black bean & corn cakes with cilantro sour cream

This was my first attempt at Weight Watchers food.  It's funny - I find myself drawn to the Mexican and pasta dishes most.  :)

Black Bean-Corn Cakes with Cilantro Sour Cream

Weight Watchers Recipe

Course: light meals

PointsPlus™ Value: 8

Servings: 2

Preparation Time: 16 min

Cooking Time: 10 min

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Yellow cornmeal gives a crisp, golden coating to these slightly spicy bean patties. Cilantro sour cream is their refreshing foil.

10 oz canned black beans, drained, rinsed and coarsely mashed

1/4 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed

3 Tbsp yellow cornmeal

2 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped

1 large egg white

1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced

1 medium scallion, chopped

1 clove medium garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp table salt

1 Tbsp Corn Oil

1/4 cup fat-free sour cream

1 tsp lime zest, grated

1 tsp fresh lime juice

Combine the beans, cheese, corn, 1 tablespoon of the cornmeal, 1 tablespoon of the cilantro, the egg white, chipotle pepper, scallion, garlic, cumin and salt in a medium bowl until well mixed. Divide the mixture into 4 balls.

Place the remaining 2 tablespoons cornmeal on a plate. Roll the bean balls in the cornmeal to coat. Press each ball into a 1/2-inch thick patty.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the cakes and cook until crisp and golden outside and heated through - 4–5 minutes on each side. Transfer to a platter; cover with foil to keep warm.

To make the cilantro sour cream, combine the sour cream, lime zest, lime juice and remaining 1 tablespoon cilantro in a small bowl. Serve the bean cakes with the cilantro sour cream. Yields 2 bean cakes and 2 tablespoons cilantro cream per serving.

Notes

You can substitute plain fat-free yogurt for the sour cream if you like.

These cakes are easy to mix and shape ahead, ready for cooking at the last minute. Simply prepare the recipe through step 2, then wrap and refrigerate for up to three days. Remove the cakes from refrigerator and let stand 5 minutes before proceeding with step 3.

* I didn't have fresh cilantro, scallions, chipotle peppers or corn oil.  I used the squeeze cilantro (I know, horror, but I don't go through fresh herbs fast enough to use them all and I hate throwing them away.  For a quick weeknight dinner, this worked fine!)  I used onion flake, chipotle pepper and vegetable oil in place of the others.  They were still fantastic!!!  Eating healthy is expensive so you have to learn to substitute when necessary! *