I have two recipes this week using pinto beans. As it sort of starts to warm up here, I seem to be heading back into vegetarian mood. There is just something about warm weather that makes me not want to eat so much meat, so this is the time of year I really get a lot of use out of my vegetarian cookbooks. This week, I happened to be in the mood for some beans.
Last night, it was bean cakes. I’ve made these before, only in a black bean variation. In fact, I’ve made them a few times before, but last night, I decided to try out pinto beans and see how they worked in the bean cakes. I followed the variation for the Cheesy Baked Red Bean Cakes, using cheddar cheese and Mexican oregano in my mixture. The pinto beans seemed to have a lot more moisture than the black beans, as I ended up adding another 1/2 cup of flour to get the cookie dough consistency to the beans. They still came together quickly enough, and it didn’t take long at all to have my non-stick foil lined with eight pinto bean patties.
I baked them up for 30 minutes, although at the 20 minute mark, I flipped them over to brown both sides of the patties. When they were done, I placed them in tortillas, topped them with more cheese for the kids, spinach leaves (from the garden!), sour cream and salsa, and told the kids they were “burger burritos”. My deception didn’t work, unfortunately. Abigail did manage to eat about half of her burrito, but Zander only took a few bites before asking for just cheese. Abigail said she liked it… but I’m just not convinced of that.
Andy and I on the other hand… let’s just say that we almost had a brawl over who was going to get the leftovers. Ultimately, it came down to the fact that neither of us thought they would be very good cold, and since Andy doesn’t have access to a way to heat food, he left the cakes at home for me for lunch. These Baked Bean Cakes are just so delicious, regardless of what variation I make. And since they’re so easy, I’m considering making up a few batches of different kinds just to have on hand for quick lunches or dinners. I think they’d freeze very well. The sole change I would make to this version would be to add a dash or two of chili powder to the mixture. It seems that no matter how I make these baked bean cakes, they are absolutely delicious- so much so that my meat eating husband doesn’t even miss the meat. And of course, since the primary ingredient here is beans, these are beyond budget friendly.
Tonight, I’m really going to stretch and make something completely unusual with pinto beans and some whole grains… come back tomorrow to see how it turns out.
Baked White Bean Cakes
from Mark Bittman’s How To Cook Everything Vegetarian
Makes 4 servings
3 cups cooked white beans 2 eggs 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup EVOO or 4 tablespoons melted butter 1/4 cup minced red onion 2 tablespoons minced garlic 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon dried 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more if needed 1/2 teaspoon baking powder Salt and freshly ground black pepper1. 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 chimichurri: 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.
This is great, I like Bittman’s recipes.