Black Bean + Sweet Potato Cakes

I can't say enough about the magic that happens when I clean my kitchen, take a look at what I have on hand and start cooking. Last night I tried a recipe for chickpea patties that were supposed to be both baby and adult compatible, but they only turned out to be compatible with sticking to the bottom of my pan. Still craving something crispy and beany- and cumin-y, I looked at the sweet potato that had been sitting on my counter for a week and remembered the two cans of black beans sitting in my cupboard and here we are.

BLACK BEAN + SWEET POTATO CAKES
1 yellow onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 canned habanero peppers, chopped
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 sweet potato, peeled and grated
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
salt
olive oil

Sautee the onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until translucent and soft, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin and peppers and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer into a large mixing bowl. Add black beans to mixing bowl and mash everything together quite well. Add the sweet potato, egg and breadcrumbs and combine. Salt to taste.

Turn on the broiler, move the rack to the top position and line a baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat. With wet hands, form 6 to 8 balls from the black bean mixture and place on the prepared baking sheet. Flatten each ball and shape into patties. Broil patties for 7 to 8 minutes, flip and broil other side for 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer cakes to a cooling rack and serve.

I served the cakes with fresh cornbread (I have always used the Joy of Cooking recipe) and homemade yogurt, since I was out of sour cream. I think they'd also be tasty with a little Cotija cheese, chopped green onions and lime.

I've been making my own yogurt for the last few weeks to cut costs and it is totally worth it! I eat yogurt almost everyday and now Baby E has joined me in mutual yogurt appreciation. I buy a half gallon of Strauss whole milk (in a returnable glass bottle, which reduces our waste output) and use four cups to make our yogurt by using a quarter cup of the last batch of yogurt as culture. I can afford to splurge on the delicious, local organic milk by cutting out the extra $6-$7 I'd be spending on a quart of yogurt from the same dairy. I've also been making my own bread every other day. Both of these items are staples in our house and I've really noticed the cost-effectiveness of learning to make them myself, and doing so makes me feel like my Granny, a woman who lived through the Depression and is like the MacGyver of homemaking.