Gourmet: Day To Day

Don’t let this recipe fool you, the title may be wordy and the recipe make look complicated but it’s really a matter of prepping (all of which can be done in advance) and then dinner is done in a matter of minutes. Being that we’ve really been trying to watch what we are eating, I knew it was only a matter of time before I tried some vegetarian meals. Hubby wasn’t totally sold on the idea but even he admitted that these were awesome. A delicious healthy dinner and I saved some money not having to buy meat. I’m not quite sure if this technically falls under the 500 calories or less but we limited how much avocado cream we used and used as little as oil as possible so I have zero guilt about eating this dinner.  Thanks to Ellysaysopa for a fabulous recipe!

Prep Time: 60 minutes (30 minutes inactive)

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Black Bean Cakes with Corn Relish and Avocado Cream

Black Bean Cakes

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed, divided

2 roasted red bell peppers, divided

2 eggs

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. cumin

2 cloves garlic

1/2 chipotle in adobo, chopped (we used 1 whole chipotle)

1 onion, finely diced

1/2 – 2/3 cup cornmeal, breadcrumbs, or panko (or a
combination)

salt and pepper

Canola oil

Place 1 can of drained black beans, 1 coarsely chopped
red pepper, eggs, oregano, cumin, garlic, and chipotle in a food processor.
Pulse process until well-combined and relatively smooth.

Finely dice the remaining red pepper. In a bowl, lightly
mash the black beans (not completely, just enough to smash each one). Add the
diced red pepper, onion, and the mixture from the food processor. Season to
taste with salt and pepper (I used about 3/4 tsp. salt).

Stir in the cornmeal/breadcrumbs a little at a time, and
mix lightly until the mixture firms up. It doesn’t have to be super firm, but
enough that you can pick up a piece and roll it into a ball in your hands.
Place the mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes or longer.

Form the mixture into patties.

Heat a nonstick skillet with a little canola oil over
medium heat. Add the patties in batches and cook until done, flipping halfway
through (about 5-6 minutes total for small patties and 8-12 minutes total for
bigger burgers).

Corn Relish

2 tsp. canola oil

2 cups corn

1 clove garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, minced

1 medium tomato, seeded and diced

1 lime, juiced (about 2-3 Tbsp.)

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add the canola oil.
Stir in the corn, and let it sit for about 1-2 minutes before stirring. Continue
to sauté until lightly browned.

Stir in the garlic and jalapeno, just until fragrant –
about 30-60 seconds. Place the mixture in a bowl.

To the bowl, add the tomato, lime juice,
cilantro/parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.

Avocado Cream

1 avocado, pitted and cut into a few pieces

1/2 cup light sour cream

1 lime, juiced

salt and pepper to taste

Puree all ingredients in a food processor until smooth