New Post, you guys!

My older, web-savvy brother, Chandler, loves me very much. For Christmas, he gave me a card that simply said "deeprootsfood.com" – I visited the url and found this new website! Best. Christmas. Ever. 

So, it's official. This is the year that I will invest some real blood, sweat and tears into this blog (and not into my dishes, hopefully!). I think you guys will find all my new recipes delicious because they will definitely be nutritious! Head on over to the new site (here) and check it out! If you've subscribed here, then click here to subscribe to the new blog! : )


 Much love & Merry Christmas!

- Anne (plus Chandler & Lauren)

Christmas Squash

I had a fun conversation recently where I was asked, "If you could make any dish right now, what would it be?" Well, oddly enough the original answer wasn't this recipe but it did include many of the same ingredients. The more I thought about my response the more it evolved. It went from a salad with most of my favorite Autumn ingredients to a warm, Christmas inspired stuffed squash. As I turned this recipe over in my head I realized I was asking for perfection - a dish that had beautiful colors (Christmas no less!), contrasting textures and flavors that complimented each other. Could this be done?? My friends, it can! This squash was fantastic! It was unbelievably easy and oh so tasty. Healthy too?? This recipe is just hitting the nail on every head. (ha!)



So if you're debating what to make for Christmas, look no further. If you just need another weeknight dinner, again, look no further! This dish is easy enough for a weeknight meal but tasty and beautiful enough for a Christmas Dinner. I only wish I had the beautiful photographs to prove it. Sadly, when you mix an inexperienced photographer, time crunch and barely any light (thanks, Winter) you don't get the stunning picture that you want. However, I will try my best to persuade you to make this dish with my words. (Ha!) 

I chose the Acorn squash as it's skin is a bit easier to cut through and roasts fairly quick. The flesh is already a beautiful gold, but the color deepens as it cooks. Not to mention it the texture turns as silky as butter! I roasted it with some ghee in my cast iron pan and it formed a crust on top of the flesh and made the house smell amazing! It couldn't have been easier. For real you guys... this squash might become my favorite!

As for the "stuffing" I really just wanted to use a few specific ingredients (cause I was craving them!) and so I rounded out the colors and textures from there. There is only one thing I would tweak and I'm not sure if I would necessarily like it better... but I'll get to that.* For now, my key ingredients were pomegranate seeds, sheep's milk feta and toasted hazelnuts. 

Are you sold yet??? You should be!  But ok, I'll keep going just incase...

I wanted the tart flavor of the pom seeds, the tangy, salty bite of the feta and the warm roasty (a word?) flavor of the hazelnut. But I needed a filler and something to brighten it up. Enter quinoa and fresh parsley! To top it off I added a few squeezes of lemon and a drizzle of olive oil. Stuff all that in a buttery squash? The flavors worked perfectly together! With every bite you had buttery, roasty, tangy, salty, tart and fresh. In every bite?? Dang.

As if this dish could get more diverse, let's talk about the textures too. The squash is undeniably creamy while the hazelnuts provide good crunch. The quinoa is soft and a just a tiny bit chewy while the pom seeds are so complex with an initial crunch, a burst of juice and then finished up with a chewy texture. (I love pom seeds for this reason!) The sheep's milk feta is soft and crumbly. The fresh herbs are chopped more roughly so that you when you chew them, you're breaking up the leaves and thus releasing plenty of fresh flavor right there on the spot! If you ever eat roughly chopped herbs, you might know there's a specific texture they have -- similar to greens but more delicate. And to finish up, the lemon and oil bring some moisture and bind it all together. 

Well folks, there you have it. My attempt to persuade you to make this dish. This squash had it all to me -- I just loved it. It couldn't have been easier to make, more delicious to eat and prettier to display. Whether you make this for a special dinner or just a weeknight where you only have 30 minutes, you should try this! I know I will be making it again and again.

I may not be a writer or photographer but I do love food. I love creating it, sharing it, discussing it... basically all things food. It's one of those parts of creation that never ceases to amaze me. You can see an inkling of God's creativity with every aspect of food --  all the way from farm to table. I hope you have as much fun as I did with this recipe!

