Black Bean Patties With Corn Relish and Avocado Cream

gailanng's Note:

I've come a loooong way from my regular of red beans & rice and gumbo. From the Elly loves Opa blogster.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 16 patties

For the patties

• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained, rinsed and divided
• 2 roasted red peppers, divided (how-to recipes on food.com)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1/2-2/3 cup cornmeal (plus more, as needed) or 1/2-2/3 cup panko (plus more, as needed)
• salt and pepper
• canola oil or vegetable oil

For the corn relish

• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 2 cups corn kernels
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
• 1 lime, juice of
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• salt and pepper, to taste

For the avocado cream sauce

• 1 avocado, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt or 1/2 cup light sour cream
• 1 lime, juice of
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. To make the bean patties: Place half of the beans in the bowl of a food processor with 1 coarsely chopped bell pepper, eggs, oregano, cumin and chipotle. Process until smooth. Finely chop the remaining bell pepper. In a large bowl, lightly mash the remaining beans. Stir in the bell pepper, onion and smooth bean mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Stir in the cornmeal or breadcrumbs, a bit at time, mixing lightly just until the mixture firms up. (Pick up a bit and see if it can be easily molded into a ball. If it is too sticky, add a little more cornmeal.) Chill the mixture for 30 minutes.
3. While the bean mixture is chilling, make the corn relish. Heat the canola oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the corn to the pan and saute briefly until lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and jalapeno and cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Stir in the tomato, lime juice, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. To make the avocado cream sauce: Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Process until completely smooth.
5. Form the bean mixture into patties approximately 3½ inches in diameter. Heat about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the patties in batches, cooking until lightly browned and firm, about 3-4 minutes per side. Serve the patties warm topped with the corn relish and drizzled with the avocado cream sauce.