from Mark Bittman’s How To Cook Everything Vegetarian
Makes 4 servings
1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Put the beans in a large bowl and mash lightly with a fork. Add the eggs and cheese and whisk with the fork until combined.
2. Put 2 tablespoons of the oil or butter in a small skillet over medium high heat. When the oil is hot or the butter is melted, stir in the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until they are soft and golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the rosemary and remove from the heat.
3. Put the flour, baking powder, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper (taking into account how well seasoned your beans were to start with) into the bowl with the beans. Add the onion mixture and stir with a fork until just combined. The consistency should be like thick cookie dough. If not, add a little more flour.
4. Use the remaining oil or butter to grease a baking sheet. Use a large spoon or your hands to form the bean mixture into 8 bean cakes and put them on the prepared pan. Bake until golden and crisp, about 30 minutes, and serve hot or at room temperature.
Cheesy Baked Red Bean Cakes: Terrific with salsa: Use red beans instead of white, grated Monterey Jack or Cheddar instead of the Parmesan, and epazote or oregano instead of the rosemary.
Black Bean Cakes with Queso Fresco: Great texture, with the cheese staying semi-firm. Serve with plain white rice and chimchurri: Use black beans instead of white, crumbled queso fresco instead of the parmesan and sage or parsley instead of the rosemary.
Baked Lentil Cakes with Gruyere: Best with Le Puy or other small black or green lentils, but brown are good too: Use lentils instead of the white beans, grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese, and thyme or tarragon instead of the rosemary.