Black Bean Sliders

It’s been a month. Again. And I don’t really have much of an excuse. Except that I’ve been living in a dorm building. Yes, almost 30 and spending six-weeks of the summer supervising high school kids, sleeping in a twin-sized bed, and eating meals cooked in an industrial kitchen. I’m ready for messy kitchen, dirty dishes, and beer, sweet beer.

In the meantime, I thought I’d finally get around to sharing the recipe for the most deliciously cute black bean sliders I made for my June Beer Dinner. Mini foods hold a great appeal for me; it’s almost like you can trick yourself into believing  it’s OK to eat more because they’re small. And that’s where I get in trouble with those damn mini candy bars…

You start with some garlic. See my new garlic peeler! I love it!

Cook it up in some oil with a little onion (of course).

Then, you mash the patootie out of the black beans. I used a potato masher the first time I made these and then just used the KitchenAide the next. Both worked pretty well but the finer mashed ones were easier to shape into patties.

Next, add some stuff to beef it up – sautéed garlic and onion, corn, spinach, red pepper, spices, delish, plus  Panko bread crumbs.

I also ended up adding an egg to get things to hold together better.

Pan fry in a bit of oil.

Finally, serve ’em up how you like them! For the beer dinner I prepared everything ahead of time and then warmed them back up in the oven and melted a piece of cheese on top; instead of avocado I served a spicy guacamole.

The sliders paired really nicely with an IPA. The first taste test I went with Coronado Brewing Company’s Idiot IPA. Coronado has a lot of beer being distributed right now in the Sacramento area and I’m excited to try a few more of theirs. For the beer dinner I went with Goose Islands IPA. Both beers I tried for the first time at the Capital Beerfest.

Black Bean Sliders from The Curvy Carrot

Everything you’ll need:

• 3 gloves of garlic (or more, you know)
• Small yellow onion, chopped
• Two, 15-oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup corn
• 1/2 cup bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup fresh spinach, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 2/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
• Egg (optional)
• Fixings: cheese tomato, onion, etc.

Directions:

1. Begin by sautéing the garlic (3 gloves) and onion in oil until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Set aside.
2. In a bowl, mash the black beans until soft.
3. Add the corn (1/2 c.), bell pepper (1/2 c.), spinach (1/4 c.), soy sauce (1 T), cumin (2 t), and cayenne pepper (and any other spices you’d like) until combined.
4. Add Panko bread crumbs (2/3 c.) and egg (optional) until the mixture comes together and will form a patty.
5. Form patties and allow to chill 10-15 minutes.
6. Cook patties in olive oil over medium heat until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.