Sweet Potato Albóndigas

Recipe and photo by Héctor Gonzáles.

The coming cold days (under 75 weather) makes me crave comforting foods. Carbs tend to be what I enjoyed the most while growing up in México. While adapting some of the recipes from my country to my current residence, some things have changed. Although I’m still an omnivore, I enjoy vegetables for their flavor and how fun playing with these ingredients can be. This dish is one of those Mexperiments.

Albóndigas (pronunciation can be found here) is the translation for meatballs in Spanish. Despite the fact that these contain no meat, I felt the name in Spanish fit this recipe better. This word’s etymology comes from the Arab word “búnduqa” which means “ball.” The “Al” at the beginning meant “the,” making the literal translation “the ball.” Simple.

These were usually made with meat at home, but I wanted to play with some of the ingredients from my CSA. The sweet potato will also have some of the greens from this week’s box as well to make it shine. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

• Albóndigas
• 3 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 cup of masa harina
• 2 cup of greens, finely chopped
• 1 medium egg (an egg substitute can be used, like flaxseed or chia seeds)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp Mexican oregano

Sauce

• 1 lb of fresh tomatoes or a 15 oz can
• 1-3 chipotle peppers
• 2-4 cloves of garlic
• Salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork or knife. Roast for 30 minutes or until tender. Peel and let these cool.
2.  While the potatoes are roasting, blend the tomatoes, chipotle peppers and garlic. Add or remove peppers or garlic to taste. Add salt to taste after blend.
3.  Mix the ingredients in a bowl until it reaches a playdough-like consistency.
4.  Roll into 1 inch balls and put into a 9 in x 9 in square pan. The balls can touch each other.
5.  Heat the oven again to 375 degrees. Roast in the oven, uncovered, for 25 minutes. Then add the sauce to the pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and raise the temperature 425 degrees and cook for 10 minutes.

You can also add cheese during the last step, as it will get deliciously melty.