Cuban Black Bean Patties with Pineapple Rice

Serves 4

From Cooking Light magazine

RICE:

1 (3 1/2-ounce) bag boil-in-bag long-grain rice (I used boil in bag brown rice)

2 teaspoons butter

1 cup diced fresh pineapple

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 teaspoon salt

PATTIES:

2 cups rinsed, drained canned black beans (1 [15-ounce] can), divided (I used 2 cans)

1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 large egg white

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers (I just used Monterey Jack)

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/4 cup cornmeal

Cooking spray

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

I added in a can of jalapeños

To prepare rice, cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; place rice in a large bowl. Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pineapple; sauté 4 minutes or just until pineapple begins to brown. Add pineapple mixture, cilantro, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to rice in bowl; cover and keep warm. Wipe pan clean with paper towels. (I actually added the cooked rice to the pineapple in the skillet and cooked)

To prepare patties, place 1 1/2 cups beans, garlic, cumin, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl; partially mash with a fork. Place 1/2 cup remaining beans and egg white in a food processor; process 30 seconds or until well combined. Add bean puree to mashed beans in bowl, and stir until combined. (I just mashed all the beans at the same time with a potato masher -- no pureeing)

Add cheese and onion to bean mixture; stir until combined. (I added jalapenos here) Divide bean mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Place cornmeal in a shallow dish. Dredge both sides of each patty in cornmeal.

Heat pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Spoon about 1/2 cup rice onto each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 patty and 1 tablespoon sour cream.

My Review: Wow! These were pretty spectacular. I don't know why I was messing with those Morningstar and Boca burgers when I could be making my own. I liked the rice as well.

Spinach 'n' Broccoli Enchiladas

serves 8 - from Light and Tasty magazine

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 cup finely chopped fresh broccoli
• 1 cup picante sauce, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 cup (8 ounces) 1% cottage cheese
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, divided
• 8 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed

In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook and stir onion in oil until tender. Add the spinach, broccoli, 1/3 cup picante sauce, garlic powder and cumin; heat through. Remove from the heat; stir in cottage cheese and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Spoon about 1/3 cup spinach mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spoon remaining picante sauce over the top. Cover and bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Yield: 8 servings.

My Review: I was really nervous about this one. I thought it was going to taste like crap. It ended up being pretty tasty. Of course, I used hot picante sauce, so maybe I burned my tastebuds off!