Indy's Veggie Fix: No paper bag... yet!

HAPPY FIRST DAY OF #AUTUMN!

HOORAY! No paper bags have come into play yet! Key word: YET!

Thanks to ma' lovely hubs, I was actually able to eat #brunch this morning/afternoon! Gosh it was good... It wasn't until after the last bite, that the nervous nausea began to kick in..... GULP!

Alex is known for his constructive criticisms in any given situation... I'm talkin' the good, the bad and the down-right OOGLY! We have a love/hate relationship in this regard, but I definitely was in the LOVE mood regarding this recipe.

And of course, nothin' a little vino couldn't help out ;)

Considering this is one of his favorites AND he came back with few and far between criticisms, I think we have ourselves a winner! #FTW

Sweet Potato & Grilled Corn Cakes/Fritters

- 1 1/2 lbs./2 sweet potatoes, cooked through with skin on

- 1/2 cup grilled then frozen corn, cut off the cob

- 1 scallion, chopped

- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

- 1 Tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped

- 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

- 1/2 teaspoon paprika

- 1/8 to 1/4 cup white or yellow corn meal

- 1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

- 1 medium egg

To grill the corn, season those babies up with enough olive oil to coat (oil has a higher burning temperature!), and then dashes of seasoned salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place on the medium-heat, gas grill and rotate until slightly charred. Once cooled enough to handle, cut off the cop and freeze in a ziplock bag or tupperware!

You can make tha' corn ahead o' hand, just make sure ya' give it enough time to freeze! On we go to zee sweet potatoes, so score with a fork or knife, and then a) cover in a paper towel and microwave for 5-8 minutes), b) cover in aluminum foil and bake at 400 degrees for 30-45 minutes.

Let's be honest, quicker is better! So microwave, here we come!

Let sweet potatoes cool on a cutting board until they are ready to handle, then slice in half and scoop out the cooked potato, leavin' the skin's behind!

Mash the slightly cooled sweet potatoes with a fork or a potato masher, then add the green onions, fresh parsley, and frozen grilled corn kernels.

Next, add the seasoned salt, paprika and pepper.

Mix that baby together and on we go! Add the cornmeal, Italian seasoned bread crumbs, and 1 egg. Mix together until all flava is well incorporated, then chill in the fridge for ~30 minutes or overnight!

Heat the canola oil over medium high heat, and remove sweet potato corn cake mixture from the fridge and scoop out with an ice cream scoop into your hand. Flatten and form into a patty using ya' hands!

Once the oil is heated, add the formed sweet potato patties and cook until browned on each side (1-2 minutes). Flip once browned and cook for the same amount of time on the other side, then place on a plate with a paper cloth to catch the extra oil and let cool for a few minutes.

Serve these babies up as an appetizer or main dish with some roasted aspargus or a side salad, but both go so well with a garlic and chive dip or the famous spicy tomato and chipotle aioli.

Garlic and Chive Dip

- 1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream

- 1 teaspoon fresh chive, finely chopped

- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, finely chopped

- 1 garlic clove, finely minced

- 1/4 lemon, juiced

Mix em' all up and you've got yourself a light and refreshing dip or a spicy, kicked up a notch dip for your eating pleasure =)