Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes
These sweet corn tamale cakes are my healthy homemade answer to one of the most popular dishes on the Cheesecake Factory menu. I make these crispy golden cakes with quinoa, sweet corn kernel and whole wheat flour and serve them with a vibrantly nutritious black bean salsa. In just 1 hour, I have a copycat dish with an impressive nutritional profile, and without the restaurant price tag.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 276.4kcal
Ingredients
Corn Cakes
- ½ cup quinoa
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup reduced sodium vegetable broth
- 1 large egg beaten
- ½ cup frozen corn kernels thawed
- 2 scallions finely chopped (¼ cup)
- ¼ cup shredded low fat mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup whole wheat flour
- 2 Tbsp 1% milk
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp hot pepper sauce I used Tobasco
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
- olive oil cooking spray
Salsa
- 15 oz black beans, rinsed and drained 1 can
- 1½ cups halved grape or cherry tomatoes
- 1 jalapeño pepper seeded and finely diced
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- ¼ cup chopped red bell pepper
- Lime juice to taste
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
Optional Toppings
Instructions
Corn Cakes
- Mix quinoa, water, and broth in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 min. Fluff with a fork.
- Combine quinoa and remaining cake ingredients except oil in a medium bowl.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spray with olive oil cooking spray. Scoop a generous 1/4 cup of the quinoa mixture at a time and drop onto skillet, flattening into pancake shape with back of spatula (makes 8 cakes).
- Cook the cakes until they’re browned on one side, about 5 min. Flip carefully and cook about 5-10 min longer.
Salsa
- Mix together all salsa ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. Let marinate for 5-10 minutes.
Serving
- Serve two corn cakes with ¼ of the black bean salsa mixture and any of the optional toppings you like!
Notes
- My #1 Secret Tip for this sweet corn tamale cakes recipe is to let the cakes cook undisturbed for the full 5 minutes before flipping. I know it is tempting to check underneath, but giving the cakes this full time in contact with the heat is what develops the golden crust. Flipping them too soon may cause them to fall apart. I make sure the edges look set, and the bottom releases cleanly from the pan.
- Flatten cakes: I flatten each scoop of batter into patties no thicker than 1/2 inch. Thicker patties take longer to cook and are more likely to be raw in the center.
- Wear gloves: When cutting jalapenos or any chili, I make sure to wear gloves to avoid chili burn.
- Spray between batches: I mist my skillet with olive oil cooking spray to ensure the pan never gets dry. Dry pans cause sticking, burning, and possible breakage.
- Make salsa ahead: Whenever I have the time, I prepare my salsa the night before and store it in the fridge. This gives the flavors a proper chance to meld and allows me to focus on my cakes the next day.
- Let cakes rest: I transfer the cooked cakes to a wire rack for 2-3 minutes before serving. This prevents the bases from steaming on a flat surface and becoming soggy, especially while I am finishing the rest of the batch.
Nutrition
Serving: 2corn cakes | Calories: 276.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 45.9g | Protein: 16.1g | Fat: 4.2g | Sodium: 175.9mg | Fiber: 10.5g | Sugar: 1.1g