Today: Spicy sweet potato lentil burgers {a guest post from Alex Eats Green}

I was thrilled with Alex reached out with what follows.  We met at last year’s Healthy Living Summit and I’ve been smitten with her blog (and her lovely self) ever since.  Please enjoy her stunning photographs and delicious recipe, and be sure to head over to Alex Eats Green for more of the same. xoxo Gossip Girl Elizabeth

Spicy sweet potato lentil burgers

Hi guys! My name is Alex, and I’m over at Alex Eats Green, where I blog about being a vegetarian. Recipes, daily eating and restaurant reviews are all included in the fun, but it’s also a lot of photos of my good looking friends. Elizabeth was crazy kind enough to pass over the reins to me so that I could share this delicious burger recipe with you.

Even before I went green, I was never the biggest fan of the burger. Growing up, I was definitely always a hot dog girl; all the bacon, blue cheese, and caramelized onions couldn’t change that. But now that I’m a vegetarian, burgers are a whole new ball game. The possibilities for combinations truly are endless: beet, bean, quinoa oh my and more.

Each month, myself and a few friends get together to share our most recent life happenings. I was in charge of dinner for the most recent one (…you know where I’m going with this one), and I knew that the perfect companion to our conversations/giggling would be these burgers.

I like them for a few reasons: they’re easy to dress up – you can get creative with the toppings, and make them as fancy or low key as you wish. I also like knowing exactly what is going into my burger, which can’t really be said for most veggie burgers that you pull out of your frozen foods aisle. And finally, they’re sweet potato burgers! You would be hard-pressed to find someone who didn’t enjoy what is essentially sweet potatoes on bread. Am I right, or am I right?

You’re sure to impress at any BBQ, monthly dinner, bookclub, or just yourself with this recipe. Enjoy!

Spicy Sweet Potato Lentil Burgers

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry green or red lentils (I used green split pea)
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1-2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. coriander
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper and mixed Italian herbs (each)*
• 4-5 small organic sweet potatoes, baked, peeled, mashed
• 1-2 cups fresh or frozen spinach or kale
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 2 tsp. olive oil or parchment paper

Mashed Avocado Topper

• 1 large avocado
• 1 – 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
• S&P
• Optional: Add micro greens, sliced red onion, yogurt, or cheese!

*a note about the spices – I basically put every spice I had in my cabinet into this mixture. Feel free to take some liberties on the varieties/amount of spice, but the spices listed above is a good place to start.

Instructions:

1. Combine lentils in large soup pot. Add enough water to cover about 3 inches above lentils. Boil until lentils are very tender, about 45 mins – 1 hour. Drain water from lentils. Transfer lentils to a large bowl and cool.
2. Add the seasonings to the lentils. Stir with lentils until well blended. Cover lentils and set aside.
3. Slice sweet potatoes in half, and bake at 375 degrees. Cool, peel, and coarsely mash. Add mashed potatoto lentil mixture and mix well.
4. Chop kale or spinach then add to mixture. If using frozen spinach, squeeze out as much water as possible. Add 1/2 cup breadcrumbs to mixture (more if you still feel that the consistency is too sticky)
5. Using a spoon or both hands, form mixture into balls and then flatten. Press breadcrumbs lightly onto patties. Cover and refrigerate 30-60 minutes. Don’t skip this step!
6. After chilling, freeze any burgers that you want to save for later. 
7. To cook burgers, heat in non-stick pan with small amount of olive oil for about 5 minutes or baked in oven on parchment paper until hot and crispy at 350 for 20-30 minutes. Flip over at the half-way point.

For more food fun, and general ramblings about life as a vegetarian, come follow along at Alex Eats Green. Thanks for having me, Elizabeth!

Also On Tap for Today:

•  Wait! You can freeze avocados?
• Last day of winter… it’s only fitting we’ve got snow
• Thinking about joining the vegetarian club? 50 meatless meals

What is your favorite meal to make for friends?