Papas de Navidad | Breakfast Potatoes

Stare at a blank sheet of paper smeared with ink, and you might detect a specific image. But show that same sheet of paper to someone else, and there is a good chance they will see a different image. Of course a psychologist will tell you that the Rorschach test tells us more about the viewers than the sheet of paper.

In many ways, the study of nutrition is similar. All that is needed is a few moments looking at various search engine results about diet and nutrition to see there are widely differing views on the best ways to eat. Add on top of this, the confusion that government agencies and industry lobbyists create, and suddenly it becomes clear why so many people view that ink stained paper in so many different ways.

However, I believe a consensus is slowly starting to form, and a specific image is becoming increasingly transparent to an increasing number of people. The consensus is, of course, in favor of a plant-based diet.

I know of no other diet, because not a single study exists, which can scientifically be shown to reverse heart disease, other than a plant-based diet. Increasingly, the leading experts on cancer are finding the benefits overwhelming as well, as evidenced by the recently statements made by the World Health Organization.

As we enter a new year, and as I enter my 9^th year as a plant-based vegan, I can firmly state that the tide of the evidence for a plant-based diet is growing. And I believe that 2016 will only further support such a healthful message.

As we begin this year together, I remain optimistic, and I invite you all to join me on this journey as we move every away from the wilderness, and closer to living with longevity, intention, and peace.

***

Today’s recipe is called Papas de Navidad (or Christmas potatoes) because I made this dish for M when she got home from her 24-hour shift on Christmas day morning. This is a sweet and savory dish.

I chose to make this dish this Christmas because while we were spending our first Christmas living together, we were both away from our families, and while it is summer here, I’m told that traditional Argentine Christmas dishes tend to mimic the dishes of bewintered North America. As such, this dish incorporates some flavors of the North East, by using maple syrup, an ingredient which we brought to Argentina with us from New York when we moved, making it an extra special dish.

Papas de Navidad | Breakfast Potatoes

4 potatoes - cubed

2 large tomatoes or a handful of cherry tomatoes – cubed or halved

1 medium onion – chopped

1 small head broccoli – chopped

Spices

1.5 tablespoons maple syrup – save to the end

2 cloves of garlic – diced (Or 1 teaspoon of garlic powder)

1 teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon turmeric

¼ teaspoon rosemary

¼ teaspoon oregano

As mentioned below,* I pre-boiled my potatoes for about 15 minutes until they became soft to pierce with a fork. While the potatoes are boiling, prepare the remaining vegetables. Once all of the veggies are prepared, toss them in a oven safe container (I like to use cast iron for this dish, as it adds a real country flavor to the vegetables) and generously spread the spices evenly throughout.**

Now cover the vegetables with tin foil and place into the oven on 350°. If you pre-boiled the potatoes as suggested, cook for an additional 15-20 minutes, depending on how browned you like your potatoes.

Once done, drizzle the vegetables with maple syrup. I served the dish with a large bunch of steamed kale and dried cranberries, which we also drizzled with maple syrup (don’t knock it until you try it). 

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season!

Feliz Ano Nuevo!

*I prepared the potatoes the night previously to help reduce the overall cook time by boiling them until almost soft.

** Pro Tip – Put the veggies and spices in a large container with a lid and shake the container for 10 seconds until the spices fully coat the veggies.

As always the information presented in this blog is for educational purposes only. It should not be considered as specific medical, nutritional, lifestyle, or other health-related advice.

Papas Bravas, Roasted Florets and Cheesy Dressing

It’s hard to believe that September is already here. In just a few more months M and I will be traveling back to the States for a visit so she can attend a medical conference. We are both looking forward to it, but for now we are enjoying the beginning of spring here in Buenos Aires.

This coming weekend we will be running the 21K Maraton de Buenos Aires. We are excited forward to it, as it should be a beautiful course, which goes right through the heart of our city. We will be running the course together. This will be my first race since moving, and unless I'm mistaken, my first event for 2015! Crazy, but it's been nice focusing on other things besides training and racing.

For today, I have a great recipe that can work as either a side-dish or the main course. It’s a blend of a two different dishes, a favorite in North America, the other a common dish from South America.

Papas Bravas (or Patatas Bravas if you’re from Spain,) are a common latin-style dish where typically white potatoes are cut into irregular shapes and then either roasted or fried in oil and served with a spicy or smoked aioli sauce. They are considered bar food, and are often part of a tapa menu - which means they're perfect for watching futbol or Argetnine-style gatherings where the first person arrives 40 minutes after they were suppose to, and the last person arrives when you were hoping everyone would be leaving! Of course the BYOL version is oil-free.