Christmas Squash
Serves 2, with extra stuffing

1 Acorn Squash
1/2 heaping cup Quinoa*
1/2 cup Pomegranate seeds
1/2 cup Sheep's Milk Feta**
1/4- 1/2 cup Hazelnuts, toasted
1/2 cup Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley, roughly chopped
1 large lemon
Olive Oil 
Knob of Ghee, Coconut Oil or Butter



1. Preheat oven to 350. 
2. Throw your knob of ghee (or other fat) in a cast iron pan & place in the oven to melt as it heats up. 
3. Cut the Acorn Squash in half and scoop out seeds. Place squash cut side down in pan and put back in the oven to roast for 20-30 minutes or until fork tender (you want it to be very fork tender so that it's super creamy!)
4. Cook quinoa per the instructions on the box or bag. This should take about 10-20 minutes.
5. Place hazelnuts on a pan and roast in the oven with squash for 6-8 minutes or until well toasted.
6. Cut your pomegranate in half and begin to release the seeds. Wear an apron! :)
7. Roughly chop parsley.
8. Roughly chop feta.

 To Assemble:

1. Mix quinoa, nuts, feta, parsley and pom seeds in a bowl. Squeeze lemon & drizzle olive oil to taste. 
2. When the Squash is ready flip it over onto your place, face side up. Sprinkle with coarse salt and stuff the cavity with lots of goodness! I like to add a little more stuff on the side of the plate as I wanted more than the cavity could hold. 
3. Feel free to sprinkle a bit more herbs or nuts on the top when finished.

Merry Christmas! 

I wish you more than seasons blessings this year. I wish you the Joy of our Savior! That you rejoice in Him and share His love and blessings with others!

Anne 

*If you made it this far then you'll remember I said there was one thing I would tweak. In my pictures I used tri-colored quinoa. Originally I wanted to use all black quinoa for color's sake. I'm not sure if it would be too dark and you'd loose the pom seeds and parsley or if it would make the colors pop even more. Next time I'll try it, but if you beat me there let me know what you think!
**I specify Sheep's Milk Feta for a reason. Sheep's milk is tangier and tastes light years different than cow's milk feta. It really makes a huge difference to use that instead of your Athena Brand pre-crumbled feta, so if you can use the sheep! :)

As always, this recipe is totally adjustable. I prefer equal parts of goodies to quinoa ratio but if you prefer any one item more, adjust the amounts the way you want! That's the fun of cooking -- tweaking to fit your preferences.

Giving Thanks....but not for this dish.

Happy Thanksgiving!



I hope everyone enjoyed time away from work, time with their friends and/or families and some delicious eats. I definitely did and am so thankful for it. As such, I was hoping to bring you a festive side dish to share not only at future thanksgivings, but for any Fall meal(!) ...but really what I have for you today is a disaster.

Yeah, that's right. I'm blogging about my food disaster. I was trying to come up with a lighter veggie centered dish that was not only beautiful for Fall but also more elegant than a salad. Ya know? I mean, it is Thanksgiving after all. And there is only so much room on our plates! So when push comes to shove, who is gonna pick a Plain Jane Salad over delicious dressing, turkey or sweet potato casserole?! Not me. (Except, I did pass on this dressing this year. I had a delicious & successful (albeit this dish) Dairy and Gluten Free (Duten Free as a good friend of mine calls it) Thanksgiving meal! Yahoo!)

Anyway, this disaster. A friend of mine brought her go-to vegan dish to our Thanksgiving meal at work this past week -- Roasted Butternut Squash and Broccoli. It was fantastic!!! It was the only item I ate seconds of. I even didn't finish a few things that were still delicious just so I could eat more of her dish! So naturally, I wanted to recreate it with whatever current obsession I had going on (aka Pomegranates). Poms are a winter fruit that I absolutely loooove! All I could think about was how gorgeous the colors would be if I threw some pom seeds in there with the squash and broccoli.

