Lentil Patties with Maple-Whipped Sweet Potatoes

There’s nothing like a homemade veggie burger. Morningstar Grillers just don’t do it for me- I prefer real textures and flavors and less ground up who-the-heck-knows-what-veg-you’re-getting. I’m going to continue my recent over the top lovin’ for ABC Kitchen when mentioning that their homemade veggie burger rocked my world. It was covered in brioche bread crumbs, pan-seared in olive-oil and lovingly placed in a home-made whole-wheat pita. Clearly that is going to knock morning star out of the water. But it most definitely was more than 80 calories, to say the least.

Inspired to make a healthier veggie patty of my own (summer is a-comin’ peeps!)- I set out to make a lentil based veggie burger. When the final product was done (and my apartment smelled-oh-so-good) I couldn’t help but think the burger was still in need of something- an extra flavor profile perhaps. That night I headed to a friend’s concert and when discussing my burgers with the one and only, Claire_Wreakhavoc_Dweck, she gave me the brilliant idea of pairing it with sweet potato. Missing piece to the puzzle, fo sho. Now you can enjoy!

Ingredients:

For the patties:

1 1/2 cups french Lentils (for best results, let soak in water for 24 hours)
2 cups low-sodium veggie broth
1 tbsp. olive oil
1.5 cups trimmed leeks, chopped
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup parmesan, grated
1 egg
2 shakes white pepper
1 tsp. hungarian paprika
Salt & Pepper, to taste

For the maple-whipped sweet potatoes:

2 sweet potatoes, baked
1 tbsp. maple syrup (or sugar-free syrup if you prefer)
1 tsp. cinnamon
2-3 shakes cayenne pepper
Salt & Pepper, to taste
6-8 pecans, crushed (for garnish)

Procedure:

For the patties:

Pre-soak the lentils in cold water for 24 hours before using.

Preheat oven to 375.

To prepare the baked sweet potatoes scrub the outside, place a small slit and cover in tin foil.  Bake sweet potatoes for about 40 minutes, until soft.

Rinse lentils, place them in a stockpot and bring to a boil in 2 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth. After it comes to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

In a small saucepan, saute the chopped leeks in a tablespoon of olive oil for a few minutes, until they get soft. Then, add in the chopped spinach and garlic, continue sauteing for another minute or two until done, season with a bit of salt and pepper. Set aside.

Once the lentils are done, strain and mix with leeks & spinach, parmesan, white pepper, hungarian paprika and some salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as you prefer. Then add in the egg and mix well.

Heat up a skillet with olive oil (or cooking spray if you prefer), and place about 1 1/2 tablespoons lentil patty mixture, cook on a medium-high flame for about 2-3 minutes per side. When they are done, place the patties on a greased baking sheet in the oven to cook all the way through.

Take out the sweet potatoes, remove skin. In a mixing bowl put the sweet potatoes (sans flesh), season with maple syrup, cinnamon, cayenne, salt & pepper, mix well. Use a handheld mixer to make the sweet potatoes a lighter, more whipped consistency. You can also add melted butter to add to this effect.

Place a dollop of maple-whipped sweet potatoes on top of the lentil patty and add a chopped pecan. Serves 8. Enjoy!