Sweet potato & cabbage cakes

500g sweet potatoes, quartered (about 1½ sweet potatoes)  

50g shallots, finely chopped  (about ½ large shallot)

1 clove garlic, finely chopped  

175g savoy cabbage, shredded (about ¼ head of savoy cabbage) 

100g leeks, sliced (white part of 1 leek)  

1tbsp wholegrain mustard

1 handful of parsley, finely chopped

1 tbsp. cooking oil (grapeseed oil, avocado oil)

Pinch of sea salt

Topping

10g almond flour

10g Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

These colourful and nutrient dense savory cakes are delicious on their own, but are especially lovely topped with a fried egg.

This recipe comes together quite easily, and is versatile, so feel free to substitute the vegetables and herbs that you have on hand. It is also a great recipe to make in large batches, that you can then freeze and use throughout the week.

Leeks, garlic, and onions all contain prebiotics, which are carbohydrates that help to feed good gut microflora. See our story, “Top Six Ways to Support Your Microbiome,” to learn more.

—Chelsea

Makes 10–16 cakes

Preheat oven to 400 F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Place the sweet potatoes in a pot with salted water. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are beginning to fall apart. Strain, place in a bowl and crush with a fork, leaving some larger pieces of potato.  
Pour the oil (grapeseed or avocado) in a medium size pan over medium heat and add the shallots, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Continue to cook until the shallots and garlic are fragrant, and soft. Add the shredded cabbage and leeks, mix well, and continue cooking until vegetables are softened.
Mix the vegetables with the potato, mustard and parsley.  
To make the topping, combine the almond flour and Parmigiano Reggiano in a bowl.
Use a ½ cup measure as a mould for the potato and cabbage mixture, and place the formed cakes on a baking tray with parchment paper. Top with the almond flour mix.  
Bake for about 20 minutes.

Further ideas and modifications

Consider serving with: eggs cooked however you like, sautéed spinach, on a bed of greens, topped with sliced avocado, or with a side of local sausage. 
You can swap the shallots for onions, and sweet potato for white potato. Carrots, or winter squash would also make tasty additions, or substitutions. Using other herbs, or a mixture of herbs would be lovely. Consider a blend of parsley, chives, and basil instead of parsley alone.