Recipes

Heat the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. In a bowl, mash 1/3 of the beans with a fork and stir in the remaining beans, onion mixture, bread crumbs, and cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the eggs. Form bean mixture into 8 (4-inch) patties (mixture will be wet and soft.). Gently dredge patties in cornmeal and transfer to a large plate lined with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the cakes for 30 minutes and up to 12 hours. Pour enough oil into a heavy skillet to reach 1/4-inch up the side. Heat the oil over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches, cook the patties, turning once, until well browned, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer the cakes to paper towels to drain. Divide the cakes among plates and serve with the sauce. Spicy Cilantro Sauce: Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Stir together cilantro, vegetable oil, soy sauce, garlic, lime juice, and chile. Season with salt and pepper. Yield: about 1 cup2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper 2 large garlic cloves, minced 1 2/3 cups cooked black beans 2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped fine Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 large eggs, beaten lightly 1 cup yellow cornmeal Vegetable oil, for frying Spicy Cilantro Sauce: 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves 1/3 cup vegetable oil 3 tablespoons soy sauce 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1/2 jalapeno chile, minced Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Recipe Summary Difficulty: Medium Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Yield: 4 servings