Open Faced Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger

Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes (smaller potatoes cook faster)
⅓ cup millet
1 cup old fashioned oats (use certified gluten-free oats if you are avoiding gluten), ground to a flour like consistency
1 ½ cups black beans (prepared by boiling until soft and allowing to cool)
2 teaspoons cumin powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon sriracha (if desired for extra heat)
1 tablespoon mint chutney (can be found at middle eastern grocery stores)
high quality coconut oil
1 cup cilantro

Roasted Sweet Potatoes:
Slice the sweet potatoes down the center lengthwise. Place the sweet potatoes cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until they yield to a gentle squeeze, 30 to 40 minutes (for small) or longer for larger ones. Once the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the skin (it should pull off easily) and roughly chop the insides. Set aside to cool completely.

Millet:
In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to boil. Stir in the millet, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until tender (about 25 minutes). Drain off any remaining liquid and set aside to cool.

Burger Preparation:
In a large mixing bowl combine the cooled sweet potatoes and millet, black beans, cilantro, mint chutney, cumin, chili powder, paprika, sriracha (optional, add to taste for spicier burgers), salt, and pepper. Use a potato masher, big mixing spoon or the paddle attachment of your mixer to mix really well. It’s ok if the black beans get smashed in the process. Add the ground oats over the mixture and mix well with a big spoon until the mixture holds together when you shape a portion into a patty. If possible, cover and refrigerate the mixture overnight for best results (the patties will hold together better during cooking if they are chilled first). Shape the burgers into desired patties. Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot, place several burgers in the pan, leaving enough room to flip them. Cook each patty until browned and heated through, about 6 to 7 minutes per side. Add 1 tablespoon coconut oil to the skillet for each pan of burgers you fry to prevent burning and sticking.

Pickled Daikon Radish and Carrot:
2 cups carrots, cut into matchsticks
2 cups daikon radish, cut same as carrots
4 cups water, slightly warm enough to dissolve the salt and sugar
3 tablespoons sugar (I use stevia)
2 tablespoons salt
6 tablespoons distilled or rice vinegar

In large large bowl, mix water, vinegar, sugar and salt till everything is dissolved and combined well.
Place carrots and daikon in a clean, sterile jar and fill vinegar till jar is full.
Cover jars and set in the refrigerator to pickle for about 3 -5 days. The longer it sits usually the better the flavor becomes. You can usually keep the jar for about 3 weeks.

Assembly:
2-4 slices of wheat bread
Boston Lettuce
1 avocado sliced

Assemble burgers bread, boston lettuce, avocado, and the Pickled Daikon Radish and Carrot mixture for an open-faced sandwich.