This year for my birthday my mom gave me one of the most thoughtful gifts – a few cooking classes of my choosing. This gift was really two presents in one. The first, was obvious, the opportunity to learn new techniques and skills. The second, and most special, was the opportunity for discussion with my mom about class choices, the lessons learned, and discussing how our eductions differed. I feel so lucky to be able to share this passion for cooking with my mom.

One of the cooking classes I signed up for was a knife class. I have experience with knives, but needed improvement in both technique and efficiency. If you have never taken a knife class before, I could not recommend it more. We cut onions, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, and even a grapefruit. Learning tips and tricks along the way. After leaving the class, I went to the store and stocked up on all sorts of funky shaped vegetables to practice what I learned.

After a lot of chopping, I decided to make veggie burgers to avoid wasting any of my practice material. These veggie burgers are hearty and rich. The sweet from sweet potato and red pepper, pairs nicely with the kick from the chili powder. These burgers are perfect alone, on a salad, or as plated below on a pretzel bun with pepper jack cheese and fresh mixed greens. I would love to hear how you enjoy them!

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Veggie Burger Recipe

prep time: 25 minutes
cook time: 18 minutes
makes: 4 burgers

1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into small cubes
1/2 cup finely chopped Cremini Mushrooms
1/2 cup finely chopped red pepper
1 cup drained and rinsed black beans
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon oil (I recommend extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil)

Boil a large pot of water on the stove, add the sweet potato cubes and boil for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft when pierced with a knife. Rinse the potatoes with cold water and drain.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and mash together using a potato masher or your hands.

Turn on a pan over medium heat. Separate into four equal portions,  form into balls and lightly pat down to form  patties. Once the pan is hot add 1 tablespoon of oil allowing a few moments for the oil to heat up and then add the patties. Cook on the first side for roughly 10 minutes (checking to make sure it’s not burning) and then flip over for another 9 minutes. Enjoy!