Smoky sweet potato burgers with roasted garlic cream and avocado

I’ve recently signed up for a big triathlon happening next June. This race is a lot longer and potentially a lot harder than any other race I’ve ever done. So instead of taking the fall off like I normally do, I’ve started training already. I want to slowly increase my mileage, so that I can build a good base and try to reduce the chances of getting injured. Continuing my training also means I need to keep my nutrition on track. If you talk to a lot of triathletes, they’ll tell you that there is a fourth discipline to triathlon, nutrition. Not only do you have to make sure to get enough calories while you’re racing but you also need to make sure you’re eating well during training. I am no nutritionist but I try to eat healthy. One of the healthy meals I’ve had recently is smoky sweet potato burgers with roasted garlic cream and avocado.

I love sweet potato! When I was a baby, I ate so much sweet potato and carrots that I turned orange. (Like Arnold on the Magic School Bus!) So when Sarah told me were having sweet potato burgers, I was pretty excited! She found the recipe on a great blog, How Sweet It is, howsweeteats.com. How Sweet It Is has tons of amazing recipes. Each recipe has some amazing photos of the food. You can only hope that when you’re done, that your food looks as good as the pictures! If you’d like to see the awesome pictures of the sweet potato burger, you can find them here.

Smoky sweet potato burgers with roasted garlic cream and avocado

Ingredients:

• 2 cups coarsely mashed sweet potatoes (or yams), about 2 large potatoes
• 2 bulbs of roasted garlic
• 1 cup cannellini benas (rinsed and drained if canned)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup oat flour (or all-purpose, wheat, etc)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cumin
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 2/3 cup plain greek yogurt or sour cream
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• extra salt and pepper for seasoning yogurt/cream
• 4 whole wheat buns

Directions:

1. Roast garlic.
2. Pierce potatoes all over with a fork and place on a paper towel, setting in the microwave. Microwave for 5 minutes, then flip and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove, slice in half and let cool until you can scoop out the flesh.
3. In a large bowl, coarsely mash beans with a fork. Add in sweet potato and mash together, then add in spices, salt and pepper, minced garlic, egg, panko and flour. Mix together until combined, then place bowl in the fridge for 15-20 minutes. This helps form them into patties, but as a warning they are still somewhat messy.
4. While mixture is chilling, combine yogurt/sour cream with 2 bulbs of roasted garlic cloves, maple syrup and a sprinkle of salt and pepper in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth then set aside until ready to use.
5. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Remove mixture from fridge and form into 4 equal patties, then place in the skillet once hot. Since the mixture can be wet and messy, do not move until they are fully cooked and golden on one side! This takes about 5-6 minutes. Then, add more oil if needed (this really helps cook them) and flip burgers very gently. Cook for another 5-6 minutes. Toast buns if desired.
6. Assemble by topping burgers with roasted garlic cream and avocado.
7. Serve and enjoy!