Sweet Potato, Quinoa and Jalapeño Patties

In my younger years, it was easy to be healthy.  I got a kick out of just seeing how healthy I could eat from day to day.  I've noticed that aging challenges habitual good choice-making.  Maybe just because adulting is not always fun...maybe we just want to treat ourselves.  I don't know what it is, but it seems that more and more, I want to make the unhealthy choice.

Lately, I've been trying to be more intentional about making nutritious food choices.  As you know, it's always smart to incorporate an abundance of fruits and vegetables into your diet.  Today I got a little creative and tried something new with quinoa, sweet potatoes and spices.

Sweet Potato, Quinoa and Jalapeño Patties

Recipe:

1 cup cooked Quinoa

1 cup (cooked and mashed) Sweet Potato

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 small Onion, chopped

1 clove Garlic, minced

1/4 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Turmeric

1/2 tsp Curry Powder

1 fresh Jalapeño, finely chopped

a bit of Kerrygold, Organic Butter or light Olive Oil for frying

Method:

1.  Cook Quinoa by package instructions.

2. Peel and chop a medium-sized sweet potato.  Place in a bowl with a bit of water and cover.  Heat in the microwave for about four minutes or until potato is tender.  Mash and set aside.

3.  Heat the oil over medium heat and add the onions and garlic.  Cook until starting to get tender (about five minutes).

4.  Add the four spices to the onions and garlic and cook, stirring for about two more minutes.

5.  Pour in the quinoa and stir well, scraping the pan to pick up bits of spices or onion that might have stuck.  Remove from heat.

6.  In a bowl, blend together the quinoa mixture, sweet potato and fresh jalapeño.

7.  Heat the butter or oil (whichever you prefer) in a flat pan over medium heat and start to form the mixture into small patties.

8.  Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side, until the outside reaches desired brownedness (is that a word?) and crispiness.

9.  Serve immediately.

I thought these tasted delightful!  They would probably be best served with my cilantro tzatziki sauce (recipe below).  I think they would also pair well with a fried egg, for an energy-boosting breakfast or brunch.  

If you're like me and you'd rather dive into a cheeseburger and fries than a salad, try this recipe.  We all need to make sure we get enough fresh veggies in.  It's fun to get creative with cooking and it makes eating the healthy stuff a little more fun too!

Spicy Cilantro Tzatziki Sauce

Recipe:

1/2 Cucumber (peeled and deseeded)

1 Garlic Clove

handful of Cilantro

about a cup Plain Greek Yogurt

Salt and Pepper to taste

Cayenne Pepper to taste

Instructions:

In the food processor:

1. Blend the Cucumber, Garlic and Cilantro.

2.  Add all other ingredients and blend until smooth.