Cleansing Diet, Day 11: Black Bean Patties topped with Spicy Charred Pepper and Corn Pico de Gallo served with Cilantro Lime Slaw

The patty is shown here garnished with the corn pico and cilantro lime slaw as well as tomato slices and grilled yellow onion rings.

Black Bean Patties^

Green Girl Goodies, January 2012

Serves 2 to 4

FOR THE BEANS:

1 ½ c Black Beans, soaked
3 tb Jalapeños, rings with seeds
1 c Yellow or White Onion, rough chop
3 tb Garlic, crushed
1 tb Lime Juice
2 tsp Cumin
2 ea Bay Leaves
1 ½ tsp Sea Salt
2 tb Cumin
Purified Water

- Soak the beans in purified water for at least 4 hours and up to 12
- Drain and rinse the beans before using.
- Place the beans into a large stock pot and cover with purified water by about an inch.
- Add seasonings, partially cover the pot and bring to a gentle boil.

- Once boiling, lower heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed if the beans look dry.
- Well cooked beans make better patties so cook until beans are very soft but not losing shape completely. Remove bay leaves and discard. Cooking time will vary depending on soaking time. See Bean Scene: Fun Facts and Tips for Cooking Beans for more useful information!

FOR THE PATTIES:

¼ c Cilantro, fresh minced
½ c Red Peppers, small dice
¼ c Red Onion, small dice
1 ½ tb Lime Juice
2 tb Ground Flax Seed + 2 tb Purified Water
2 tsp Agave

- Take half of the cooked beans and puree in a food processor until almost smooth. Reserve the other half in a large mixing bowl.
- Add bean puree back to whole cooked beans and add all other ingredients. Mix well to combine ingredients.
- Patties can be formed ahead of time or just before cooking. Refrigerate mix/patties until ready to use. Patties can be held in up to 4 layers (less is better), separated by parchment paper.*
- Pan sear** the cakes in a little Extra Virgin Olive oil over medium high heat. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of your patties. Thinner patties are better because they will get hot faster on the inside without burning the outside.

*Mix/patties can be frozen immediately for up to 3 months. They can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.
**There are two main rules to follow when pan searing:
- First, make sure your pan and chosen fat (oil/butter) are hot but not smoking before you add the item to be seared.
- Second, be patient! The idea of searing is to get the nice crust on your item which means letting it cook without being disturbed. Only flip once to sear both sides. If the item has more than 2 sides, for example, a piece of sushi grade tuna, flip as you need but do your best to cook your product properly while only letting each side hit the pan once!!


Spicy Charred Pepper and Corn Pico de Gallo^

Green Girl Goodies, January 2012

Yields approximately 2 cups

1 c Tomatoes, small dice
3 tsp Jalapeno, seeds removed and minced

4 tb Poblano Pepper, charred, peeled and small diced

1 c Corn, grilled, cooled and cut from the cob

1 ½ tsp Garlic, minced
3 tb Cilantro, minced
2 tb Red Onion, minced
1 tsp Agave
1 tb Lime Juice
1 ½ tsp Sea Salt

- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Can be served immediately but is better after an hour or more once flavors have developed. Unlike your standard tomato pico, this pico ferments faster and should be eaten the day it is prepared.


Cilantro Lime Slaw

Green Girl Goodies, January 2012

2 c Red Cabbage, julienned
2 c White Cabbage, julienned
2 tb Cilantro, minced
To Taste, Lime Juice
To Taste, Sea Salt

- Combine all ingredients, starting with 1 tb lime and 1 tsp sea salt. Let stand in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to let the flavors combine (longer is better if you have time). Test the slaw and adjust to suite your taste. The slaw can be held properly refrigerated for up to 4 days.*

*This slaw is incredibly versatile and can be used for many things. It addition to being a delicious side hot or cold, it is great in tacos/burritos, mixed into your salad, added to stir fry…just to name a few. Get creative and play with the amount of lime juice and salt or try adding red pepper flakes or your favorite hot sauce to spice it up a bit!


^ Note the similarity in ingredients between Day 10 and 11. Preparing the same item in a larger quantity will save you some time. If you don’t feel like eating such similar meals two days in a row, don’t worry! You can cook the items on the same day and keep the extra amounts for at least 2 days properly refrigerated before using them for your next meal.


Up Next…
- Cleansing Diet, Day 12: Getting lazy…and eating leftovers :)
- Cleansing Diet, Day 12: Amazing what a few fresh vegetables can do!