Thursday’s Dinner: Cuban Black Bean Cakes and Roasted Butternut Squash with Cumin

There was no danger of ordering sushi this evening; I got loads of sleep last night (thank goodness) and tonight’s dinner is one of my all-time favorites: Cuban black bean cakes and roasted butternut squash with cumin!

This meal is my take on a burger and fries, but with so much more flavor–and so much better for you! Add a simple salad of baby greens, sweet onion, avocado, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and you’ve got one tasty dinner.

I used Lindsay Nixon’s “Cuban Black Bean Cakes” recipe from Everyday Happy Herbivore (in heavy rotation at my house) and my own recipe for roasted butternut squash with cumin (also in heavy rotation at my house). As you can see if you click the link to my recipe, I used to make the squash with loads of olive oil, which brought a whole lot of extra calories to the table without a whole lot of extra nutrients. But then I discovered that the squash actually tasted better when made with just a quick spritz of cooking spray. (Who knew?) Better yet, these tender little morsels still taste for all the world like sweet potato fries, so I can indulge without, well, indulging.

As a side note, I know the avocados aren’t exactly part of a low-fat eating plan, but they really do up the yum factor with this meal. So I say they stay.

Also, this post wouldn’t be complete without a huge thank you to my amazing husband. He’s been helping with the cooking almost every night this week, as well as being on dish detail while I write up posts. So Jeff, thank you for being wonderful! I lucked out when I said “I do” to you.