Japanese Sweet Potatoes

There seem to be so many varieties of sweet potatoes out there, and maybe there are several names for each one.  I don't believe "Japanese Sweet Potatoes" is the actual name for these delicious tubers, but that's what they were called at Whole Foods.  Strangely, they look on the outside exactly like a less exotic, orange-fleshed potato.  Both types had a pretty purple skin and the same general size and shape.  I'd inadvertently gotten a few of each.  Sometimes you don't know for sure until you cut into them.

I mixed the cut, raw potatoes with coconut oil and 1/2 tsp of sea salt, and roasted them on parchment on a pan preheated to 400 degrees for 30 minutes, flipping halfway.  They were amazing tossed into a Swiss chard saute at the last minute.  I'd forgotten how much I love chard.  Mom used to grow a lot of it in her big backyard garden when I was young.  This bowlful made a delicious breakfast.

A Warm Salad

These greens are topped by green, which is topped by more green.  I was craving greens today (obviously) but my arugula was lackluster.  But I did find, in my crisper, some lovely fresh brussels sprouts and half a bunch of broccoli rabe (rapini), still in excellent shape.  I quickly sauteed these in coconut oil and garlic and then topped the warm veggies with almost a whole avocado (bits of it weren't as good as the rest so I removed them) and some fresh chimichurri that I made the other day (parsley, cilantro, purple onion, garlic, vinegar, lemon, olive oil).  This was SOOOO good.  Never enough greens, people.

Even Better The Next Day

We've been enjoying more vegan and vegetarian meals per week in our household -- even for the omnivore, who's now outnumbered.  Though not gluten-free, this delicious one-pot meal made good use of spring vegetables.  First, four cloves of garlic and a package of white mushrooms, both sliced, were sauteed in coconut oil and olive oil.  Whole grape tomatoes were then added and all was cooked at medium-high heat until the tomatoes' skins split.  Sliced brussels sprouts and asparagus were then added, along with a tiny pinch of salt, a shake of tamari and a couple shakes of cumin.  Then a scant 1/4 cup of good tomato sauce and cooked pasta were stirred into the mix and the pan was taken off the burner and covered.  The green veggies cooked perfectly in the remaining steam.

This was so easy and enjoyed by all.  The vegetarian and omnivore added parmesan cheese to their bowls and I added capers.  After sitting overnight, the noodles had soaked up the goodness, making the whole thing even better.  

Beautiful Bowl

I love a big, beautiful bowl of vegan food!  This usually means various leftovers from meals past, artfully combined, elevating each to a fresh new level.

Arugula (rocket) is the star of my bowls of late, and I've really been enjoying jasmine rice too.  I know there are healthier versions of rice, but the subtle flavor of the jasmine is on the tip of my tastebuds recently.

I did a terrible job of making oven frites the other night -- I'd not properly pre-heated the pan before laying the spuds upon it.  The fries got stuck and cooked unevenly and finally fell apart.  Cold, from the crisper, the leftovers of that debacle shine as they hadn't before, when added to this veggie bowl.  Crispy and herby, they are much better than croutons.  The grape tomatoes are tangy and better than we usually find this time of year.  They perfectly offset the richness of the olive oiled frites.  Delish~