Beet burgers are one of my favorite types of veggie burgers, they are earthy, juicy, and can be paired with a number of flavors! They have a great texture that even meat eaters love! I often eat my beet burgers on a bed of lettuce and sometimes even splurge and go for a nice kaiser roll but the other day I was poking around the internet and found Inspiralized.com. I was amazed at all of the different types of foods that you could make with a spiralizer and I am not just talking about their incredible array of veggie noodles! I saw these sweet potato buns and was in awe, I had to try them!

Lucky for me, one of my best Christmas presents came in the form of the new Kitchenaid Spiralizer attachment. This beauty is amazing and my new toy provided just another reason to make these buns! Now the buns are super simple, they are made by spiralizing sweet potatoes, lightly sauteing the spirals, adding an egg and some seasonings and then pressing into a ramekin for a little chilling before throwing in a pan. I was nervous that they only looked good but wouldn't hold up as an actual bun that you could pick up. I was pleasantly surprised that they looked and tasted amazing and also were functional. I absolutely loved them, especially since their sweetness complimented the smokey and spicy beet burger! If you do not have a spiralizer, don'r despair, shredding the sweet potatoes and compressing them should work just fine although I haven't experimented with that just yet.

As for the beet burgers, I stick to a base recipe of shredded beets and onions, oats to soak up the moisture and an egg for binding. What you add into it is totally up to you. Sometimes I like smokey, sometimes garlicy, sometimes sweet. Due to the buns I threw in a half of a jalapeno and some smoked paprika and topped it with goat cheese and leftover Avocado Dijonnaise from my Celeriac, Watermelon, and Feta Salad.

Overall, this was a satisfying, exciting new way to eat a burger!

Smoky Jalapeno Beet Burger with Sweet Potato Buns

Sweet Potato Buns (one bun, top and bottom)

2 Sweet Potatoes, Spiralized

2 tbs Olive Oil

1/2 tsp Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1 egg

Peel and spiralize the sweet potatoes. Heat 1 tbs of oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. Saute the spirals until they are bright orange. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to cool slightly. Add the garlic, salt, and egg, stirring to coat all of the noodles. Divide between 2 ramekins. Using wax paper, press the noodles firmly into the ramekins, place two heavy cans or jars to weight the noodles down and place in the fridge for 15-20 minutes. Heat 1 tbs of in a frying pan, turn the ramekins into the pan, tapping the bottoms util the noodle patty comes lose. Cook until deeply browned on each side, about 5 minutes before flipping. Remove and place aside until ready to use. I placed mine on paper towels to soak the excess oil.

Smoky Jalapeno Beet Burgers

Makes 3 patties

2 Beets, peeled and shredded

1 small Onion, shredded

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

1/2 Jalapeno, minced

3/4 cup Oats

1 Egg

1 tsp Smoked Paprika

Salt to taste

2 tbs Olive Oil

Using a food processor, grate the beets and onion. Add to a bowl with the egg, oats, garlic, jalapeno, and spices, stirring to combine. Chill for 30 minutes so that the oats can absorb some of the moisture. If your mixture is still too wet, add more oats. Heat the oil in a pan over medium high heat. Take a handful of the mixture, squeezing excess liquid and form into a patty. Place the patty into the hot oil and brown on both sides until warmed through and a nice crust has formed.

Using the sweet potato buns, add your burger, using your desired topping. I added spinach, goat cheese, avocado, and my avocado dijonnaise, enjoy and healthy eating!

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great start to this year and is feeling refreshed and ready for some healthy changes. I brought 2016 in down south, surrounded by amazing friends and basking in the warmth while eating delicious fruits and vegetables. Upon coming back to the Northeast I found myself in a little bit of a food slump. I wanted that freshness again and had to adjust to the cold winter temperatures. And wow, it has become frosty!

Often we don't realize how the weather effects our eating habits. Our bodies crave the comfort of heavier foods when it is cold outside so although a few days ago I was enjoying salads and papayas I did have to make an adjustment.

That being said, I wasn't ready to give up the sweetness of the south just yet and employed some honey and sweet potatoes to increase my bellies happiness. In reality, I was inspired to use honey by a chef friend who gave me the most delightful french inspired snack while in Florida. When on vacation, a little indulgence is necessary and mine came in the form of a baguette topped with french butter, honey, and grey sea salt. When I tell you that my mouth is still watering for that scrumptious bite I am serious! Now since butter and bread are not included in my everyday palate, the treat was that much more special.

The combination of sweet potatoes, chipotle, and honey is divine. I love sweet potatoes for their heartiness but sometimes they can be a pain to make. I coated these in the chipotle pepper, threw them into a pan with some olive oil in order to brown them, and then flash steamed them in order to cook them quickly. At the last minute I threw in a little honey to caramelize them. Combines with the quinoa, onions, kale, goat cheese and cashews this meal was not only healthy but also hearty and got me back on track! Leave a comment to let me know how you enjoyed it!

Honey Roasted Chipotle Sweet Potatoes with Goat Cheese, Kale, and Quinoa

Serves 2

1 cup Water + 1/4 cup for the sweet potatoes

1/2 cup Quinoa

2 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 tbs Chipotle Pepper

1 tsp Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

3 tbs Olive Oil

1 tbs Honey

1 small Onion, Sliced

1 cup Kale, chopped

1 tbs Crumbled Goat Cheese

1 tbs crushed Cashews

In a medium sized pot add 1 cup of water and the Quinoa, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 15 minutes or until all of the water is absorbed.

Meanwhile, take the cubed sweet potato and toss it with the sea salt and chipotle pepper. Heat 2 tbs of olive oil in a saute pan. Once hot add the sweet potatoes and cook, covered for 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes so that all sides brown.

Heat the remaining 1 tbs of olive oil in another small saute pan until shimmering. Add the onion, stirring often until starting to brown, add the kale, tossing to coat and cook for 1 minute or until it has turned bright green. Remove from heat and place off to the side.

Once the sweet potato has browned on all sides, add 1/4 cup of water to the pan and cover immediately in order to flash steam. Potatoes will be done when a fork is easily inserted and all of the water is gone. Add the honey and toss to coat, cooking or another 30 seconds.

Divide the quinoa between 2 plates. Top with the kale and onion mixture and honeyed sweet potatoes. Crumble the goat cheese over top as well as a few crushed cashews. Enjoy and Healthy Eating!