Black Bean Patties

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Kari's Black Bean Patties (makes 12 patties)
　
1/2 cup kasha (buckwheat) cooked in 1 cup water, cooled (makes about 1 1/2 cups cooked)

1/4 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds), pulse in food processor or chop in smaller pieces

1 medium onion, minced

1 rib celery, minced　

1/4 cup bell pepper (red, green, or combination), minced

1 serrano chile, seeded and minced

One 15.5 oz can Trader Joe's Cuban Style Black beans (or 2 cups cooked black beans)

1/4 tsp. dried Mexican oregano

1/2 tsp granulated garlic

1 tsp. ground cumin

2 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes

2 twists freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1/2 cup P.A.N. brand precooked white corn meal


Cook kasha and chop pepitas. Set aside.

Sauté onion and celery until soft and beginning to brown, adding a small amount of water if necessary. Add bell pepper and serrano chile; saute a couple minutes longer then remove from heat.

Place TJ's black beans in a large mixing bowl; mash some with the back of a spoon. Add oregano, granulated garlic, cumin, nutritional yeast, black pepper, cilantro, and soy sauce. Add cooked kasha and pepitas. Mix and mash together until combined. Add P.A.N. corn meal, stirring until mixture is uniform and no dry corn meal remains. Cover and chill at least 15 minutes in refrigerator.

To form patties: Take mixture by 1/3 cupful. Form into patties about 1/2 inch thick. Patties can be placed on a tray, chilled, and cooked later or cooked immediately.

Pan fry or grill. I used the George Foreman grill, cooking patties 5 minutes.

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