Yamburgers with Chipotle Cilantro Cream and Yam Fries

2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 lbs.), cut into 1/2 inch cubes (we used garnet yams but for the life of me I can never tell which one is which at the grocery store without signs...I'm sure they would all be delicious)

15 oz. black beans, drained

1 cup sweet corn

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup dry quinoa

1/2 cup rolled oats

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 TBSP cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. coriander

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4-1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, or cayenne (more or less to taste)

1/4 tsp. cracked black pepper

Oil for pan frying.

For the chipotle/cilantro cream:

1.5 cups yogurt

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

2 limes, juiced

2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, packed

Pinch of salt

For the fries:

2 sweet potatoes

2 TBSP olive oil

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp.salt

1/4 tsp. cayenne

a few grinds black pepper

Method:

Cube your potatoes (leaving the skin on) and microwave in a large heat-safe bowl covered with plastic wrap with a couple TBSP water until tender - about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the quinoa to a small pot over medium heat, and let it toast for a minute or two. Add 1 cup of water, bring to a simmer, and cover. Let cook 12-13 minutes, turn off the heat, and let it sit without removing the lid for another 5 minutes.

Pulse the oats in a food processor until they look like coarse flour.

In a large bowl, combine the beans and cooked sweat potato. Mash with a potato masher until slightly chunky and not quite smooth. Add in the rest of the beans, sweet potato and all of the seasonings. Give it another mash or two, keeping some of the texture.

Add all the other ingredients, and stir to combine.

Heat a skillet over medium-high, and add a drizzle of oil. Form about 1/2 cup of the mixture into a tight ball, then press it between your hands into a patty. Place patties in the hot skillet and cook 4-5 minutes per side. Remove to a plate in the oven to keep warm, and repeat with the rest of the mixture. Add oil and adjust the heat on the pan as needed.

For the chipotle/cilantro cream:

Combine all ingredients in a food processor.

For the fries:

Preheat the oven to 400f.

Cut the sweet potatoes into thin, uniformly sized matchsticks. Toss with the oil, then the spices, and spread on an aluminum-foil covered baking sheet. Keep them spaced so they don't steam themselves.

Bake on the lower rack of the oven for 12-15 minutes, then take them out and stir/flip them over. 

Return them to the oven, reduce the heat to 350f., and continue to bake for another 12-15 minutes.

Turn off the heat, and crack the oven door open. Let them sit in the heat of the oven to lose some of their steam for another 5-10 minutes before serving. 

Notes:

You have to really be into sweet potatoes to like these burgers but thankfully K and I and all of our guests were so these were a hit. The meal was spicier than I anticipated but I really liked the combination of yamburger with the chipotle/cilantro cream. From start to finish it probably took us about 1.5 hours to put it all together so its only something I would cook with enough time and with enough guests. Now that K has a ton of leftovers of the yam mixture though, you could probably make and freeze individual patties and just heat one up for yourself.   

The thing that took the longest was chopping everything -- especially the sweet potatoes -- so you could probably save a bunch of time by doing that in advance and just keeping them in the fridge until you are ready to cook.