cuban black bean patties with pinapple rice

this recipe comes from the march cooking light. and because i am powerless to resist the combination of black beans, pineapple and cilantro in one dish, i made it. i did run into a small issue with the cakes sticking to the pan. the directions said non-stick and i, like a fool, didn't listen. the cakes are delicate and with the sticking, i was lucky to get the one in the picture out in one piece.
i love warm pineapple and the smell of pineapple sauted in butter is absolute heaven. i think next time i make the rice, i'll add toasted almond slivers and a small amount of cinnamon. also, i'd leave out the sour cream (the dish doesn't really need it) and instead squeeze a lime wedge over the plate.
cooking light suggests you use boil-in-bag rice and bottled, minced garlic. pardon my snarky-ness but, is it "cooking light" or "cooking lazy"? if either of those were passable excuses for the real thing, i'd let it slide. but they aren't. i sub'd brown rice and fresh garlic.

cuban black bean patties with pineapple rice

for rice:
2-3 cups cooked brown rice
2 tsp butter
1 cup diced fresh pineapple
2 tbs chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp salt

for patties:
2 cups rinsed, well drained black beans, divided
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp salt
1 large egg white
1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese with jalapenos
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup cornmeal
cooking spray
1/4 cup light sour cream

cook rice and set aside. melt butter in a skillet over medium high heat. add pineapple, saute 4 minutes or just until pineapple begins to turn brown. add rice, cilantro and salt to pan and cover.
place 1 1/2 cup black beans, garlic, cumin, and salt in a bowl. partially mash with a fork. place 1/2 cup remaining black beans and egg white in food processor; process 30 seconds or until well combined. ass bean puree to mashed beans and stir until combined. add cheese and onion to bean mixture;stir until combined. divide into 4 equal portions and shape into 1/2 inch thick patties. dredge both sides in corn meal. heat non-stick pan over medium high heat. coat pan with cooking spray. add patties, cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned.

for those counting, here are the nutritionals (before the brown rice sub): cal: 294, fat: 8.5g, protein: 10g, fiber: 3.5g