Black Bean Sausages

My daughter is a sucker for biscuits and gravy. I always thought she liked Florida because of Disney and Sea World, but it was really the biscuits and gravy that are served everywhere.

So I thought I would try to make some healthy biscuits and gravy (and still be edible). Well, the gluten-free biscuits didn't turn out that well and the gravy was too "milky", so I am not ready to share that recipe yet.

However, the accompanying vegetarian sausages I made turned out pretty darn good. These come from Mary Frances over at the Gluten Free Cooking School with only minor modifications. I would like to play around with the seasonings a bit more, but I think these are almost perfect.

Black Bean Sausage Patties

Ingredients:

2 t canola oil
½ yellow onion, diced

1½ c brown rice, cooked
1 can black beans, or 2 c. cooked

¼ c brown rice flour
2 t rubbed sage
1 t fennel seed, coarsely ground
½ t red chili flakes
½ t garlic powder
¾ t salt
½ t black pepper
¼ t cumin

Steps:

1. Heat oil in a large skill over medium heat. Saute the diced onions until they are soft, about 5 minutes.

2. Combine the black beans, brown rice, and onion in a food processor. Pulse until all items are well combined (i.e., no visibly whole pieces of bean)

3. Scoop the bean mixture into a large mixing bowl and add the flour and spices. Stir to combine.

4. To make the sausage patties, divide the bean mixture into twelve pieces and roll each piece into a ball. (A little flour on your hands will help with the stickiness.) Place one of the balls between your palms, and squash it into a pattie shape.

5. Add a little more oil to your skillet and turn it down to medium low. Add the black bean sausage patties to the pan, and brown on each side.