So I went for it. I roasted the butternut squash and the broccoli. But instead of using olive oil & garlic as my friend did, I went the sweeter route with coconut oil and maple syrup (just a hint). I chilled it and then sprinkled pom seeds all over the top and even threw some cooled, roasted butternut squash seeds on there too! I had it covered. I really thought I had nailed it on this one! ....Until I tasted it.

The broccoli didn't quite crisp up but it wasn't tender either. It was some weird texture in-between stale and chewy. GROSS! And there was missing something. Sure, I sprinkled some salt on there... but it really needed more than that. My dad later suggested rosemary which I totally agree with. The butternut squash was cooked well and tasted good as it almost always does... but there was some serious lacking going on in this dish. (Amidst the gross texture of the broccoli!).

Sad to say this dish was a total flop...but I did dedicate myself to it and got a few good shots! So I'm sharing them with you anyway. Hey, maybe you can recreate this dish WAY better than I can! I'm thinking next time, I will add in rosemary & thyme and use brussels sprouts instead of broccoli. Maybe then it'll be a success! If you try it, let me know. I haven't decided if I'm brave enough yet. Ha!

On the flip side, I am excited to say that I made maybe the best version of Sweet Potato Casserole yet -- all without any refined sugar, gluten or lactose. Plus it was all organic! Woooo! I'll have to share this one with you soon.

For now, enjoy these pics and the rest of your holiday. Many thanks to my sweet family who put up with me climbing all over the kitchen to get shots for a dish that wasn't even delicious. Maybe next time! : )

Happy Thanksgiving, failed dishes and all!

Anne

Facts about Fat: Olive Oil

Hello there! Think I had forgotten about my Facts about Fats series? Think again!! I am here today with the simplest of recipes, albeit one that I always try to keep on hand. I use it on everything! From cooking at very low heats to drizzling over vegetables, potatoes or other grains to the oil base in salads! That's right. You guessed it -- EVOO! I absolutely love Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Sure, it's a pretty common household item, but there are a good number of facts that most people don't know (including myself).



First Fun Fact: (do you see what I did there? *nerd*)

First off, did you know that the burning point of Olive Oil is much lower than, say, Ghee or Coconut Oil? A burning point (as briefly discussed in this post) is the time at which the fat starts to smoke and let off gas. When this happens it releases free radicals which are extremely dangerous for your health and are linked to a variety of diseases. So when you are in the kitchen, you want to be aware of your temperature usage. It's good to have a general knowledge of what fats to use for specific cooking methods. For Olive Oil, since the burning/smoke point is much lower (around 200-300) it's really best to use it as a condiment moreso than as a cooking oil. Think: drizzling over food, salad dressings, etc.

Second Silly Statement: (ok this isn't silly but you see my trend)

I bet you're saying, "Ok, so I know what to use Olive Oil for....but what kind do I buy?" Well, I'll tell ya! You want to look for Organic, Cold (Expeller) Pressed, Unrefined, Extra Virgin Olive Oil. GEEEEEEZE, right?! ..But hear me out.

Organic: You want organic because otherwise olive trees can be loaded with chemicals! Try reading all of this information in one night!?! You'll be a committed organic buyer in no time. Chemicals are used to kill insects, fungus, weeds etc. We should be careful not to consume these just like we would avoid other various household items that are meant to kill insects, fungus, weeds etc as they are harmful and dangerous to the body. Strangely enough, we spray chemicals on our plants and think it's ok but we would never cook with it! I found myself thinking this way, but when I realized the basic connection I saw how illogical it was. I realize there is a higher threshold of toxicity there...but the toxicity is still there my friends. To me, buying organic is now one of the most basic and important steps in moving towards a healthier lifestyle. So, when people ask me how to get healthy that is always my first thought and I encourage them to research the harmful affects of chemicals (and hormones for that matter) on our bodies. Ignorance is bliss, right? Yeah, sadly that applies to our food nowadays! So research for yourself what really goes on with our food before it gets to our plates and see if it changes your mindset. Honestly, I encourage you to do this! : )

