Sometimes I really want a food that is traditionally made with meat…like crab cakes or sausage balls. Since the meat part of those recipes is just not going to happen (for health reasons), I’ve had to get creative with beans. And surprisingly enough, if you season the beans correctly you can make something that tastes very, very much like the real thing. (I got one of my co-workers to taste test my Kidney Bean Sausage Balls and she agreed that it tasted like a real sausage ball!) With these white bean “crab” cakes you get all of the tastiness of crab cakes, minus the shellfish allergies and other things that we don’t want, like animal protein and fat.

The first night that I made the crab cakes, which is one of our favorite gluten free vegetarian recipes, I was also really wanting a creamy salad of some sort. Since I was out of the usual suspects (pasta, English peas and carrots) I decided to see what I could  do with the fresh fruit and veggies that I had on hand. The result is a cool and refreshing summer salad featuring corn and juicy,fresh peaches. This is one of those dishes that should have given us leftovers, but didn’t because John and I both kept going back to the fridge for more bites!

White Bean Crab Cakes

(Serves 4 – 6 )
1 c. onion, diced
1/2 c. celery, diced
1/2 c. red bell pepper, diced
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced

1 lb. white beans, cooked and drained *
2 green onions, green parts only and sliced
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. parsley, minced
3/4 tsp. stone ground mustard
1/2 c. mayo or Vegannaise
1/2 c. bread crumbs
1 1/2 Tbsp. Old Bay Seasoning

1. Saute the onions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic in a little olive oil or water over medium low heat until the vegetables are tender.

2. Mix the vegetables and all other ingredients in a large bowl.  Some of the beans will fall apart when you do this, and that’s just what you want. If you’re using canned beans, give half of them a spin in the food processor before adding them in.

3. Form the mixture into small cakes, approximately 2.5 inches in diameter. You can either pan-fry them with a little olive oil and a medium-hot skillet or bake in the oven at 350 F until they are golden. I prefer the texture of the pan-fried cakes, but the oven baked cakes hold together better.

4. Serve the cakes with tartar sauce, or my Savory Peach and Corn Salad.

*You can substitute 1 lb. of crab meat, if you like.

Savory Peach & Corn Salad

2 cans of corn (11 oz), drained (feel free to use fresh if you have it)
1 ripe peach, diced
1/8 c. celery, diced
1/8 c. pecans, minced
1/2 red bell pepper
mayonnaise or Vegannaise, to taste
red wine vinegar, to taste
parsly, minced , to taste

Mix all ingredients and chill for 30 minutes, if you can wait that long.

P.S. Sorry to be vague with some of the amounts.  Sometimes I like a little bit of mayo and vinegar and sometimes I want more. I’d suggest starting with a small amount of mayo and then gradually working up to the amount you want. Then start with the vinegar and parsley and do the same.

P.P.S. To choose a ripe peach, hold the peach near your nose and sniff. If you smell peachy goodnes, then it’s ripe. If not, put it back and keep looking.

Related Posts:

• Gluten Free Sausage Balls
• An Amazing Brined Gluten Free Turkey Recipe for Thanksgiving
• Gluten Free, Casein Free Bread Stuffing for Thanksgiving
• Green Bean Casserole (Gluten Free & Casein Free)
• Mixed Green Salad with Apples & Pecans, Buttermilk Honey Dressing

Corn and zucchini are both great summer vegetables and they come together in this recipe to make a tasty and easy side dish. The veggies take all for two minutes to prepare and the dish can cook away on the stove while you’re working on the entree. If it gets done before the rest of the meal, just pop it into a serving bowl, cover with foil and set it a warm oven. Be careful getting it out; it will be hot. (I know this because I’m always getting burned this way; my mind just doesn’t associate my serving bowls with “hot”!)

Since this recipe has only three ingredients it will be going into the “Easy Gluten Free” category. I redid the category section of the sidebar over the weekend, so take a minute to check it out when you have a chance.

Zucchini & Corn Sauté Recipe

(Yield: 4 side servings)

kernels from two ears of sweet corn (or 1 1/2 c. corn kernels, if using canned or frozen)
2 medium zucchini, cut into half moons
feta cheese

1. First stand the ear of corn upright and hold it with one hand. Then use a sharp serrated knife to cut the kernels from the cob. Start from the top and cut straight down to the bottom. Rotate the ear and repeat. Be careful not to cut so far in that you cut part of the cob off too.

2. Slice the zucchini lengthwise and then slice each section so that you have little half-moons of zucchini. If your zucchini is on the large side, you can cut it into fourths before you slice it.

