Sweet Potato & Kidney Bean Burgers, with Garlic Dip and Spicy Courgettes

This will probably be a really unpopular notion, but I'm just going to say it. I THINK VEGGIE BURGERS ARE TASTIER THAN BEEF BURGERS. From bistro pub's to cheap and cheerful cafe's I will always chose the vegetarian option over the greasy meaty mess, not because they're healthier, simply because they are nearly always so much more flavoursome. Also you get a bit more variety with the vegetarian option, chickpeas, mushrooms, goats cheese...whatever you can think of, somewhere they will have shoved it in a veggie patty! 

I wanted to try making something a little different this week, as my diet rarely features dry/solid foods (you've probably realised this from the multitude of curry and soup recipes I've uploaded), and thought I could get creative making burgers. I came up with these sweet potato, kidney bean "burgers" which I served with garlic yogurt and harissa roasted courgettes. I use the word burger with caution as the potato and bean mixture was more like a falafel, but it still tasted great so  no harm done! Here's the recipe if you want to give it a go yourself!

Ingredients:

• 1 small sweet potato
• 1 can of kidney beans
• 1 small red onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 courgette
• 2 teaspoons of harissa
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• salt & pepper
• natural yogurt

Method:

Start by peeling your sweet potato and cutting it up in small cubes. Pop the potato into a pan with water and bring to the boil on the hob, drain the kidney beans and then add them to the simmering pan. 

Whilst these are softening up, finely dice the onion and fry in a little oil. After a few minutes crush one of the garlic cloves into the frying pan with the onion. Keep these moving around with a wooden spoon for a few minutes so they start to cook but do not burn. 

After about ten minute the sweet potato and beans should be quite soft, drain the water away and mash them up in the warm pan.

Meanwhile cut the courgette into small sections and mix with a teaspoon of the harissa and a teaspoon of oil, before spreading onto a baking tray and placing into the oven at around 180 degrees. 

Take a large bowl, chuck in the mashed potatoes and beans, and the warm onion and garlic along with the second teaspoon of the harissa, the cumin, and plenty of salt and pepper. Thoroughly mix all of the ingredients together and taking a serving spoon, shape these into burger shapes. This should make around 8 burger sized patties. Place these onto a foil lined tray and place these in the oven alongside the courgette. Cook the "burgers" for around 15 minutes, until they start to brown and the courgette is roasted. 

While the rest of the meal is cooking, crush the second clove of garlic into 2 tablespoons of natural yoghurt and mix with some extra pepper. 
Take the patties and the courgette out of the oven and serve with a dollop of the dip. This recipe serves two hungry people, however I had plenty left over. 

The next day I put the leftover sweet potato mix into a warm pitta bread, with mayonnaise and a little extra harissa, this was even better than the first time! Mixed within the warm bread and the added spiciness of the harissa, this pairing tasted more like a falafel burger. But who care's what you call or it what is looks like, to me the taste is all that matters, I hope you enjoy them in whatever form they take!