Moroccan Sweet Potato & Quinoa Patties

I could’ve gone either way in using up my sweet potatoes. I’ve been known to cook and puree them and use them in cakes and muffins just so the ‘fussy one’ gets some vegetables into her. I’ve also found that they had a natural sweetness and the cake is very moist. But I needed something for dinner last night and felt like making these Sweet Potato & Quinoa patties with Moroccan flavourings.

You could use just about anything with this mashed sweet potato. I had 2 stalks of broccollini from dinner the night before and I diced them finely and added them to the mix. Its just a matter of adding the seasoning and an egg then adding a light crumb coating, shallow frying (or oven bake if you like) and you’re done.

Moroccan Sweet Potato & Quinoa Patties

• 2 medium (or 1 large) sweet potato, boiled and mashed
• 1/2 cup quinoa flakes
• leftover vegetables, diced finely
• 1 egg, beaten
• Moroccan seasoning
• fresh coriander (or in a tube)
• panko breadcrumbs
• oil for frying

1. Mix mashed sweet potato, quinoa flakes, leftover vegetables, seasoning, fresh coriander and beaten egg. (If mixture is too ‘wet’, add extra quinoa flakes.)
2. Form into patties and coat lightly with breadcrumbs.
3. Shallow fry until golden (or alternatively spray with oil and bake in the oven).

I served my patties with a simple salad of baby spinach leaves, Roma egg tomatoes and a vinaigrette of olive oil, lemon juice and coriander. I have some leftover for the freezer which I’ll use for a quick lunch on a burger with lots of salad.

Salmon Patties with a quick tartare sauce

On those days when you’ve realised, at 4:30pm, that you haven’t defrosted any meat for dinner, I always go looking in the pantry for inspiration. I always have a can of tuna in brine and pink or red salmon in the pantry for moments like these. I grabbed the canned salmon, checked we had enough potatoes and made salmon patties. I served it with a very simple salad of lettuce and tomato and a quick tartare sauce that I make.

Salmon Patties with Quick Tartare Sauce

large can of pink or red salmon, bones and skin removed
3 medium potatoes, peeled, chopped, boiled and mashed
1 egg, beaten
1 tbs lemon juice (and/or 1 tsp grated lemon rind, optional)
1 tsp dried dill
1 small onion, grated or chopped very finely
Panko or other dried breadcrumbs
oil for shallow frying

Quick Tartare Sauce:
1/2 cup whole egg mayonnaise
1 tbs gherkin relish
1 tbs lemon juice
pepper

1. Mix flaked fish and mashed potato.
2. Add beaten egg, dill and onion.
3. Form into patties and roll in breadcrumbs. (If you have the time, refrigerate for 30 minutes before frying.) I make teeny little nuggets for the kids.
4. Fry patties in oil until golden and drain thoroughly.
5. For tartare sauce, mix all ingredients and serve with patties.

Note: I have made these patties with tuna and swapped the potato for sweet potato for both types of fish. These patties also make a good fish burger, piled high with salad between a bun.