Sweet Green Falafel’ish

So there is an obvious way to cook Sweet Potato Greens and that is in a simple stir fry. Scroll down to find an easy Chinese version and enjoy - leaves, stems and all. We wanted to try something different with these beautiful, nutritious greens so we cooked them into a fairly traditional falafel recipe and created something new! These are not the hard, “dry all the way through” patties you are used to. With the addition of so much green goodness these end up creamy on the inside with a nice crispy coating. No yogurt dressing required (though that would probably also be good :)). 

Ingredients:

• 1 Bunch, approx 4 cups, Sweet Potato Greens, chopped with stems removed (save these for a future stif fry!)

• 1 Can Chickpeas (or equivalent), rinsed & drained

• 3 - 4 Cloves Garlic

• 1 small handful Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped

• 2 TBSP Tahini

• 1.5 TBSP Lemon Juice

• 4 TBSP Chickpea Flour (regular white or alternative flours will likely work)

• 1 tsp Ground Cumin

• 1 tsp Sea Salt

• 1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper

• Sesame Oil 

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Combine all ingredients, except sesame oil, in a food processor and pulse until ground and combined, but not creamed. 

3. Heat 2 TBSP Oil in large saute or heavy bottom pan over medium / low heat. Wipe lightly with paper towel to coat the entire pan.

4. Scoop roughly 1.5 to 2 TBSP of the mixture with a spoon (as you would with cookie dough) and add patties to the pan. You will need to gently flatten them a bit to about ¼ of an inch.

5. Cook on each side about 3-4 minutes, gently checking until they are fully browned.

6. When they are all browned add to a sheet pan, oiled or covered with parchment, and bake in oven for 12-15 minutes. Take one out and test. They should be creamy on the inside and well cooked on the outside. 

* note: We dished this batch up with rice, roasted zucchini and summer squash coated in sesame oil, oregano and paprilka and some sliced, farm fresh tomatoes and cukes in a light marinade. It was yummy. But! We decided these would be even better served in a wrap with the roasted zucchini and perhaps some lettuce or crunchy cuke slices with a bit of yogurt. Next time!

Stir Fried Sweet Potato Greens

There are many similar versions of this recipe online. This super simple one is adapted from Nyonya Cooking.

• TBSP Sesame Oil

• 1 Garlic Clove, sliced thinly

• 1 Bunch Sweet Potato Leaves with stems, washed and dried

• (you can chop the stems and leaves, but they look beautiful left whole)

• 1 TBSP Soy Sauce or Tamarind

• 1 TBSP Shaoxing Wine (optional - adds sweetness if desired)

• 1⁄2 tsp Sugar

• 1⁄2 tsp Salt

• 1 tbsp Water

1. Heat oil in saute pan or wok at medium to high heat. Add garlic and stir-fry until fragrant.

2. Add vegetables into the wok. Add soy sauce, 'Shaoxing' wine (optional), sugar and salt. Add water for gravy. Continue stir-frying vegetables until soft.