Vegan Sweet Potato Burgers

These past couple of weeks I've been completely stuck in a dinner rut, unable to get out. Or rather, I've been too lazy to cook any proper meals, making hummus and rice cakes my go-to din din companions for better or worse. So today was finally the day to put an end to the dreary repetitiveness and get my ass in the kitchen to actually cook, and not just blend things together and hope for the best.

You see, there was this sweet potato that had been sitting in the fridge for almost a week, glaring at me each time I neglected to acknowledge its existence, giving me a hard time for not putting its beautiful, sweet flesh to good use. So, I pondered. Sweet potato brownies (I'll probably never be able to top Deliciously Ella's, so no), sweet potato pie (come on Tilda, 'tis not the season), sweet potato gnocchi (been there, failed that) or ... sweet potato burgers! Yes, I'd gladly watch your metamorphosis into a burger, sweet potato o' mine.

I got so excited over these burgers, I even went ahead and made my own whole grain spelt buns! Sadly, there won't be a recipe for those as they were a disappointment but I'll try my luck again sometime in the future. As for now, I suggest you either find a better bun recipe on your own, or go buy some from the store. I won't judge. (But the sweet potato might o_o)

Now, time to stop with this nonsense and get down to business. The recipe's right here below, enjoy!

Vegan Sweet Potato Burgers

Burgers:

- 1 medium sweet potato (200 g peeled)

- 1/2 can chickpeas (120 g)

- 1/4 cup quinoa flakes (could sub for oats but then you may have to start with a little less than 1/4 cup)

- 1 tbsp sweet miso paste (you can omit the miso paste if you don't have any but it really takes away from the flavour...)

- 1/4 small bell pepper, finely chopped

- 1 tsp onion powder

- 1 tsp garlic powder

- Salt and pepper to taste

Condiments:

- 4 buns of your choice (bonus points if you make your own.)(I did.)

- Avocado

- Thinly sliced vegetables of your choice such as tomatoes, lettuce, red onions etc.

How to:

1. Start by peeling and chopping the sweet potato into large cubes. Steam until it's soft enough to pierce with a fork (15-20 min).
2. In a large bowl, mash all of the ingredients together with a fork until everything sticks together nicely. Blend with a hand blender for a smoother consistency. (Though I highly recommend keeping the chunks!)
3. Form 4 big or 6 small patties with your hands.
4. Fry the burgers in a non-stick pan or a spoonful of coconut oil over medium to low heat until the patties have a nice colour on both sides, approximately 5-10 minutes on each side.
5. Serve immediately and with all the toppings your heart desires! (That is, stuff as much avocado as you possibly can in there. So worth it.)