Black Beans and Corn Cakes

I saw a version of this recipe somewhere a long time ago and had it on my "to try" list. Of course, I couldn't remember the original recipe, so I totally improvised. I cooked my own black beans rather than using canned.

Black beans:

I didn't really measure the amounts of ingredients, so I'll tell you how I cooked them and you can experiment on your own.

1. Soak beans overnight in the fridge.

2. Rinse beans in the morning and put in a crockpot. Add 1/2 cup chopped onion, one piece of bacon, a dash of paprika, about 1/2-1 t of cumin, ground pepper, two crushed garlic cloves, a dash of liquid smoke, about 1 t of hot sauce and a bay leaf. Cover with water so there is about 1-1/2 to 2 inches of water above the beans.

3. Cook on low for around 8 hours. About 10 minutes before serving, I added 1 t of salt.

Corn cakes:

1/2 c sifted flour

1/2 c sifted cornmeal

1-1/4 t baking powder

1/2-3/4 T ground flax seed

1-1/2 T sugar (I wanted the cakes a little sweet.)

1/2 t salt

1/4 c half and half

1/4 c skim milk

1/8 c canola oil

1 egg

1. Mix all dry ingredients. In measuring cup, mix all wet ingredients.

2. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet mix. Stir until incorporated.

3. Heat griddle to about 350°. Spray lightly with nonstick spray. Cook the batter like pancakes.

I was able to make 4 cakes out of the mixture.

This was such a delicious meal. James and I both felt that it was very filling, but not heavy. We loved the contrast in the spicy flavor of the beans and the sweet, crumby texture of the corn cakes. Next time I make these, and there will be a next time, I might try adding some jalapenos to the corn cakes. Happy eating!