olé okara patties •

When we ate these patties, I wasn’t going to post this recipe. Who needs another vegetarian burger recipe anyway? That all changed, though, when the little darlings gobbled them up. I had to stop my youngest from eating the serving that I had set aside for my husband. I swear I don’t starve my children—they really did think these were great!

Olé Patties •

In a large mixing bowl combine:

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups frozen sweet corn, cooked and drained

2 cups wet okara (this is referring to the okara straight from your machine, not drained or dried)

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles (I used mild)

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

2 cups cooked rice

In a small mixing bowl combine coating mixture:

1/3 cup yellow cornmeal

1/3 cup unbleached white flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

cracked black pepper

1 cup canola oil

I did not chill my bean mixture, but it might help in the shaping of the patties. Using your hands, scoop out enough mixture to form a golf ball size pattie. Do yourself a favor and make these on the small size. Any bigger and they will fall apart. Flatten slightly. Gently coat it on both sides with the cornmeal mixture. In a heavy skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Carefully place a couple of patties in the skillet and fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper toweling, then transfer to a plate and hold in a warm oven until you have fried as many as you need. This recipe makes 20 to 25 patties.