Serena Ball, co-creator of the website The Recipe ReDux, a registered dietitian and health blogger community, likes the new and trendy way to use the bean brine from garbanzos called aguafaba. Cooking with aguafaba is about the most fun she has had in the kitchen in a long time! (For more info on aguafaba read our blog.)
Besides being a registered dietitian, Serena is a food writer and co-owner of Teaspoon Communications, a culinary focused nutrition communications group.
She recommends beans because they are nutrient rich and versatile in almost any style of cooking from ethnic dishes to served with ketchup, which is how her kids like to eat black beans! Serena believes beans are the ultimate convenience food, not only are they budget friendly, either canned or dry, but they fit into both the vegetable and protein food groups. She states that if you eat beans more often your body can develop more of the enzymes needed to digest them which help with the side effect. Her kids sing that popular little ditty like this: Beans, beans the magical fruit, the more you eat, the LESS you toot…so let’s eat beans for every meal!
Her kids love this recipe because it tastes like hummus- but is as hearty as a burger!
Recipe courtesy of Serena Ball Teaspoon of Spice
Makes 6 hummus cakes
Ingredients:
6 sun-dried tomatoes (dry, not packed in oil)
1 can (16 oz) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained (or 1 3/4 – 2 cups cooked dried garbanzo beans)
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon peanut butter (or tahini paste)
1 egg
1/4 cup dry oats (quick or old fashioned)
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon grapeseed or canola oil
Directions:
- Place sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl and cover with 1/2 cup boiling water; let soften for at least 10 minutes. Reserve soaking liquid and chop tomatoes.
- Place beans and all remaining ingredients, except oil, in the bowl of a food processor and process, until well mixed, but not totally pureed; about 10-15 pulses. (Or use a fork to mash and mix all ingredients in a bowl.) Add sun-dried tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of soaking tomato liquid. Pulse until tomatoes are incorporated. Add the soaking liquid if mixture seems dry. (Mine didn’t need it.)
- Let mixture rest for 10 minutes for flavors to meld. While mixture is resting, shape into 6 patties and place on a plate.
- Heat cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for 90 seconds (to seal non-stick surface.) Add 1/2 tablespoon oil and heat. Fry 3-4 patties in oil about 4 minutes on the first side; flip and cook about 3 minutes on the second side – or until both sides are dark golden brown. Add remaining oil and repeat with remaining patties.
Please follow Serena on her social media!
Websites: Teaspoon of Spice, The Recipe Redux
Facebook: Teaspoon of Spice, The Recipe Redux
Pinterest: Teaspoon of Spice, Serena Ball
Twitter: Serena Ball, MS, RD
Email: sball@teaspooncomm.com
