black bean balls with avocado buttermilk dipping sauce

 

I've been eating out a lot lately. I am not complaining... but my body is. Too much rich food makes for a higher blood pressure and overall crummy feeling.  I've been wanting to make some black bean balls for awhile, and I figured they'd be a good antidote to all the fat and meat that was coursing through my veins and making me move slow. 

And they did the trick! Nutritious and quick to make. And yummy! And the dipping sauce? Oh man. This is going to be my new go-to salad dressing. It's so simple and so so flavorful and creamy, and the fat it does have comes from avocado, so it's better for you than cream or mayo-based dressings. And lookit how pretty it is!

Southwestern Black Bean Balls

-1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

-1 cup corn

-1 cup refried black beans

-1 cup salsa, drained of excess liquid

-2 eggs

-1 teaspoon cumin

-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

-1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano

-a few big handfuls of tortilla chips (I used ones with flax seed and soy for even more nutrients!), mhizzed up in the food processor (about 1.5 to 2 cups total crumbs)

Mash the black beans with a potato masher until they are mostly mashed, but still chunky. Add the corn, refried beans and salsa and mix well. Beat the cumin and cayenne with the eggs and add to the bean mixture, stirring until incorporated. Add the chip crumbs, 1 cup at a time, stirring, until combined. Add more chips if necessary... mixture will be sticky.  Cover and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes to give the crumbs a chance to absorb moisture and the mixture will firm up a bit more. 

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Roll into ping pong ball-sized balls and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, turning the balls once halfway through cooking. Serve hot with Avocado buttermilk dipping sauce, or on a salad.

Avocado Buttermilk Dressing/Dipping Sauce

-1 Avocado, cubed

-1 clove garlic, roughly chopped

-Handful of cilantro

-1.5 cups buttermilk

-salt to taste

Put the avocado, garlic and cilantro in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add teh buttermilk and puree. Taste and add salt. Serve.

Year of the Balls posts:

Chocolate Salty Balls - 3 Ways!
Crawfish Boil Balls

Moroccan Lamb Balls with Figs

Hummus Balls

Cashew Chicken Balls

Salsiccia Balls with Peppers

Sesame Salmon Balls

Fish Balls with Pork Filling 

Related posts from the archives:
Wedge salad
Build a better taco salad
Chipotle beans with masa gnocchi
Superfoods curried quinoa