Expeller Pressed/Cold Pressed: Expeller pressed means that the oil is extracted mechanically. Often, chemicals are used to pull the oil out of the food. Again, this is harmful to the body because it not only deteriorates the extracted oil but the chemicals are of course not good for consumption. If you buy expeller pressed then you are using the mechanical (chemical free) method of extraction. The raw food item is pressed until the oil is released. It does not pull as much oil and is therefore a tad bit pricer, but it's better for the environment, for your health and for those working to extract the oil. Cold Pressed is also expeller pressed, but is more regulated on how high the temperature can go during the process. Friction can be created when the oil is being pressed resulting in higher temperatures. The higher the heat temp, the less nutrients remain intact. So, if possible you want Cold Pressed which is a heat regulated version of Expeller Pressed.


Unrefined: Refined olive oils are those that I mentioned above that use chemicals to extract them. This will cause the flavor to diminish, which is helpful if you need a neutral oil, but at the cost of adding chemicals into your body (although for other oils there are chemical free methods to obtain a neutral flavored, refined oil). So, for olive oil specifically you want unrefined. Usually Expeller /Cold Pressed olive oils are also unrefined but it's good to be aware and on the lookout. Sadly, at this point in the game you really have to dig for the most natural, wholesome ingredients as they aren't as readily available.


Extra Virgin: This refers to how many presses it took to release the oil. It's best to have it pressed only once because this retains the most flavor and is the highest quality.

I could keep going on and on about how to buy olive oil. I am learning that there is such an art to pressing olive oil and it makes me appreciate the hard work that it takes to do it honestly to preserve the flavors and nutrients! If you want to read more, check this out.

Third Tasty Thought: (ok I promise this is the last one...)

Now that you know what to use olive oil for and how to buy it, you should probably know how to store it. Fortunately, this step is much simpler than the other two. You don't want to heat it (per the First Fun Fact) so store it in a cool place. Also, Olive Oil is not like wine -- it does NOT get better with time. You want to buy as fresh as possible and use it up quickly. As such, avoid buying in bulk. Instead buy small, fresh quantities often.


These facts are all specific to Olive Oil. Terms vary per oils and even brands. Do some research of your own and learn all there is to know about oils and how to use them in the most nourishing and enjoyable ways!

This is one of my favorite ways to use olive oil. It's simple, delicious and goes with everything!

Rosemary Olive Oil

Olive Oil
Several Rosemary Sprigs
Glass jar with stopper or lid

1. Place rosemary sprigs in glass jar (be sure to use a jar that is easy to pour). 
2. Pour olive oil into jar ensuring that it covers the entire length of the sprig. 
3. Close jar and let sit for a few hours.
4. The longer the rosemary sits in the oil, the stronger the flavor. 

I love to drizzle this on popcorn, vegetables, grains, potatoes... just about everything!! It's delicious!

xoxo,

Anne

Sources:
1. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=56
2. http://www.oliveoilsource.com/page/pest-weed-and-disease-control
3. http://www.lewisnaturalhealth.com/articles/general-articles/confused-about-cooking-oils-part-2

Morning Routines + Pumpkin Granola

It's been pretty quiet around here. I've missed practicing my photography, researching recipes and most of all time for casual cooking and/or baking. The rest of my life has been so draining that I honestly haven't had time for much else but sleep. And since I happen to need a bit more than the average person (9.5 hours please!) it tends to dominate my free time. I act like I'm complaining. I secretly (not so secretly) love sleeping. Oh, I love it. I love the feeling of your head gently falling on the pillow at the end of the day. Of a deep, deep exhale that lets out all of the day's concerns. Sleep is a time to let go. To simply set aside all the worries you're carrying on your shoulders, smile to yourself and close your eyes. It can all wait until the morning.

