Ho Cakes Re-imagined

Fried cornmeal and buttermilk. What's not to love? In the south, we fry corn every way you can imagine. Well, almost. In an attempt to be a bit more sustainable, the boy and I have turned Meatless Monday into meatless Tuesday and Thursday. I'm constantly scouring my recipe books for new dishes that don't incorporate meat. I'm a huge fan of black beans, so I thought I'd combine them into a classic southern dish.

 














The result? Black bean and corn ho cakes. Here's the recipe:

What You'll Need:

2 cans black beans, drained

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 small (8.75 oz) can sweet corn, drained

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or bacon grease

1 large egg

1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)

Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and cumin, to taste

Oil for frying

What to Do:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Batter should roll slowly off your spoon. Add buttermilk if too thick. For each cake, drop 2 heaping tablespoons of batter into hot oil. Cook cakes over medium-high heat about 4 minutes per side or until brown and crispy. 

Try serving them over a bed of greens or rice and a dollop of sour cream. Eat up!