Mexican Bean Cakes

Description: Take leftover pot beans, strain, dry, coarsely mash, and form
into pattie. Brown the pattie until crunchy. See Pat’s Variation with
cheese and cornmeal.

PANTRY: See the recipe for “Pot Beans from the Mexican Table” and prepare
beans of your choice. One jalapeno may be substituted for the serrano. Use
a light vegetable oil but add a little peanut oil to flavor.

Coarsely mash the beans. Remove half and set aside. Puree the remaining
half. Combine beans, onion, chilies, cumin and salt. Form into patties,
about 1/4 cup each.

Heat half the oil in a large heavy skillet. Put as many patties in the
skillet as will fit in a single uncrowded layer and fry over fairly high
heat until golden and toasty, and a little crispy (about 1 to 1-1/2 minute
per side). Transfer to a platter. Continue until all the patties are fried
adding more oil to the skillet as necessary.

Serve hot, topped with a little salsa (the smaller diced salsa works better
than the chunky). Top with a teaspoon (touch) of sour cream.

PAT’S VARIATION: Put patties on non-stick cookie sheet and bake, in a
preheated oven, at 425F for about 10 to 12 minutes, until heated through
and starting to crisp. Arrange on a platter. Mix a little sweet corn meal
(from a mix like Jiffy or Marie Callendar) with finely shredded jack,
cheddar or colby cheese. Let that melt then dab with a little drained
salsa and sour cream. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.