Black Bean Patties

Now that I’m finished with my second year of med school, all of my time until June 1 is devoted to studying for the first step of boards. I have come up with a very structured study schedule. Because of this, of course the thing I look forward to most is my study breaks, especially lunch! I decided to try making black bean patties as something out of the ordinary for my lunches. These are wonderful! I am a huge fan of black beans anyway, but these are especially great because they are low fat, low calorie and a good source of protein. What’s not to love?

This recipe is from Cooking Light, but I was actually inspired to make it from reading another food blog (thanks Cara!) I basically followed the original recipe, but made very slight changes to suit my tastes. A word of caution - these patties are pretty mushy until they have been cooked, so the dredging can be somewhat delicate work. It worked out fine, and once cooked they held their form perfectly. I had one with white rice, and I still have enough food left for three more lunches. My only recommendation is to eat them with a little sour cream on the side - they are slightly dry without it. I think they would also be great with some sort of cilantro sauce (thanks Jessica, for the suggestion). Maybe I will try to concoct one!

Black Bean Patties
Ingredients:
2 cups rinsed, drained canned black beans, divided (about 1.5 cans)
1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg white
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup cornmeal
Cooking spray

Directions:
To prepare patties, place 1 1/2 cups beans, garlic, cumin, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl; partially mash with a fork. Place 1/2 cup remaining beans and egg white in a food processor; process 30 seconds or until well combined. Add bean puree to mashed beans in bowl, and stir until combined. Add cheese and onion to bean mixture; stir until combined. Divide bean mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Place cornmeal in a shallow dish. Dredge both sides of each patty in cornmeal.

Heat pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Garnish with shredded cheese, green onions and/or sour cream as desired.