Sweet Potato~Chickpea Cakes with Avocado~Tomato Salsa

Cooking Light magazine featured similar chickpea~ sweet potato cakes a couple of years ago and inspired my version.  They were an interesting and satisfying vegetarian dinner option.  We love sweet potatoes and grating them for these cakes was a new way for me to use them.  You could substitute cooked mashed sweet potato as well but the cakes would have a bit less texture.  We served them over greens with the fresh avocado-tomatoe salsa on top and extra lime wedges.  Feel free to add cilantro or parsley to the salsa and some chopped jalapeno peppers  for more flavor.  Bon appétit!

• Servings: 4 cakes
• Time: 1 hr
• Difficulty: easy
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For the cakes:

1 can of unsalted garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

8 oz or 2 cups of grated sweet potato

1/2 c red onion, diced

1/4 c celery, diced

6 garlic cloves, crushed

1 t cumin

1/8 t hot pepper flakes

1/2 t salt

2 T olive oil, divided

1 egg, beaten

1/2 c panko bread crumbs

juice of 1 lime

lime wedges to serve on the side

Preheat oven to 400 F. In a pan, heat 1 T oil and sauté the onion, garlic, celery for 3 minutes.  Add the grated sweet potato, salt, cumin, hot pepper and sauté another 2 minutes.  Cool.

In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, lime juice, panko, egg and sweet potato mixture and pulse until a coarse texture is achieved.  Do not overmix.   Divide in 4 and form into cakes.   Bake the cakes at 400 F for 6 minutes.  Heat remaining 1 T oil in your sauté pan and brown the cakes for a few minutes on each side, until golden.

For the salsa:

1 avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped

1 1/2 c diced tomato

1/2 c red onion

juice of 1 lime

1/8 t red pepper flakes

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl and serve over the cakes.