Cookaholics Bulletin Board

How about black bean burgers? Fine Cooking has a great recipe here.

Josh,

I'm assuming they charge a bit more than I pay for them in the local Mexican grocery!

Amy,

The recipe for making that dough has another unusual but delicious ingredient added - a toasted avocado leaf. I usually use a can of rinsed black beans, masa made with 2 3/4 c masa harina, and 2 small avocado leaves, toasted and ground. Purèe the beans in a FP, adding the avocado leaf, then the dough a handful at a time. Add a little more masa harina if it is sticky, and press it out a little thicker than a normal tortilla.

Black Beans & Coconut Rice with Mango Salsa
Black Beans & Coconut Rice with Mango Salsa.

Adapted from Moosewood and published in a regional magazine, we made this dish a couple of times.

Black Beans & Coconut Rice with Mango Salsa

This entirely vegetarian recipe is bursting with flavor. If you can possibly find it in a specialty foods store, use coconut oil – it has a butter-like consistency and a beautiful fresh aroma and taste. You can substitute white rice for brown, but make sure you don’t skip the mango salsa. The combination of its chilliness against the hot beans, and its sweetness against other spiciness, makes it the essential fulcrum of the dish. This is a memorable concoction created by one of America’s most renowned vegetarian restaurants.


BEANS

1½ cups chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, grated
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
(or ½ teaspoon dried)
½ teaspoon ground allspice
3 16-ounce cans of
black beans, drained
¾ cup orange juice
Salt, ground black pepper, and Tabasco sauce to taste

Sauté the onions and garlic in the oil until the onions begin to soften. Add the ginger, thyme, and allspice, and stir until the onions are very soft. Add the beans and orange juice and cook on low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens slightly (mashing some beans with the back of a spoon for a thicker consistency). Add salt, pepper, and Tabasco.


RICE

2 cups brown rice (or white), uncooked
1½ teaspoons turmeric
½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2½ tablespoons coconut oil
(may substitute other vegetable oil)
4 cups water
½ stick cinnamon

Sauté the rice, turmeric, and coconut flakes in the oil for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir constantly to coat everything with the oil. Add the water and the cinnamon stick. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 40 minutes or until the water has been absorbed (white rice will cook a bit faster). Remove from the heat and allow rice to sit for 10 minutes, then gently fluff.


SALSA

2 ripe mangoes, or frozen mango
chunks (may substitute pineapple,
papaya, or cantaloupe)
1 small cucumber, peeled and diced
1 tomato, diced
Juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste
½ of a fresh jalapeno pepper, minced
1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

Peel and dice the mangoes. In a large bowl, mix together the mangoes, cucumber, tomato, lime juice, salt, jalapeno, and cilantro. Let the salsa sit for at least 20 minutes to allow the flavors to marry. Will keep refrigerated for a couple of days.

To serve, make a bed of rice, cover with beans, and spoon a large dollop of salsa on top.

Serves 4 to 6 people

Thanks, everyone - lots of great ideas here. Somehow had completely overlooked the whole Mexican theme - and the patties look really intriguing. Sometimes it's fun to cook something ahead if time without doing what you're going to do - as long as you have a resource like this one!

Dave,

Oh, about $6. But they are heirloom hand picked organic beans.

Josh,

I figured they were something like that, as I have seen their selection and prices. Mine were $1.69 for a 2 lb bag, last time I got them.

Rancho Gordo beans are excellent, but a definite splurge...

Amy