The best thing this week is a classic health food combination, sweet potato wedges and garlicky greens. When I worked the chef's case at Whole Foods for a few months while I was getting my journalism degree at UT-Austin, I tasted this dish for the first time. Talk about a revelation. The sweet creaminess of the potatoes, the fragrant bite of the garlic and the salty umami of the soy sauce that you must use to season this makes the ideal meal for anyone who loves salty-sweet combinations.
I've been chasing the high of my first time with this dish for years, but only this month have I really figured it out. From vegan athlete Scott Jurek's recipe at Vegan Kickstart, I learned that the best way to do the sweet potatoes is to cut them vertically into four wedges. Then you don't have to flip them and they turn out so creamy and good. Drizzle them with oil. I don't like to use too much oil, but it can't be helped in this recipe. Then season with salt and whatever. Scott uses paprika and rosemary. I like that, too. I've also done Creole seasoning or herbes de Provence or cardamom and cumin. Put skin side down on cookie sheet and bake at 375 for about 30 minutes. I'm at high altitude, so mine ended up baking for 45 minutes.
For the greens, I think you really need four cloves of garlic. But I'm not a chef, just someone who loves food. Saute the garlic in broth or water. You can use oil if you want, but that's just pure fat so think about it. What I usually do is toss the wedges with oil and seasonings in the pan that I'm going to use to saute the greens. So I get a little bit of an oily coating on the pan. Anyway, saute the garlic for about three minutes. You want it to have a chance to mellow and flavor the broth or water (or oil, you dilletante), but do not let it start to burn. Turn down your heat if you need to. When the kitchen gods tell you it's time, throw your greens in. I've used any and every combination of greens and they're all good. But this dish isn't really satisfying to me unless there's some kale in there. I don't know why, but I love it. I guess it's because it reminds me of my first time. If you find yourself pushing more greens out of the pan than you're keeping in the pan as you try to get it to wilt, you may want to get a metal tong (set of tongs? idk). This has become one of my favorite cooking utensils and makes me feel totally pro. So after the greens have wilted but before they're totally collapsed, splash in some soy sauce. Not too much, not more than a tablespoon. You can always add more later.
You can just have this for dinner and nothing else. Or you can add some beans, tofu, a random veggie burger. That's the great thing about eating whole, unrefined plant foods. You don't have to get all crazy worrying about the composition of a single meal. As long as you're eating veg, fruits, beans and grains all the time, you're good!
Yours in good health,
Summer
I've been chasing the high of my first time with this dish for years, but only this month have I really figured it out. From vegan athlete Scott Jurek's recipe at Vegan Kickstart, I learned that the best way to do the sweet potatoes is to cut them vertically into four wedges. Then you don't have to flip them and they turn out so creamy and good. Drizzle them with oil. I don't like to use too much oil, but it can't be helped in this recipe. Then season with salt and whatever. Scott uses paprika and rosemary. I like that, too. I've also done Creole seasoning or herbes de Provence or cardamom and cumin. Put skin side down on cookie sheet and bake at 375 for about 30 minutes. I'm at high altitude, so mine ended up baking for 45 minutes.
For the greens, I think you really need four cloves of garlic. But I'm not a chef, just someone who loves food. Saute the garlic in broth or water. You can use oil if you want, but that's just pure fat so think about it. What I usually do is toss the wedges with oil and seasonings in the pan that I'm going to use to saute the greens. So I get a little bit of an oily coating on the pan. Anyway, saute the garlic for about three minutes. You want it to have a chance to mellow and flavor the broth or water (or oil, you dilletante), but do not let it start to burn. Turn down your heat if you need to. When the kitchen gods tell you it's time, throw your greens in. I've used any and every combination of greens and they're all good. But this dish isn't really satisfying to me unless there's some kale in there. I don't know why, but I love it. I guess it's because it reminds me of my first time. If you find yourself pushing more greens out of the pan than you're keeping in the pan as you try to get it to wilt, you may want to get a metal tong (set of tongs? idk). This has become one of my favorite cooking utensils and makes me feel totally pro. So after the greens have wilted but before they're totally collapsed, splash in some soy sauce. Not too much, not more than a tablespoon. You can always add more later.
You can just have this for dinner and nothing else. Or you can add some beans, tofu, a random veggie burger. That's the great thing about eating whole, unrefined plant foods. You don't have to get all crazy worrying about the composition of a single meal. As long as you're eating veg, fruits, beans and grains all the time, you're good!
Yours in good health,
Summer
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