My husband, John Gastaldo, and I hadn’t been dating long when we planned to go to an outdoor showing of ET the Extra-Terrestrial. He came over early to help make dinner, which is a great way to get to know someone. John is a man of few words: I didn’t even realize he was a vegetarian until that evening. Good thing I’d planned a meatless meal!
Ingredients
| 3 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more as needed |
| 1 medium onion, chopped |
| 4 garlic cloves, minced |
| 2 Tbsp. ground cumin |
| 1 4-oz can fire-roasted mild green chiles (optional) |
| 2 15-oz cans refried black beans |
| 1 c. cornmeal |
| 1 egg, beaten |
| 2 Tbsp. cider vinegar |
| 1 tsp. salt |
| ½ tsp. cayenne pepper (optional) |
| 1 ½ c. cups crispy rice cereal (any brand) |
| Cabbage slaw, avocados and limes for serving |
Preparation
1. Coat the bottom of a medium skillet with 2 tablespoons olive oil; add the onion and sauté over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, 1 tablespoon cumin and the chiles. Stir until fragrant, about 3 minutes, and place in a large bowl.
3. Add the refried beans, cornmeal, egg, vinegar, salt and cayenne pepper to the onion mixture and stir well. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or as long as a day.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and oil a sheet pan.
5. In a large shallow bowl, mix the crispy rice cereal with the remaining olive oil and cumin. Dip a heaping tablespoon of the bean mixture in the rice mixture, pat it gently into a cake, then turn it over to coat the other side. Make sure the edges are also coated. Repeat with the remaining bean mixture. (For extra crispness, sauté beforehand in olive oil for about 2 minutes per side before finishing in the oven.)
6. Place cakes on the sheet pan and bake for about 30 minutes. Serve with cabbage slaw, avocado slices and halved limes.
Makes about 16 cakes.
Nutritional Information (serving=1 bean cake): Calories: 130; Fat: 4.5g; Cholesterol: 10mg; Sodium: 430mg; Total Carbohydrates: 20g; Dietary Fiber: 1g; Sugars: 1g; Protein: 5g.
