Sweet Potato and Quinoa Burgers

With the warmer weather having (finally) arrived, I expect you will see more and more BBQ-cooked meals on the menu at our place. For why mess up a pan and heat up the kitchen, when you can cook dinner on the BBQ outside instead!

And while I enjoy the ease and simplicity of throwing some steak or sausages on the BBQ, those dinners can get a little meat-heavy when repeated throughout the warmer months. Instead, it’s nice to change things up a little from time to time –  and these vegetarian sweet potato and quinoa burgers are just perfect for a meat-free BBQ meal.

Combining sweet potatoes, chickpeas and rice / quinoa, you can easily make these burgers in advance and keep them in the fridge until it is time to grill. Throw some extra vegetables on the BBQ too – and you will soon have yourself a tasty meal with very little fuss!


Print Recipe
 Sweet Potato and Quinoa Burgers
Course BBQ
Cuisine BBQ, Vegetarian
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings
people
Ingredients
Course BBQ
Cuisine BBQ, Vegetarian
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings
people
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Steam sweet potato for 5 minutes or until tender. Mash, then set aside to cool slightly.
  2. Place cooked sweet potato, chickpeas, paprika and cumin in a large bowl, and mash until well combined. Stir through the rice / quinoa and egg, until well combined.
  3. Shape the mixture into 4 large patties, and place on a plate covered with baking paper. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm.
  4. Cook patties on the BBQ or a large frypan (sprayed lightly with oil) for 10 to 15 minutes (turning as required), or until golden brown. Serve with salad and toasted Turkish bread.
Recipe Notes

I served these patties with salad, but you could easily serve them 'burger-style' in a bread roll too.

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Tuna and vegetable stuffed sweet potatoes

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Growing up we never ate sweet potatoes. I don’t even remember if they were all that available…?  Rather, our plates usually had some sort of white potato on it – generally mashed with lashings of butter and milk, or on the odd occasion they would be oven roasted.

These days, however, I don’t tend to reach for white potatoes in our grocery shop.  Not unless I’m making a potato salad or perhaps to go along with a roast dinner. Instead, I grab sweet potatoes – orange, white or purple – whatever the local green grocer has. The kids love them when they are sliced into wedges and oven baked, or steamed and mashed, and served alongside whatever else they are having for that particular meal.

On this occasion, we went with “stuffed” sweet potatoes. Aka. little roasted sweet potato “boats” that we filled with tuna, vegetables and cheese, and grilled til they were nice and golden.

I added a good drizzle of chilli sauce for the adult’s version (#cravings), while the kid’s ate their version plain. Served with a pile of greens on the side, and this turned out to be one tasty meal indeed!

Tuna and vegetable stuffed sweet potatoes  (serves 4)

  • 4 small sweet potatoes, halved
  • 300g mixed vegetables, steamed (I used carrots, broccoli and corn)
  • 185g tin of tuna in spring water, drained
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup grated cheese
  • Fresh parsley, chilli sauce  and leafy greens to serve
  1. Preheat oven to 200C.
  2. Wrap the sweet potatoes in foil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until soft. Allow to cool slightly, then scoop out the potato flesh and place in a large bowl. Mash until smooth.
  3. Place the remaining potato skin ‘boats’ onto a baking tray lined with baking paper.
  4. Add the steamed vegetables, drained tuna and sour cream to the sweet potato flesh, and stir until well combined. Season to taste.
  5. Spoon the tuna / potato mixture back into the sweet potato skins and top with grated cheese.  Bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
  6. Serve with fresh parsley and chilli sauce, and alongside the leafy greens.

Warm honeyed sweet potato salad

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Yesterday there were hopeful signs of Spring in the air. I left my heavier jacket at home, and embraced the shining sun and blue skies when I went to collect Miss C from school.

Today? Well sadly I can’t say the same thing. The temperature has dropped, my heavy jacket was definitely required for the school drop off, and I can hear the rain falling steadily as I sit here typing.

But chilly days make for great ‘catch up on work’ days, so I’m doing just that. Starting with a long overdue post – on a recipe that has become quite a favourite in our household nonetheless!

Warm Honeyed Sweet Potato Salad.

A.k.a. a great compromise when you want salad for dinner, but the weather calls for something warm too.

I really love how quickly this salad comes together. It would be a lovely little side dish, although it easily extends to a main course.

IMG_8682 Simply – sweet potatoes – sliced and drizzled with spices and honey – then roasted. Piled atop a bed bed of lettuce and purple cabbage, and sprinkled with parsley, almonds and persian feta. Completed with a warm honey vinegar dressing.
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But now…where did I put my slippers??

