Tonight for dinner Martin ate white bean cakes with a side of sauerkraut-parsley. I got the idea for the white bean cakes from a recipe for “black bean cakes” that I found in The Everything Guide to Cooking for Children with Autism, which is a gluten-free, casein-free (GFCF) cookbook, not strict enough for Martin’s diet but nonetheless helpful. The original recipe called for 2 cups cooked black beans, 3 tablespoons mild salsa, 2 tablespoons cornmeal or GFCF breadcrumbs, and canola oil. Martin does not eat any of those ingredients, but why should that stop us?

Here’s what I came up with:

· 2-3 cups lima or navy beans (the two beans approved for Martin), cooked and mashed
· 2/3 cup (combined) of peeled and diced cucumber, lemon juice, onion, garlic, and parsley
· 1/3 cup sunflour
· avocado oil for cooking

I combined everything but the avocado oil and formed the mixture into patties, which I fried in the avocado oil. Medium heat, about five minutes per side.

With the sunflour and the beans, this makes a nice protein. You can vary the cooking oil for different tastes and healthy fats.