Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers and Baseball

I know I'm blogging on the later side this week, but I promise I have a good excuse. Last night I had the privilege of being at a Giants game which just so happened to be a perfect game thrown by Matt Cain. It was hands down the most amazing baseball game I have ever been to, the crowd was incredible and just got better as the night went on! Cain was dominant, obviously. After the last out, everyone just stayed and watched the players celebrate on the field and gave a never-ending standing ovation. Pretty darn cool to be a part of something like that.

Cain before the game

And after!

Ok...so back to food. These veggie burgers (loosely adapted from this recipe) are a weeknight staple for us. The recipe makes a TON and they freeze really well, so if you've had a long day you can easily defrost a patty and cook it up in less than 10 minutes. They're almost falafel-like with a crunchy outside and softer, slightly spicy middle.

Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers:

1 large sweet potato or 2 smaller ones

1 can of cannellini beans, rinsed

1 can of garbanzo beans, rinsed

1 onion, chopped

4-5 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup panko or regular breadcrumbs, plus more for breading

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

First, microwave the sweet potato but before you do, poke it all over with a fork to make sure it doesn't explode. It'll take about 6-8 minutes in the microwave, just check on it occasionally and cut it in half a few minutes in so you can poke it to check if it's soft all the way through.

Using potholders, take the potato out of the microwave and let it cool for a few minutes, then use a large spoon to scoop out the flesh from the skin and into a large mixing bowl.

Add in the rinsed beans, chopped onion and garlic, all the spices, and 1/2 cup panko. You can use regular breadcrumbs but panko tend to be a bit more crunchy and add a great texture to the burgers.

Using a fork or pastry cutter, gently mash everything together until it is well combined but still has some chunks in it. Scoop out about eight portions of the mixture and form it into patties.

Pour about a cup of panko or breadcrumbs into a shallow bowl or rimmed plate and gently cover the patties with crumbs, pressing down lightly so they stay in place.

Heat about three tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the veggie burgers until both sides are crispy and golden brown, about two or three minutes per side. If they start to burn, just add more oil to help absorb the heat.

Serve on a toasted bun with whatever fixings you like - barbecue sauce is surprisingly delicious as a condiment! And as I mentioned earlier, they freeze very well. Just place the patties on a plate or cookie sheet and let them freeze through, then you can put them all in a plastic bag or airtight container and they'll keep for a month or two. When you're ready to eat one, defrost it in the microwave for about 45 seconds and then fry it up! The burgers are on the messier side and tend to fall apart a little bit as you eat them, but they are still delicious.

Last but not least, here's Poppy looking wistful and longing to escape the confines of her prison.