A few months back, I stumbled upon an image of my dream breakfast: a crispy sweet potato cake with guacamole and a perfectly poached egg on top. I made it and went to heaven for a little while. Recently, I had another hankering for it but couldn't find the recipe so this time I made my own version.
For the sweet potato cake, I wanted something full flavoured so I decided to use el ras handout, a Moroccan spice mix that seems to be everywhere these days. It provides a perfect balance of heat and flavour. The sweet potato cake is delicious on its own, it reminds me of eating onion bhaji at an Indian restaurant. You may want to double the recipe and throw a few in the freezer so they can be warmed up during an Indian meal or for when you want to make this breakfast again.
I happened to have a perfectly ripe avocado on hand... I know that never happens! So, instead of guacamole, I used sliced avocado and it was divine.
Poached Egg On Spicy Sweet Potato Cake
(makes 4 sweet potato cakes, serves 2-4 people)
1 medium sweet potato peeled and grated
1/2 onion (finely chopped)
1 egg
1 tsp of el ras hanout
1 tbsp of finely chopped cilantro (and more for garnishing at the end)
1 tbsp olive oil (+more for brushing)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2-1 avocado (or guacamole)
lime
2-4 perfectly poached egg (the recipe in this link tells you to take the egg out at 3 minutes, I prefer to test it first to make sure the whites are fully cooked- thick and firm on the outside, nice and squishy on the inside)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a bowl, mix the first 8 ingredients all together. With your hands, make four 1 inch thick patties (5 inch diameter) and place them on a parchment lined baking tray. Brush a little olive oil on each patty then place in the hot oven.
After 15 minutes, turn over your cakes and brush the other side of each one with some more olive oil then put them back in the oven and cook for 10 more minutes.
While the cakes are back in the oven, you can put your water on to boil for your poached egg (instructions on how to poach an egg above) and slice up your avocado.
Keep an eye on your sweet potato cakes, you'll know they are ready when they are starting to brown, they feel crispy on the outside and are holding together well.
When the cakes are out of the oven, and your egg is poached to perfection, start constructing your masterpiece: take one or two cakes, add your avocado and squeeze a little lime juice on top, then top that with your poached egg and garnish with cilantro and serve it while it's hot!
This meal has a nice balance of carbohydrates, protein and fats and will leave you feeling satisfied and ready to take on a busy weekend.