3. Sauté the zucchini and corn in a skillet over medium-low to medium heat. Add a little water to the skillet if needed. The corn and zucchini will give off their own water so you won’t need much. Season to tasted with salt and pepper. Cook until you can easily stick a fork through the zucchini; 10 – 15 minutes maybe? I forgot to watch the clock =) Top with feta cheese and serve.

Related Posts:

• White Bean “Crab Cakes” with Savory Peach and Corn Salad
• Lazy Man’s Beer Battered Onion Rings
• Gluten Free Southern Fried Okra
• Roasted Asparagus
• Vegetable Gumbo Recipe

What do you get when you need to figure out how to use the sage in your garden, you want to try a new recipe, supper needs to be on the table pronto, and you’ve been thinking about writing a post for Weekend Herb Blogging? Well, I have no idea what you would get, but I got Savory Sage Corn Cakes.

Here’s the thought process…”Quesdillas with zuchinni and squash…what would go with that?? refried beans……I need something else too…..[grabs The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook by Diana White from the pile and begins flipping]…..Radicchio with Potatoes & Celery…what is radicchio?……Chilled Spinach and Herb Soup…promising, but not with quesadillas….Savory Baked Corn Cakes….looks a little bland….sage goes well with cornbread, maybe that would work…..wait….sage…that would work for Weekend Herb Blogging….score!

I did not realize at the time what a score this recipe was. It was an easy gluten free conversion, came together quickly, was absolutely delicious, and reheated well for lunch the next day.

First, the gluten free conversion. The recipe, as originally written, called for 2 Tbsp. of all-purpose flour. I was not confident that 2 Tbsp. of brown rice flour would hold the batter together, so I added 2 Tbsp. of corn starch for extra binding power and xanthum gum to ward off crumbling (whisper:/John, I think I’ve been playing WoW too much). It worked like a charm; the cakes were as easy to flip as hamburgers.

Second, easy to come together. I didn’t realize this until I was writing the recipe, but the prep for this recipe has only one step. You put everything into the food processor and blend it. Such simplicity is very rare in my cooking, maybe in all gluten free cooking, and should be duly celebrated!

Third, was absolutely delicious. Here are a few excerpts from our dinner conversation Mary:”This is just warm, yummy goodness.” a few minutes later, John: “This is really good!” Mary:”I like the sour cream on top.” John: “You like sour cream on top of anything” Mary:”That’s true” John:”I like the salsa on it too” John:”Do I really have to save some for tomorrow?” Mary:”Yes”

Fourth, reheated well for lunch the next day. Not only was it just as yummy the next day, it also survived the commute in a plastic baggie without any breakage. I was pleasantly surprised by this since gluten free foods do tend to dry out quickly and then crumble to bits.

For you Weekend Herb Bloggers (hosted this week by the Cooking Diva, here are five things that you should know about sage:
1. The dried herb is an essential ingredient in Cornbread Stuffing.
2. The plant survives drought conditions marvelously.
3. Sage is often used to flavor fatty meats, cheeses, and as mentioned above, stuffings. (from Wikipedia)
4. One should not harvest from your sage plant during the first year. Oops! (from about.com)
5. The latin name for sage, salvia, means “to heal”. Salvia is often used as a treatment for indigestion. (from Wikipedia)

Savory Sage Corn Cakes

3 c. corn kernels
1/4 c. onion, diced
2 large eggs, beaten
2 Tbsp. brown rice flour (or your standard GF flour)
2 Tbsp. corn starch
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. salt
6 sage leaves, minced
canola oil as needed for skillet
sour cream (optional)
cilantro (optional)
caramelized onions (optional)

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse a few times until the corn is finely minced.

2. Heat one tablespoon oil over medium-low heat in a cast iron skillet or non-stick skillet. When the skillet is hot, use a 1/8 cup measure to pour the batter onto the skillet as if you were making pancakes.

3. After the cakes have cooked for a few minutes, take a peek to see if the cakes are browning on the bottom. If the bottom is golden, then the cakes are ready to flip. Otherwise keep cooking them on that side until they are golden brown.

4. Once you’ve flipped the cakes, continue cooking them until the second side is golden brown as well. Before you remove the cakes from the skillet, cut one in half to make sure they have cooked though. If not, turn the heat down, and continue cooking for a one to two minutes more.

5. Top with sour cream, or cilantro, or salsa, or caramelized onions or whatever you think will go well with main entree.

Related Posts:

• White Bean “Crab Cakes” with Savory Peach and Corn Salad
• Zucchini Corn Sauté