Over the past few years I have dramatically reduced the amount of meat that Mr. C. and I eat. Now that does not mean that we are trying to give up meat (we are still carnivores to the core), it just means that our previous choices were not as healthy as they should have been. It was partly due to the times. We did after all grow up in the meat and potatoes era, and let’s face it, slapping a big old steak on the grill was easy. Add a baked potato with all the trimmings, a green veggie or salad, and a glass of red wine, and dinner is served! But we both know how to read, and every article we read about a healthy life style, indicated that we were consuming way too much protein (mainly in the form of meat) and not enough fruits and veggies. Since I do the meal planning around our household, and am reasonably intelligent (some would argue that statement, I know!) I decided to make a change in the way we approached food. (Well actually it was a change in the way I approached food. Mr. C. will eat just about anything I put in front of him!) So, I started buying less meat, adding more veggies to our diet (that didn’t make Mr. C. real happy at first) and generally thinking more about nutrition and portion control.  And I started serving main dishes with NO meat on a more consistent basis. What we found was that we didn’t miss big helping of meat as much as we thought we might. The only thing I personally missed were the little sauces I would make to go on the meat. You know the kind of sauces I mean – the lovely wine sauce or flavorful aioli or savory, creamy, gooey, or sticky “something” that lifted the meat from ordinary to outstanding! Those little sauces were and still apparently are a part of my genetic makeup. I just could not give them up. And I haven’t! Now, instead of spreading a sauce like the Cilantro Sour Cream Sauce or Roasted Red Pepper Aioli (recipes below) on a big hunk of meat, I prepare a dish like the Black Bean Patties and dollop one of my beloved sauces on them instead. Crafty little devil, aren’t I?

• 3 T. vegetable oil, divided
• 1 egg
• 1 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 8 T. dried bread crumbs or panko, divided
• ¼ c. finely minced green onions
• 2 T. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ¾ tsp. ground cumin
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
• ¼ tsp. Aleppo, cayenne, or ancho chili pepper
• freshly ground black pepper

Place 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil, egg, and black beans in a food processor. Pulse 20 times or until mixture becomes a coarsely chopped paste. Combine bean mixture with 5 tablespoons of the bread crumbs, onions, cilantro, garlic, cumin, salt, chili pepper, and a little pinch of pepper. Form bean mixture into small patties to serve as appetizers or larger patties to serve as a vegetarian main dish. Pour remaining bread crumbs on a dish. Dredge each patty in bread crumbs. Heat remaining vegetable oil in frying pan. Add patties; cook three minutes on each side or until patties are a nice crunchy brown. Serve hot or at room temperature. Serve with Cilantro Sour Cream Sauce or Roasted Red Pepper Aioli. Thanks to Cooking Light magazine for the wonderful recipe for Blank Bean Cakes.

CILANTRO SOUR CREAM SAUCE

• 1 c. sour cream
• 1-2 T. heavy cream
• 2-4 T. chopped fresh cilantro
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

ROASTED RED PEPPER AIOLI

• 1/2 c. mayonnaise
• 1 T. Dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/3 c. finely chopped roasted red peppers, drained well
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, and garlic. Stir in the peppers and season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill.