Sweet potato patties

With a Monday morning Spanish exam looming I decided the most effective use of my Friday evening would be Spanish-themed procrastination in the form of tapas.

This is one of those recipes where a few simple ingredients go a long way. I recommend making up a batch and freezing the uncooked patties, so that you've always got a nutritious and tasty light meal (or carbohydrate for a meal) to alleviate those “night before” panics in the coming weeks.

This recipe is inspired by ‘Puré de Batatas con Queso de Cabra y Puerros’ from Carlos Horrillo and Patrick Morcas’ Tapas: Simple Combinations, Striking Flavours.

Ingredients: 2 medium sweet potatoes 1 leek, diced 5 chestnut mushrooms, diced 2 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely sliced 30-40g goats’ cheese, crumbled into lumps Salt and pepper to season

Method: Bake the sweet potatoes, either in the oven at gas mark 6/180-200°C for about an hour (pricking the skins a few times with a fork to avoid exploding potatoes) or for about 8 minutes in the microwave.

Meanwhile, fry the leek and mushroom in a teaspoon of butter until soft. After a few minutes add the garlic and stir regularly to avoid the mixture sticking.

When the potatoes are baked, cut them in half and scoop out the insides into a bowl. Break down the flesh with a fork but don’t purée them as you will want a few lumps.

Mix the leek, mushroom and garlic mixture into the potato and leave to cool for a little while - this is so that the cheese doesn't completely melt when you add it. Add the cheese to the potato mixture.

Form patties from 1-2 tablespoons of mixture - I made mine quite small, but when my mum makes these at home she usually makes them larger and they’re equally as good. Brush with olive oil and bake in a hot oven on a lightly greased baking tray for about 30- 40 minutes, or until starting to brown.