Warm Honeyed Sweet Potato Salad (serves 2)

  • 1 large sweet potato, scrubbed and sliced
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tbs honey
  • 2 cups mesculin lettuce
  • 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
  • 2 tbs flaked almonds
  • 2 tbs persian feta
  • 2 tbs chopped parsley
  • 1tbs white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  1. Preheat oven to 200C, and line a baking tray with baking paper.
  2. Place sweet potato on tray, and spray with olive oil spray. Sprinkle with cumin and cinnamon, and drizzle with 1tbs honey. Roast for 30-40 minutes or until tender.
  3. Meanwhile, combine 1 tbs honey, vinegar and juice in a small dish, and microwave until warmed through.
  4. Place salad leaves and cabbage into two large serving bowls. Top with the cooked sweet potato, almonds, feta and parsley. Drizzle with warmed dressing.

Sweet Potato Buddha Bowl

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What a wet and wild weekend that just was!

We stayed mostly in the warmth and comfort of home, with some baking and lots of games being the name of the weekend. We did, however, sneak out for a little parents-only dinner which was rather lovely too – and we are officially converted to the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of Uber!

And while I finished the weekend with a belly-warming balsamic roast beef, with all the Sunday roast sides, I made a promise to myself that I would clear the archives first before posting “live”.

And this spectacular sweet potato buddha bowl has been lying dormant in the archives for too long, despite being quite the tasty mid-week meal.

And not to mention healthy.

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Inspired by a Taste Magazine recipe (you can find the recipe online here), it took less than half an hour to make. I used quinoa in place of freekeh, and built the salad with roasted sweet potato, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, kale (that had been ‘massaged with olive oil), and some crunchy salad seeds.

Made all the more special with a spicy roasted capsicum sauce on the side (simply roasted capsicum, blanched almonds, chilli flakes, olive oil and balsamic vinegar – processed until smooth).
IMG_6678 Yes, friends, this is now one of my favourite ‘go to’ salads. Great for lunch, and substantial enough for dinner too.

Sweet potato, broccoli and quinoa salad

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IMG_2976 Taking a look back into the depths of my photo archives, I was shocked to see that this tasty little dish had not found its way onto the blog. For if I remember correctly, it was rather delicious – and a perfect lighter meal when the warmer weather hits. Sweet potato, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with ground cumin and coriander. Roasted for 40 minutes at 200C. . IMG_2973 Combined with a cup of cooked quinoa, baby spinach, steamed broccoli florets and cherry tomatoes. IMG_2975 Piled high, and finished with a sprinkle of slivered almonds and dressed with this gorgeous spiced beetroot finishing vinegar. The perfect sweet / sour combination to pull the whole dish together. IMG_2974IMG_2980 Definitely a salad that I see us making more often now that Spring has arrived! What about you? Discovered any delicious salad combinations recently?

Sweet potato and quinoa patties

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IMG_3751 There are some recipe books that appeal to me. Instantly. And “The Happy Cookbook” by Lola Berry is proving to be one such book. IMG_3688 Already I’ve sampled many of the dishes therein, with pleasing results. But my favourite thus far? IMG_3738 These sweet potato and quinoa patties – which were served with a ‘green’ tahini and lime dressing. IMG_3739 Simple to prepare, but oh so rewarding. IMG_3740IMG_3741IMG_3742 What I really loved about these patties – was that they not only provided a perfect base for dinner, but also lunch the next day. IMG_3748 We served the patties with a simple side salad on this occasion, but I think they’d also work beautifully in a bun as a vegetarian burger option at our next BBQ. Or perhaps made smaller, and served as an appetiser at a party? The bonus being that they can be made in advance and then re-heated. IMG_3754 And, as for the ‘green’ tahini and lime dressing (aka an avocado lime dressing) , well I had to stop myself from eating it by the spoonful straight from the bowl.  Although the fact it contained two of my favourite ingredients – avocado and tahini – probably had something to do with that! IMG_3747IMG_3750 I don’t want to infringe on any copyright laws, so I wont note the recipe here. But I would definitely keep an eye out for the book if I was you! What about you? What’s your favourite cookbook at the moment?

Sweet potato and zucchini frittata

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IMG_2579 This tasty little dinner, has been sitting in my photo archives for too long. Just waiting to be shared  with the bloggy world. Sadly – I cannot find where I recorded the recipe anywhere. So I will have to go from memory (yes a little risky, I know). IMG_2569 What I do recall – is that it was easy to throw together. Especially when you have a grater attachment on your food processor – to grate the vegetables in a matter of moments. No elbow grease required. IMG_2571IMG_2573 The dish also called for ricotta – in place of its heavier cream counterpart – making for a lightened up dinner all round. IMG_2575 Baked in a round cake pan – the end result being quite the sight to see! IMG_2576 And, my friends, I seem to recall that the meal was toddler approved – without any suspicion of the vegetables hidden within. IMG_2578 A winner dinner indeed! IMG_2584 Sweet potato and zucchini frittata

