White Bean and Sage 'Burgers' & Sweet Potato Fries

I thought these guys were great. Michael said they tasted like beans, not burgers - fried hummus really, he said. With that being said, I suggest you don't make these for anti-veggies. Next time (if Michael lets there be a next time) I will add some extra garlic and sage. The original recipe said to use pita. Unfortunately, I made the unwise decision to buy the pita from Trader Joe's. As much as I love TJ's, their stuff goes bad way to fast. When I pulled them out for supper, they were spotted with mold. We subbed sesame buns and I think they were probably better anyways. Makes 8+ burgers (depending on how big you make them). You could easily half this recipe and still serve 4. Modified from Cooking Light.

We served these with sweet potato fries that I found when I searched 'sweet potato fries' on Pinterest to go with our burgers and stumbled upon this recipe from Gimme Some Oven. These guys are delicious - you must give them a try! They're best when served hot.

I got the cooling rack idea in step 3 from a comment on Gimme Some Oven's post. This prevents you from having to turn the fries = much easier! You can of course, cook them just on baking sheets without using cooling racks, but you will have to turn them halfway through, which is always a pain.

On a separate note, Michael and I spent some time back on the trail last weekend. We went on a backpacking trip and hiked from Max Patch Bald near Weaverville, NC to Hot Springs, NC. It was a great trip but made us very sore since our legs were out of hiking shape.

White Bean and Sage Burgers
Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh onion
• 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
• 8 tasty buns of your choice
• Lettuce, to top
• Tomato slices, to top
• Cucumber slices, to top

Directions

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add 1/2 cup chopped onion and garlic; cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. 
2. Place onion mixture in food processor. Add oats, almonds, cornstarch, sage, mustard, salt, pepper, beans and egg; process until smooth.
3. Return pan to medium heat. Add remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Working with one portion at a time, spoon bean mixture into pan in blobs a bit larger than sand dollars. Using spatula, shape mixture into a 3/4-inch-thick round patty. Repeat procedure to fill the pan. Cook 4 minutes, or until golden, and turn to cook for an additional 4 minutes on the other side.
4. Combine sour cream, 2 tablespoons grated onion, and cheese in a small bowl. Spread sour cream mixture onto bun bottoms. Top with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and bean patty. ; 

Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients

• 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, peeled
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. coarse salt
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. freshly-cracked black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Cut the potatoes into 1/4″ thin strips (smaller = more crispy). Then place in a large bowl, and toss with the remaining ingredients (oil and spices) until potatoes are evenly coated.
3. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place cooling racks on top of the baking sheets. Spread the fries evenly on cooling racks (try not to overcrowd the sheet, or have multiple layers of fries — you want them to be roasted, not steamed.)
4. Place in oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, switching racks for the two sheets halfway through. Remove once the edges slightly begin to brown and fries begin to crisp.