Black Bean Patties

Dear Daughter is coming home over Thanksgiving weekend (with a "friend" no less), and Philip's Fast (Advent for you non-Orthodox) begins today, so I wanted to start laying in a supply of yummy vegan foods in my freezer. The first thing I made were these yummy, south of the border flavored black bean patties. They are individually wrapped in my freezer, and just need a little bake in the toaster oven, or in a frypan, or even just a quick thaw! I think that next time, I'll add a half cup of corn kernals - if I do that, I think I'll get 9 or 10 out of this recipe. You can flavor these any way that you like - I made mine kind of Mexican.

South of the Border Black Bean Patties

3 C well-cooked black beans
1/2 - 1 tsp salt (I used Adobo seasoning)
1 heaping tsp ground cumin
1 heaping tsp Italian seasoning (need that bite of oregano here)
1 C dry bread crumbs (I used Italian)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 - 3 Tbs finely minced onion
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 C water
1/4 C flour (for dredging)
Olive oil for frying

Mash first nine ingredients together, but leave some of the beans chunky for a nice texture. The breadcrumbs will make it very dry, so add up to 1 C water to make it a stiff, but still moist, consistency - a consistency that can easily be formed into balls or patties. Taste for salt and heat. Form into eight patties - I made slightly oval ones that will fit nicely into half a pita. On a nonstick grill, I sprayed a little pure olive oil and browned them well on both sides.

Once they cooled off, I wrapped them individually and froze them. I plan on serving these with lettuce, onion, olives, peppers and salsa, and maybe a dollop of vegan sour cream substitute in half a pita. I think my college-age daughter and her guest will enjoy these as lunch or a snack.

If I can, I'll take a photo when they eat them.

Slow Cooker Sun Dried Tomato Pate

I'm always on the lookout for something that will make a yummy sandwich for dear daughter to take to school. Even though she is off this week, this no-fuss but still delicious recipe caught my eye. She'll be eating this with crackers and crudites rather than in a sandwich this week! With my apologies to Robin Robertson:

Slow Cooker Sun Dried Tomato Pate
1/2 C sun dried tomatoes
boiling water as needed
1 Tbs olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 C blanched whole almonds
2 15-oz cans white beans (or 3 C cooked from dried beans)
2 Tbs minced fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the tomatoes in a heatproof bowl with enough boiling water to cover. Let stand for 30 minutes to soften well. Drain, reserving 1/2 C of the soaking liquid. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add onion and garlic, and sweat until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. In a food processor, pulse the almonds until coarsely chopped. Add the beans, the drained tomatoes, the reserved soaking liquid, the onion mixture and parsley and process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spray an oven-proof 4 cup mold that fits inside your crock pot. Pack well with the bean mixture, smoothing top flat. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, poking several holes to let steam escape. Place the mold on a trivet in the crockpot, pour an inch of hot water in. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Let cool completely before inverting and removing from the mold. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight before serving. Serve cool or at room temperature.