Black Bean Vegan Patties

(a favorite of hubby and son--very strong critics!!!)

1-1/2 cups cooked brown rice (approx. 1/2 cup of raw rice)

2 cups cooked black beans, drained*

1/2  of a large onion, chopped

1/2 of a small zucchini, chopped

3 cloves mashed roasted garlic (see next recipe)

1/2 of a roasted pimento, minced

1 tablespoon arrowroot powder (healthier alternate to corn starch)

3 tablespoons oat bran cereal (Bob's Red Mill)

1 tablespoon flax seed meal

1 tablespoon brown rice flour (you can substitute other flours)

Seasonings to taste of the following:  garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt, black pepper and

if you like spicy, you may add a little red pepper as well.

Mash beans with a fork so there are small pieces here and there.  In a small bowl mix arrowroot, oat bran, flax seed meal and rice flour and add to beans.  Set mixture aside.  In a small skillet sautee onion and zucchini until soft then add the pimento and roasted garlic.  Add your seasonings to the onion/zucchini mixture--seasonings of your choice or my suggestion above.  Add the onion/zuchini mixture to bean mixture and mix well--taste to see if you need any more salt or seasonings at this time.  Set aside for about 15 minutes.  When you are ready to cook, heat a non-stick skillet lightly rubbed with oil.  Form meatball-sized balls and place ball in skillet, leaving space around each one (do not flatten yet!)  When they have browned on bottom squish down with a firm spatula to form thin patties.  Continue cooking on medium/heat turning so each side gets browned and crispy.  You may bake them if preferred on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper and flip half way through.

*You can use canned beans or dry beans.  If using dry beans you will need to soak overnight in a bowl filled with water covering beans plus 2 more inches.  When ready to cook rinse beans and pick through them to make sure there are no foreign objects or beans that don't like normal.  Place in a pot add water to cover beans and boil on low with a little salt for about 40 minutes.  Taste several beans to see if they are done.  If you are not using all the beans, save some of the water you cooked them in and store in refrigerator until you are ready to use them.

Roasted Garlic

Set oven to 400 degrees.  Remove as much of the paper-thin skin from several garlic bulbs so you can see the separated cloves.  Leaving the bulb intact, cut the tips off the tops, exposing the flesh of each garlic clove.  Drizzle a little olive oil on tops, wrap in foil and bake on a tray for 40 minutes.  I just love the way this smells!!!  Store in an airtight container in refrigerator and use for cooking anything where you want garlic flavor.  To remove the flesh from skins just push up and it will just slip right out of skins.