I use to make this dish in New York using the oven-roasted florets and cheesy sauce as a healthier play on the ever-popular Broccoli and Cheese. With oven roasted broccoli and cauliflower florets, this dish boasts a significant amount of nutrition, and is also a great way to encourage youngsters to eat their greens - I mean what kid doesn't love dipping?

Papas Bravas with Oven-Roasted Florets and a Cheesy Caesar Dressing dipping Sauce

Serves 3-4

Papas Bravas

3 potatoes cut into wedges

2 sweet potatoes cut into wedges
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more to taste)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika 
½ teaspoon salt (optional)

Placed the cut and seasoned potatoes into a pan with parchment paper. Place into the oven at 350. I typically keep all the potatoes on one side of the pan leaving room to add the florets later. Check the potatoes every 12 minutes and flip to ensure they cook and brown evenly. Cook for 30-40 minutes until soft and slightly browned.

Florets

1 small head Broccoli – broken into florets

1 small head Cauliflower – broken into florets

1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion flakes

Black-pepper to taste

After placing the potatoes into the oven, wash and cut the florets. After tossing them with the above seasonings, if you saved room, add the florets to the pan with the potatoes. If not, cover a second pan with parchment paper and place into the oven. Cook the florets for 20-25 minutes until well roasted. If you are trying to time the florets to finish cooking with the potatoes, let the potatoes cook for 10-15 minutes before adding the florets.

Cheesy-Caesar Sauce

¼ cup raw cashews

2 heaping tablespoons of nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 tablespoon chia seeds

½ tablespoon mustard (dijion or yellow)

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 clove of fresh garlic or 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon black pepper

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup water

Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender (if using a normal powred blender, try using cashew pieces and soaking them in water them for 1 hour before blending). Blend on high until all ingredients are well blended. This also makes a great dressing for a salad

Now you can heat the sauce up if you like, or serve at room temperature with the oven hot potatoes and florets.

Enjoy!

As always the information presented in this blog is for educational purposes only. It should not be considered as specific medical, nutritional, lifestyle, or other health-related advice.

Mean Green Split Pea and Hemp Soup

I rarely do anything special for St Patrick's Day but since it is absolutely frigid in NYC right now (screw you too Punxsutawny) creating a BYOL original green soup seemed the perfect way to celebrate as well as to help warm me up after a bone-chilling bike ride! This soup is high in protein as well as carbohydrates and antioxidants. It is also highly alkaline promoting, which helps reduce inflammation, so it is a perfect recovery meal, or anytime meal for that matter! A great way to boost your green veggie intake; to top it off it's pretty easy to make. Tossing in a few potatoes at the end is the perfect way to celebrate St. Patty's day. This nutrient dense soup is certain to make your inner-Irishman swoon! 

Here is this incredibly easy recipe.

Serves 3-4

2 cups green split peas (soaked in warm water and rinsed before cooking)
2 large potatoes baked - chopped
2 cups spinach - chopped
3 stalks of celery - chopped
2 large carrots - sliced
1 cup broccoli floretts
4 tablespoons hemp seeds
3-4 cloves of garlic
8 cups water or veggie broth
1 generous pinch of onion or pea sprouts (optional but recommend)
onion powder, ginger, and black pepper to taste


After the peas soaked for a few hours rinse them well under warm water until the water runs clean. Add them to a pot with a splash of lemon juice and enough water to cover all of the peas by about 1-2 inches. Boil the peas until they soften - about 40 minutes depending on how long they soaked. If any foam rises to the top, simply scrap it off with a spoon.

While the peas are cooking, prepare the two potatoes and bake them for 30 minutes on 375. Once they are done it is your choice to peel them or not. I left the skin this time.

Also try adding some chopped walnuts

Once the peas are done cooking, drain the pot and add the peas, broccoli, garlic and about 1 cup of water or veggie broth to a blender or food processor. Blend until mostly smooth but leave some texture to the mix. Transfer the content to a large soup pot and put on medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, chopped potato, spices, and the rest of the water/broth. Let the soup come to a low boil and then turn down to medium-low. Again if any foam rises to the top, simply remove it.

After about 15 minutes, the veggies should have softened. Now add the chopped spinach and hemp seeds and let simmer for and additional 2-3 more minutes or until the spinach is wilted. Serve hot. Yesterday at the farmers market I found onion sprouts which made a great addition to this soup, however pea shoots are much more commonly found in grocery stores. If you don't have either, garnish with green onion. You can also make this a bit more hearty by adding cooked wild or brown rice to it before serving.

This soup is sure to help take the edge off this incredibly long winter!



enjoy