metal spatula, carefully turn the cakes. Broil until crisp, 2-3 minutes more. Serve with the lime sour cream.

To make the sour cream:
In a small bowl combine the sour cream with the lime juice, and jalapeno; season with salt.