[Enter the morning]

We all have our own routines, do we not? Mine is constantly evolving as I'm learning new healthy habits I want to incorporate into my daily life. Right now my day starts at 5:45 am. I try to do a few simple yoga poses and stretches for 15 minutes in the morning. That really helps to get my blood flowing and loosen up my stiff muscles. After that I like to freshen up. Washing my face with warm water, ending with a few splashes of cold and brushing my teeth. That does a wonder you know! I've started looking forward to it. It feels like the moment where I'm officially starting the day fresh (and clean!). Then I'll head into the kitchen, boil some water and start to read. My roommate and I are currently reading through Philippians via this book. We read the chapters from scripture out loud too. It's been amazing! I've loved the repetition and slow pace. The rest of the morning involves breakfast, oil pulling, using my neti pot, prepping myself with professional attire (sigh), drinking lots of water and maybe even some silly dancing to my favorite tunes. ; )

Now, I know that I breezed right past breakfast earlier, but don't let that fool you. Breakfast is a much anticipated event in my morning routine. Every night I secretly hope I wake up with nagging hunger pains and I am thoroughly disappointed on the mornings when that isn't the case. I try to keep a variety of items on hand for breakfast options and listen to my body to tell me what it needs. Some mornings it's eggs, avocado slices and greens. Other times it's a smoothie. Recently though? It's been this pumpkin granola. Usually granola is more of a spring and summer meal to me because the cold milk quenches my thirst. But this granola, ohhh this granola. It's sweet, crunchy, chewy, autumn-y and just enough pumpkin. The pecans and maple marry perfectly, the pumpkin puree causes the oats to clump and create a few clusters (which I happen to love in granola) and the vanilla and spices truly make it feel like you're eating Autumn in a bowl.

I hope you create some space in your morning routine for this Pumpkin Granola. I doubt you'll regret it.


Pumpkin Granola
Slightly adapted from Sprouted Kitchen
Makes about 3 cups


2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1/2 tsp sea salt
1tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/3 cup Maple Syrup
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
2 cups old fashion oats
1/2 cup raw pecans, roughly chopped
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
l-2 large handfuls of crimson raisins

1. Preheat the oven to 300.
2. Mix first 6 ingredients into a mixing bowl.*
3. Then add the nuts, seeds and oats.
4. Mix well and spread out on the baking sheet and bake for around 35 minutes. 
5. During the process, check one or two times to be sure it's not browning too quickly and mix around with a spatula to ensure all sides get a good toasting. 
6. Once the granola feels dry enough and isn't too brown, remove from oven. 
7. While it's still warm, toss with the raisins. 
8. Cool completely and enjoy! I happen to love mine with nut milk. 

Notes:

*Since using coconut oil, try to have all ingredients at room temperature so that it doesn't seize back up into a solid state.

My oven heats up and cooks quickly, so I listed a lower temperature and shorter cooking time. Adjust those details as needed for your oven.

        

Asian Portobello Burgers + Destiny.

Have you ever met someone who you think "we were destined to be friends"? I've been fortunate enough to think this about numerous people in my life. But looking back on one friendship in particular makes me laugh in amazement. I never saw it coming and quite honestly didn't realize it would turn out to be what it is! I had even known of this person for several years through mutual friends but hadn't pursued a friendship. Boy, am I glad that our paths collided in such a powerful way. This girl has rapidly become one of my most cherished friends and both of us instantly committed to a full-force & life-long friendship. BAM. Don't you just love when that happens? It was destiny. 

We most recently met at work and immediately clicked. I don't even remember the stages before being super, fantastic, awesome friends (yes, I talk like a 12 year old)! We are extremely different people but have several key passions in common: food, travel, loyalty, health, faith, outdoors... I could go on! Our love for food was one of the first common factors we found and boy did we hone in on that one! We started doing weekly hang out sessions where we would cook dinner, drink wine, watch Friends and chat it up. It was glorious. This girl has the most infectious laughter and care free spirit. She helps you enjoy to the fullest whatever you are doing that moment. She encourages you to take heart in the moments you can't force yourself to enjoy and sits with you through the muck until you can jump the fence to the greener grass. She helps you to laugh with an open heart, to be brave, and to live not for yourself but for The Lord. She's pretty awesome. AND she must have magic powers because every time we cook together the food is phenomenal!

