Quinoa and sweet potato burgers

Bring on the super foods that fill you up so you don’t feel hungry! Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is one and not only that but gluten-free, full of protein and dietary fibre. It’s a real hero food.

The mashed sweet potato gives sweetness to these healthy veggie burgers while the salsa adds a sharp citrusy flavour. You can make them in advance and even chill them overnight before cooking them.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6 and bake the sweet potato for about 45 minutes until tender. When it’s cool enough to handle, remove the skin and mash the flesh in a large bowl.
2. Meanwhile, cook the quinoa according to the packet instructions. Remove from the heat, cover the pan with a lid and set aside for 10 minutes before fluffing up with a fork.
3. Lightly spray a saucepan with oil and cook the spring onions and courgette over a low heat for 2 minutes. Add the spinach and chilli flakes and cook for 2–3 minutes until softened.
4. Stir the quinoa and cooked vegetables into the sweet potato and bind the mixture together with the flour. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. The mixture should be moist but not too soft.
5. Divide into 2 equal-sized portions and use your hands to mould each one into a burger. Cover in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 45 minutes to firm them up.
6. Make the lime and coconut salsa: mix the ingredients together in a small bowl. Cover and chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
7. Just before cooking, dust the burgers with flour. Lightly spray a non-stick frying pan with oil and set over a medium heat. Cook the burgers for 2–3 minutes each side until golden brown, turning them over carefully with a spatula so they don’t fall apart.
8. Serve in the wholemeal rolls with salad leaves and sliced radishes topped with the lime and coconut salsa.

Step it up…

To eat this for dinner on Step 5, add 60g diced reduced-fat feta to the sweet potato and quinoa mixture before cooking and serve the burgers in 2 x 60g seeded burger buns (instead of the rolls).

For more information regarding the Steps please contact a Consultant.