Sweet Potato Croquettes with Black Bean Sauce

Fall.

I love everything about it.

The color, the smell, the temperature, the sounds.

For me, sweet potatoes and fall go hand in hand. I've written before about how there was a time when I really thought I hated sweet potatoes. Learning of their health benefits made me give these beauties another try. I can say with confidence now that I am fully won over.

What I realized was the secret was not loading more sweetness onto this already naturally sweet food. (This was the only experience I had with eating them around the holidays.) Balancing the sweetness in savory dishes was the key. If you're not of fan of sweet potatoes, consider giving them another try. You might be won over, just like me.

Sweet Potato Croquettes
(Recipe adapted from Sassy Radish)
((Printable Recipe))

Ingredients:
3 medium sized sweet potatoes
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 eggs, room temperature and lightly beaten
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 minced jalapeño
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
juice of 1 lime
oil for frying

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Pierce the potatoes, wrap in foil, and bake for about an hour on a sheet pan. Allow the potatoes to come to room temperature. Scoop out the insides into a bowl.

2. To the potatoes, add the panko bread crumbs, eggs, jalapeño,  cilantro, salt, pepper, cumin, and lime juice. Mix well and chill for 1 hour.

3. Wet your hands slightly and form the mixture into 12 patties. In a large skillet (I used cast iron) add a little oil to cover the bottom of the pan. When the oil is hot, cook the patties 3 minutes per side. You will need to do these in a couple of batches.

Serving suggestion: Serve over a bed of fresh arugula topped with black bean sauce and fresh salsa.

Black Bean Sauce
(Recipe from Simply Recipes)

Ingredients:
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed (or dried beans cooked)
4 cups water
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
stems from the cilantro above, washed and chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Place the beans in a medium sized sauce pan.

2. Add the water, bay leaves, garlic, and cilantro.

3. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours.

4. Add this mixture to a blender to puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste.


Other sweet potato recipes you may enjoy:
Black Bean Sweet Potato Quinoa Burgers
Sweet Potato Burritos
Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Browned Butter and Sage
Thyme-Roasted Garlic Sweet Potatoes