After devouring the irresistible and indulgent treats that grace the holiday table, holiday gluttons frequently make a few New Year's resolutions to return to sensible eating. Actually, many find it a relief to turn away from the sweets to chow down a savory, high fiber hearty dish that fills them up without filling them out.

If you've never seen a savory bean patty that resembles a chocolate chip cookie, this may be your first encounter. Whenever I serve these tasty patties, someone will ask me why I'm serving the chocolate chip cookies as an entrée. We enjoy the patties with fresh salsa, but they also work wonderfully in a pita with lots of trimmings like chopped tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and shredded lettuce.

Zesty Black Bean Patties is one of the delicious recipes from Zel Allen's cookbook The Nut Gourmet: Nourishing Nuts for Every Occasion published by Book Publishing Company in 2006.

Yield: 9 to10 very tasty patties.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (Gas Mark 6) and lightly oil a large baking sheet. Combine the pine nuts and walnuts in the food processor and process until they are finely ground. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
2. Put the onion into the food processor and pulse chop until it is minced. Transfer to the bowl with the nut meal.
3. Measure 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the black beans, and add them to bowl with the nut meal. Put the remainder of the beans into the food processor.
4. Add the oat bran, water, salt, cumin, coriander, chili powder, garlic powder, and pepper and process until well blended. Spoon the mixture into the nut meal and mix well.
5. Drop the mixture from a large spoon onto the prepared baking sheet to form nine or ten 3-inch (7.5 cm) patties. Flatten the patties slightly so they will bake evenly.
6. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes. Turn the patties over with a metal spatula and bake 10 to 12 minutes longer.

Note: If you prefer to use canned beans rather than cooking beans from scratch, 1 1/2 fifteen-ounce (450g) cans will give you the 2 cups (480 ml) of beans needed for this recipe. Rinse and drain the beans before using.