Smoked Vegetable Patties

Martin decided that our lunches were becoming boring and that we needed to spice them up a bit!
He found this recipe and decided to give it a try.
It seems a bit ‘faffy’ but the end result was very filling and tasty and was certainly different to the normal boring sandwiches. Some of the preparation could be done in advance, so that you only have to cook the patties. Or you could make a batch of patties and freeze some and just take them out when you want them, making the salsa fresh.

Ingredients
1 head of broccoli
1 bunch of spring onions
600g Maris Piper potatoes
1 red pepper
1 x 400g tin of cannellini beans
60g Cheddar cheese
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
4 free-range eggs
1 x 80g bag of watercress, spinach & rocket
olive oil
red wine vinegar
sea salt
black pepper
extra virgin olive oil

Method
Trim the broccoli. Finely chop stalk, then break the florets apart.
Trim and finely slice half a bunch of spring onions.
Peel and chop 600g of potatoes into 3cm chunks, cook in a pan until tender, adding the broccoli florets for the last 3 minutes.
Drizzle, 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a large frying pan on medium heat, add the sliced spring onions and broccoli stalks and cook until softened, then remove from the heat.
Drain the potatoes and broccoli and allow to steam dry, tip into the frying pan and leave to cool while you make the salsa.
Deseed 1 red pepper and dice, and trim the remaining spring onions, then finely chop and place in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
Drain and add 1 x 400g tin of cannellini beans to the frying pan, grate in 60g of Cheddar cheese, season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle in ½ a teaspoon of smoked paprika. Mash and mix together well,then divide into 8 equal-sized balls and pat into flat rounds.
Place the frying pan back on a medium-high heat, drizzle in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then add the patties and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden and crisp, then remove (and keep warm) while you fry 4 eggs to your liking.
To serve, place two patties and a fried egg on each plate, then top each with a spoonful of salsa. Serve 1 x 80g bag of watercress, spinach & rocket on the side and toss with a little extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar, if you like.