Southwestern Bean Cakes

2-3 cups cooked beans, well drained. Use your favorite: Black, Pinto, Anasazi, etc. (Or use 2 cans of beans)
1/2 bunch green onions, sliced
½ tsp. cumin powder
1-2 tsp. chili powder, to taste
2-3 Tablespoons chopped Green Chile, (or 1 large Anaheim Chile, diced.)
3 cloves garlic, crushed (or 1 tsp. garlic pwd. or granules)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup cornmeal, yellow or blue. (or use part cornmeal and part mesquite meal)

In your food processor, mash beans to a paste. Add cumin, chili powder, Green Chile, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well after each addition. Remove bean paste from processor and put in a bowl. Add ½ cup cornmeal to start. The mixture should be fairly stiff. You may need to use more, depending on the moisture content of the bean variety you have chosen. Next add the green onions. They will help the cakes stick together.
 

Preheat a non-stick skillet to medium high.
 

On a large flat plate or pan, sprinkle a thin layer of cornmeal. Drop about a ¼ cup of bean mix onto the cornmeal. Turn cake over to coat other side with cornmeal. Lightly oil the pan; or use non-stick cooking spray or sprayable canola/olive oil. Fry bean cakes, about 2 minutes per side until a crust is formed. Repeat until out of bean mix.

Serve with your favorite salsa and a green salad on the side.

Discussion and options: Add a handful of fresh chopped cilantro to the bean mix. Try adding a teaspoon or two of olive oil to the bean mix for a richer, creamier flavor. Add some shredded Jack cheese to the bean mix for a richer dish. Serve cakes with salsa and sour cream.
 

Eliminate the frying step: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray a baking tray with non-stick spray or sprayable olive/canola oil. Fill tray with bean cakes. Spray top of bean cakes lightly with sprayable oil. Bake cakes for approx. 15-20 minutes, until they are heated through and have a bit of a crust. Flip cakes halfway through cooking for best crust. This method is nice because you can make a big batch all at once! Also, the oven can help dry out cakes that are a bit too moist. If you have too many, the cakes reheat beautifully in the oven.

Makes 8-12 bean cakes, depending on size. This translates to about 4 servings.