Black Bean Cakes

About a month ago, I was on my way to Hilton Head to photograph a wedding, and I stayed the night before with my good friend Carrie, who lives in Charlotte. For dinner, she took me to The Flying Biscuit Cafe, a little regional restaurant chain with exceptional food and a fun atmosphere. She knew I loved friend green tomatoes, and they have a fantastic version as an appetizer. But what really stole my affection was the Love Cakes I ordered for my entree, three pan-fried black bean cakes topped with salsa verde, feta cheese, and red onion. Be still my heart.

I knew I must find a recipe and make it. And bless their little hearts, the recipe right from the restaurant is on their Web site. I made the cakes this week, and they were almost as good as I remember. I didn’t have any masa de harina, which is a corn-based flour treated with lye to give is a subtle taste, not to mention a more fine consistency than standard corn meal. But I used corn meal. So my version tasted the same, but the texture was a bit grittier. If you have access to masa de harina, use it instead. If not, cornmeal is an ok substitute in this recipe. Also, I added about 1/4 C. diced red pepper because I had some from my aunt’s garden that wasn’t going to last much longer.

Make these soon. You won’t regret it.

Black Bean Cakes (Or Love Cakes)
(15 ounce) cans cooked black beans
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons minced yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup masa de harina (or cornmeal, but only if you have to)
Salsa verde
Slivered red onion
Feta cheese

Rinse and drain black beans . In a small pan heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil over medium heat. Cook onion, garlic, cumin, and salt until onions are translucent. Place drained beans and onion mixture in a bowl and mash with a potato masher (or the back of a fork, if you don’t have a potato masher) until smooth. Gradually add masa, allowing it to absorb it before adding more. Keep adding masa until dough doesn’t stick to your hand and holds the shape of a ball.

Divide dough into  small balls and flatten into cakes. Place a skillet over medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of canola oil. Saute cakes until lightly browned on each side, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Top with Green Salsa, feta cheese, and slivered red onions.