Curried Sweet Potato Quinoa Patties (vegan)

Quinoa and sweet potatoes. Hmmm, yumminess in their purest form. These two whole foods are nutrient dense and some of the cheapest health foods you can buy. Because of that, I make them every week, sometimes more than once or twice. And the usual favorite is sweet potato baked fries. They seem to never get old. And then there is quinoa, the super-food-seed. Quinoa makes it's way into our lives as a pilaf, salad or extra side many days of the week. Separately, I can find so many ways to enjoy them. Yet, this little mash-up of ingredients led me to believe they may be best when put together. A perfect union. A sweet and nutty romance. A love that doesn't fade fast, but grows as time passes. True love.

I have been making myself get creative with some of the same ol' good ingredients that I have in my kitchen. It is easy to get into a rut with your favorite foods. And it isn't always easy to find alternatives or move past what you know and love. Yet, wanting to save a few bucks on the grocery bill by making my pantry food last (and not at the expense of good nutrition) forces you to get creative. I think this usually leads me to a fine moment of discovering there is so much more to whole foods than carrots and rice. So my friends, I literally mashed some quinoa and sweet potatoes together to get this little es amble and I promise you the mix of flavor, spices and texture will not disappoint those taste buds of yours.

Curried Sweet Potato Quinoa Patties Recipe

3 cups of sweet potato puree (just boil diced potato until soft, drain and then mash)

2 cups of cooked quinoa (1 cup of dry quinoa with 2 cups of water, cook like rice for 20 min.)

3-4 minced garlic cloves

1/2 cup of finely chopped sweet onion

1/2 cup of millet flour

1 TB of olive oil

1 ts. of sea salt

1 ts. of black pepper

1 TB of paprika

1 TB of ground cumin

2 ts. of curry powder

1 TB of dried cilantro

1 TB of dried oregano

optional ingredients/changes:

-1/2 cup other GF flour (b.rice, almond, corn) to add more stiffness, instead of millet.

***Also, the pattie CAN be made without flour, it is just a bit gooey- and you have to let it cool to have it be more manageable.

-1 cup of cooked/washed black beans

fresh herbs instead of dried.

Mix all of the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Then form large patties in your hands, almost like burger patties. Then place the patties on parchment paper on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. You can flip them half way if you want them to have even crispy sides. This recipe should make about 10-12 patties depending on how big you make them.

Also, if you want to make these in muffin cups, that will work beautifully as well. It may be a good option if you want this to be a side-dish or cute "muffin" as a side with a BBQ dish or salad.

Remove from oven and let cool just a minute before serving. Or wait a while...:)

***If you want the outside of this pattie to be crispy when you eat, then put a TB of olive oil in a skillet and crisp each side for 2-3 minutes until crispy and to your liking***

The best ways to eat this pattie:

-wrapped in a GF wrap with veggies and your favorite dressing or sauce

-fit between two pieces of GF sandwich bread or bun with ketchup, lettuce and tomato

-as a side dish to a nice BBQ chicken meal

-placed on top of a spinach and veggie salad

- just eat on a plate with a fork :)

There are a few ways to enjoy this pattie, and additional veggies could be added to make a "veggie pattie" I am going to experiment more next time I make these and see what I come up with. But for now I am truly happy with this new combo with so much flavor and spice. It will have you asking for more... here is my lunch today, some leftover chicken bbq with a sweet potato quinoa pattie and a spinach salad on the side. Love this combo! And it left me full and satisfied.

I hope you find new ways to use your favorite ingredients... and in the meantime, why not try these! They will make so many that you will have some for leftovers, or to put in the freezer. Eating healthy doesn't have to be rocket science or expensive. This little recipe would cost you around 3 dollars to make and you end up with 12 patties, that is 40 cents per pattie... then add all the fixin's with it and viola you have a very inexpensive healthy and vegan meal. This post and recipe is linked up with The Nourishing Gourmet's 3/10/11 Pennywise Platter.

I hope you have a fabulous day!

Much love,

Stephanie