  • Olive oil spray
  • 1 large sweet potato, grated
  • 1 red onion, grated
  • 1 zucchini grated
  • 2 tbs semi dried tomatoes, sliced
  • Handful mint leaves, shredded
  • A sprinkle of dried thyme
  • 4 eggs
  • 125g ricotta
    1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line a round cake tin.
    2. Spray a frypan with a little olive oil, and cook sweet potato and onion until starting to soften (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat, then add zucchini, tomatoes and herbs.
    3. Meanwhile – whisk eggs and ricotta in a medium bowl.  Add vegetable mix, and stir well to combine.
    4. Pour into prepared tin, and bake for 30-40 minutes – or until cooked through.
    5. Allow to stand in tin for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.

    What about you? How do you keep track of new recipes?

    Honey mustard chicken salad

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    IMG_0375 I do hope you’ll bear with me, as I transition through a very busy few months. Work “time” has taken a necessary precedence over “play” time – which has basically seen me flitting from meeting to meeting and spending too many hours with my head in the books. And, despite my best intentions, my favourite kitchen time has taken a back seat. For the moment, at least. But I am here, still cooking, still creating….when time permits. And I do hope there is a light at the end of the tunnel – that will see me back in the kitchen on a more regular basis. Back to cooking for pleasure, and not just ‘convenience’ – and back to embracing the calm that time in the kitchen inevitably provides. For when meals like this find their way to our table, I am happy. They are not difficult, or complex, but homemade and make my tummy sing. Honey mustard chicken salad. Chicken – enclosed in foil – and baked alongside a big tray of sweet potatoes. IMG_0362IMG_0366 Piled high on a bed of lettuce and avocado, and drizzled with a homemade honey mustard dressing. IMG_0370 Simple to prepare – yet packed with flavour. And a ‘warm’ option to keep our Winter cravings satisfied – along with a hint of heat from the hot mustard. IMG_0371 Not to mention healthy! IMG_0372 Honey mustard chicken salad (serves 2)

    • olive oil
    • 1-2 chicken breasts
    • 1 sweet potato, scrubbed and sliced
    • 1 avocado, sliced
    • mixed lettuce leaves
    • 1tbs seeded mustard
    • 1 tsp hot English mustard
    • 1tbs honey
    • 1 tbs apple cider vinegar
    • 1 tbs olive oil
    1. Preheat oven to 200C.
    2. Place the sliced sweet potato on a lined baking tray.
    3. Meanwhile, lay the chicken breasts on a sheet of foil. Drizzle with a little oil and season. Enclose, and place into the oven after 10 minutes. Continue cooking the chicken / sweet potato fir a further 30 minutes – or until both cooked through.
    4. Meanwhile – combine the mustards, honey, vinegar and olive oil – and whisk until well combined.
    5. Place salad leaves and avocado in a bowl. Top with sliced chicken, sweet potato, and drizzle with the dressing to taste.

    What about you? How do you relax when life gets crazy?

    Sweet potato, chickpea and cauliflower curry

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    IMG_0215 The weather in Canberra recently has been far from mild. Icy-cold winds and rain – the effects of being only a few hours from the snow-fields I presume. And with a lingering cold / lurgy, I’ve been craving comfort food. Something to warm me from the inside out – but something that doesn’t take too long to prepare. And this sweet potato, chickpea and cauliflower curry was just that. IMG_0209 Found in a recent edition of the Healthy Food Guide, I loved how speedy it was to prepare. Simply – coconut milk flavoured with tikka curry paste and ginger… IMG_0204IMG_0207 Into which I threw some sweet potato, cauliflower and chickpeas. Simmered until the vegetables were soft, then piled high on some rice noodles and topped with coriander and a squeeze of lime juice. IMG_0210 Yes, my friends, that would be pure ‘comfort-in-a-bowl’. IMG_0212 Perfect for the chilly wintery night on which it was served. What about you? How have you been staying warm this Winter?

    Lamb, lentil and sweet potato curry

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    It’s safe to say, that the next few months will feature many dishes like this. IMG_9079 Slow-cooked. Rich. Comforting. All those things that I tend to crave when the cooler months arrive. This recipe came courtesy of a recent HFG mag, and it did not disappoint. IMG_9065IMG_9067 A beautiful mixture of vegetables, korma curry paste, tomatoes and lentils – with a big handful of silverbeet thrown in at the end. IMG_9074 Slow cooked for 3 hours, until the lamb was beautifully tender. Then served with a couple pappadums on the side. IMG_9080 A lovely little belly warmer to kick off the chilly season! What about you? Cooked any interesting curries lately?