Mashed sweet potatoes with coconut milk

This side dish of mashed sweet potatoes is sure to keep you warm in the coming cold weather. Depending on which part of the world you are that is. I guess if you eat it cold it is sure to keep you fresh in the coming warm weather.

I wrapped an 800g (1,7 pounds) sweet potato in foil after cutting into it a bit. It was in the oven at 180ºC (350F) for about an hour and a half.

Then I mashed the pulp while still warm with the aid of a tablespoon of vegan butter. I added 6 tablespoons of coconut milk while mashing. It was pretty nice. I chose not to add any salt or pepper because I enjoyed the extra sweetness of it all.

I used a hand potato masher by the way.

Slaw with caper vinaigrette

To make the slaw I just used:

250 g Purple cabbage (aprox. half a pound)
250 g Cabbage (aprox. half a pound)
1 tbsp Lemon juice
5 tbsp Soy Mayo

I shredded the cabbages and mixed the mayo and lemon juice in.

For the caper vinaigrette I blended:

2 tbsp Capers
1 tbsp Mustard
6 tbsp Olive oil
2 tbsp Cider vinegar

Then I just folded the vinaigrette in.

Potatoes

I really love potatoes. They are great both as a side dish and as a complete meal! The 3 suggestions I make in this post are based on potatoes as a side dish. Later I will make and post delicious pictures and a recipe for a german potato salad I learned about in Berlin.

Suggestion #1: Roasted potatoes with Herbs

1,5 Kg Fingerling Potatoes
5 Garlic cloves, diced
1/4 cup Parsley, fresh, chopped
2 Tbsp Rosemary, fresh
2 Tbsp Thyme, fresh
4 Tbsp Olive oil
1 Tbsp Salt

1. Pre-heat the oven at 190ºC.
2. Wash and cut the potatoes in half.
3. Spread the herbs, olive oil, and salt over the potatoes.
4. Bake them for 1h15m.

Suggestion #2: Patatas Bravas

1 Kg Potatoes
3 Tbsp Garlic paste
3 Tbsp Olive oil
1/2 Tbsp Paprika
1 tsp Chili Powder

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC.
2. Cut the potatoes into cubes.
3. Roast them for 1h. More if necessary.
4. Don't forget to stir them every once in a while.

Suggestion #3: Grilled Potatoes

0,3 Kg New potatoes
2 Tbsp Olive oil
1/2 lemon zest
1/2 lemon juice
Salt and Pepper

1. Pre-boil the new potatoes for 10 minutes.
2. Brush them with the olive oil, lemon marinade.
3. Finish them on the Grill.

Tex Mex Quinoa

Tex Mex Quinoa is a great side dish. Also quinoa has a great nutritional profile. Of course after it's been cooked it's more water than anything else, but still great nutritional value per bite.

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp Olive oil
1 medium Onion, diced
2 Cloves of garlic
1 pinch of salt
200g Quinoa
400g Tomatoes, peeled, diced
1 pinch of Chili
0,25 L Water

Procedure:

1. Sautée the onion and garlic in olive oil.
2. Add Quinoa. Let it absorb the olive oil for 2 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes (canned is just as good) and chili powder.
4. Add Water, raise to a boil.
5. Cook 15 minutes in minimum heat.

Observations:

This recipe yields 800g. The cost is at 3,2€ per Kg.