spiced chard & sweet potato cakes
This recipe came about after a surplus of chard in the vegetable patch that needed using up. I had previously just steamed the chard and used as a side dish, but the family weren't keen on the earthy taste so I needed to be more imaginative. This is the result and it worked. Husband gave it a big thumbs up!
ingredients
makes 8 cakes
750g sweet potato
1 large onion, finely sliced
olive oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
130g rainbow chard
salt and pepper
method
Preheat oven to 180°C
Peel the sweet potatoes and put in a large saucepan, cover with boiling water and then simmer for 20 minutes until tender.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium frying pan and fry the onion until soft and translucent.
Add the mustard seeds, cumin and turmeric, stir and cook for a few minutes.
Finely chop the rainbow chard and add to the spicy onion mix.
When the sweet potato is cooked, drain well and then return to the pan and mash until smooth.
In a large mixing bowl, mix the potatoes and spicy onion mix.
Season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper.
Form the mixture into 8 even-sized cakes.
Heat 2 tablespoon of oil into the frying pan and fry the cakes 4 at a time for 3-4 minutes each side. Then carefully lift and place on a baking tray.
When all the cakes are fried, put the baking tray in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Serve with a side of salad or a poached egg.
The Health Boost Tip
Chard is an excellent source of magnesium, iron, copper, manganese and potassium and is a good source of zinc, calcium and phosphorus. We all need to make sure we are eating more green, leafy vegetables and chard is an excellent example and deserves a place on any healthy plate.