9.19.2014

BAKED BLACK BEAN AND CABBAGE PATTIES WITH A CILANTRO, LIME + CASHEW CREMA


All I've wanted all week is to throw on my sweats, and curl up in a ball on the couch under a warm blanket. Possibly with a cup of tea, and definitely with a freshly baked cookie. Fall has officially landed.

The cooler temps have me craving warm lunches - goodbye large bowls of greens, and hello the need to use the office microwave. We had an abundance of cabbage leftover from last weekend's coleslaw. I thought about roasting it, but patties seemed like the way to go -- packed with texture, flavour and tons of warmth. Perfect for these chilly days as the seasons begin to change. Happy weekend!





BAKED BLACK BEAN AND CABBAGE PATTIES WITH A CILANTRO, LIME + CASHEW CREMA // makes 8 patties

The patties pull together fairly quickly, but the cashews need to soak for an hour before making the crema - try to make it ahead of time (if you can).

Preheat oven to 400.

Ingredients:

1 cup grated/shredded cabbage (roughly 1/4 of a cabbage)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 egg
1/4 cup flour
1 T flax meal
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne
pinch of salt
neutral oil, for drizzling

cilantro, lime + cashew crema (adapted from With Food + Love)//
1/2 raw cashews, soaked for an hour
1 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 cup nut milk
juice from 1 lime
pinch of s+p

What to do:

To make the crema, combine everything in a blender or bullet until smooth.*

Using a grater or food processor fitted with the grating blade, prep the cabbage and set aside.

In a large bowl, use cleans hands or a fork to smash the black beans. You want them smooth, yet still a little chunky. Add the cabbage, green onions and cilantro and stir to combine.

Continue to add the egg, flour, flax, salt and spices. Mix everything together.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Divide the mixture into 8 equal parts. Roll each piece into a ball and gently flatten onto the baking sheet to create a patty. Continue with all 8 pieces. Drizzle the tops of each patty with a touch of oil.

Transfer to the hot oven and bake for 20 minutes, rotating the pan after 10.

Remove from the oven and serve warm with a heaping scoop of crema and a side of roasted sweet potatoes or rice -- to soak up all that extra, delicious, sauce. YUM.


*note: I don't have a high speed blender, and as such, my sauce wasn't exactly 'smooth'. Honestly though, I didn't mind the extra texture at all -- a chunky sauce never hurt anyone.