sweet potato and black bean cakes with creamy avocado dip

these little patties are filled with fiber, so they are super filling. they are also packed full of nutrition...black beans, sweet potatoes, sunflower seeds, flax seed... so good for you! you can't help but just feel good about yourself when you eat them. seriously. not to mention, my meat eating husband loved them just as much as i did. there were definitely no leftovers for the next day.

rather than serving them with regular guacamole, i made a creamy avocado dip with greek yogurt. i got the idea from trader joe's and decided to try it out myself from scratch. it tasted great on the patties, but would also be just as delicious as a spread on a sandwich or as a dip for chips and vegetables.

sweet potato and black bean cakes with creamy avocado dip

for the cakes:

• 1 tbsp. flax seed
• 1 tbsp. chia seed
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 16-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 sweet potato, steamed
• 1 egg
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1/2 bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

for the avocado dip:

• 1 avocado
• 1 tbsp. plain greek yogurt
• juice of 1 lime
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp. cumin

first, steam the sweet potato. [the quick method: stick it in the microwave for 8 minutes. the slow method: wrap it in tin foil and bake in the oven at 450 F for about 40 minutes] while the sweet potato is cooking, pour evoo onto a pan and heat it to medium heat. add the celery, onion, and bell pepper. cook until soft, about 10-12 minutes.

 add the flax seed, chia seed, sunflower seeds, oats, and seasonings to a food processor and blend. you want it a little choppy, but well blended. transfer to a bowl. when the sweet potato is ready, scoop the 'meat' into the food processor with the black beans and garlic. once blended, add the vegetables and egg, and blend some more. finally, add the oat mixture and pulse until just combined. using a spoon [or your hands] form into small patties, about 2 in. across [recipe makes about 10 of these]. add another tbsp. of olive oil to the pan on medium heat and cook each patty for about 4 minutes on each side. 

for the avocado dip: mix all the ingredients together until smooth. serve on top of the black bean patties.

dig in!