Mediterranean Burgers

First, gather and prepare your mise en place. Once your sweet potatoes are baked whole and cooled, peel the skin off, cut into small pieces, and set aside. Note: Be sure you do not steam or boil the sweet potatoes since they will retain too much water, making the burger batter quite wet. To prepare the burger mixture, in a mixing bowl, toss together all ingredients except the oats, pressing or mashing the potato until the mixture begins to bind. If the mixture is a bit too moist, add some of the rolled oats — they will help to absorb a bit of the excess moisture. You will likely need all of the oats, but not necessarily, so just add them a bit at a time until the burger holds together slightly when gently squeezed in your hand.

To bake the burgers, place them into a pre-heated 400°F (205°C) oven. Form the mixture into burger size patties, or into small sliders, and place on a lightly–sprayed baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, flip and continue baking for an additional 5 to 8 minutes, or until both sides are golden. Serve on whole wheat buns (or slider buns) topped with Pickled Summer Squash or Cucumbers or Pickled Onions, arugula, White Bean Hummus and Fresh Harissa. *Note: To make pickled cucumbers, simply follow the same procedure as the Pickled Onions, but use white wine vinegar instead of red wine vinegar. Store leftovers in the freezer, separating them with parchment paper. Reheat in a toaster or grill.