Sweet Potato & Carrot Cakes with Cashew Lime Sour Cream
Yield
Yield: 14 Servings
Ingredients
1 ¼ cup red lentils, rinsed
1 ½ cups water
2 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil, plus more for brushing pan and cakes
1 large onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
Sea salt, to taste
1 tsp dried turmeric
1 red chili, thinly sliced, plus more to garnish
⅓ cup finely chopped cilantro stems, from one bunch cilantro
3 medium carrots, grated, divided (about 6 cups)
2 small sweet potatoes, grated
1 cup chopped cilantro leaves, plus more to garnish
2 scallions thinly sliced
1 tsp tamari, plus more to taste
1 ½ tsp brown rice vinegar
Cashew Lime Sour Cream
1 cup cashews, soaked 4 to 6 hours
Zest of one lime
3 to 4 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water
½ tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
Instructions
Combine lentils and water in a small pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover pot, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, remove from heat and set aside covered while you prepare the other ingredients.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, brush paper with coconut oil (you may have to melt it first) and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375°F if you have a convection setting, or 400°F if you don’t have a convection setting.
Warm coconut oil in a wide skillet over medium heat and add onion. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until golden. Add garlic and a large pinch of salt and continue cooking for another 3 minutes. Stir in turmeric, chili and cilantro stems and cook 2 minutes longer. Reserve about 1 cup of grated carrot and add the rest to the skillet along with the grated sweet potato. Cook, stirring for 4 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender but not soft. Remove from heat, stir in remaining carrot, cilantro leaves, scallions, tamari, and rice vinegar and set aside.
Remove 1 cup of red lentils from the pot and save for another use. Place remaining red lentils into skillet and mix to combine. Season to taste with salt and tamari and set aside until cool enough to handle.
Shape into cakes, using a ¼ cup measure as a guide. Flatten them a little, place on prepared tray and brush with coconut oil. Bake for 20 minutes or until browning on the bottom. Flip over and continue baking for another 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown on each side.
To prepare the Cashew Lime Sour Cream, drain and rinse cashews and place in an upright blender. Set lime zest aside and add remaining ingredients. Blend until completely smooth and velvety, scraping sides, as necessary. Season to taste and add reserved lime zest. Pulse to combine and pour into a bowl. Place in the fridge for an hour or until ready to serve. This will last 2 to 3 days in an airtight container.
Serve the Sweet Potato and Carrot Cakes warm and topped with the Cashew Lime Sour Cream.