This past summer we made Portobello Burgers (my version, their version) and whoa! My taste buds didn't even know what to do! Ever since, portobello burgers have been at the forefront of my mind. I needed to have another. So this last time we got together, we made Sprouted Kitchen's Portobello Burgers. I'll be honest. Green Kitchen's burger was so delicious that I worried this burger wouldn't live up to the high standards. But not only did Sprouted Kitchen live up to these standards (who am I kidding, she always does!), she exceeded them. Although I cannot tell you which burger I loved more, I will say that both of these recipes will go down in my Recipe Successes Hall of Fame. For-eh-verrrrrrrrrr.

So without further adieu, I give you one of the most juicy, flavorful and easiest dinners yet: The Asian Portobello Burger. Make this and you'll see: You + This Burger = Destiny.

Asian Portobello Burger
Serves 2
Slightly adapted from Sprouted Kitchen

Marinade:
2 large portobello mushrooms
2 Tbsp organic low sodium soy sauce/tamari*
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil/ extra virgin olive oil
squeeze of lemon or lime
pinch of pepper

Toppings & Sauce:
1 -2 cups of shredded slaw (any kind)*
2 Tbsp tahini
1 tsp organic low sodium soy sauce/tamari*
2 tsp toasted sesame oil (or regular if you have it on hand)
2 Tbsp vinegar (I had white distilled on hand so I used that)
1 small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
1 avocado
2 Ciabatta Rolls, sliced in half and toasted***

Directions:
Preheat stove top or grill to medium high heat.

Preheat oven to broil. Slice ciabatta rolls in half and prepare to toast them to delicious perfection.

Brush the dirt off the mushrooms and carefully remove the stem. Make the marinade (shallow bowls or a rounded plate work best here) and let the mushrooms soak for 5-10 minutes.

Make the slaw: whisk the sauce ingredients together and pour over slaw; toss well and set aside.

Once stove top or grill has reached the desired temperature, place the mushroom on the grill. I found that no other oil was necessary because the marinade keeps the mushroom from sticking. Grill for a few minutes on each side. You want nice grill marks and the shroom to be cooked all the way through.

While the mushrooms are cooking, prep your avocado. I like to smash mine and rub it on the toasted bread.

Roughly chop your cilantro.

Assembly:

Toast your bread. Spread the avocado on. Place the portobello burger with the cavity side up. Fill the cavity with the slaw. Sprinkle with lots of cilantro and maybe an extra squeeze of lemon or lime for good measure. Place top bun on and DIG IN. My mouth just watered.

Notes:

*Sprouted Kitchen makes her own slaw, which I HIGHLY recommend. We actually were starving and running short on time so we got an undressed slaw that we found to be delicious. It met all of my standards and tasted great. So just know that, whichever you choose -- this burger is your destiny. It will be delicious.

**I always recommend organic but here I wanted to label it as such. Soy is one of those ingredients (like corn) that if it doesn't not specify organic, then it is probably Genetically Modified. You really want to steer clear of these types of "food" because the body cannot process it properly as it is not real food -- it was genetically modified.

***Usually I would suggest a whole grain, less processed type of bread. But here, I like to say that moderation in all things is the best mindset. Pick and choose where you want to occasionally enjoy a food that may not be beneficial to your body but is beneficial to your taste buds. For me, ciabatta is one of those times. There's nothing like a light and freshly toasted ciabatta roll. I think in this recipe it added a great deal of wonderful texture and flavor. However, if that's not something you care about  -- then totally go for a grain that you feel would benefit and nourish your body! I always support that!!

Much love + destiny,

Anne

Dreamin' of Potatoes

This week was overwhelming work-wise. Super long days with no stops. Cramming knowledge into my brain, answering the phone, tending to emails right and left and of course, the dreaded paperwork. So. much. to. do.

So after I hit a wall today (maybe one of my more unproductive days) I came home and decided I would write down a list of dreams. I knew what some of them were already, but I wanted to be give myself freedom and be honest about what I truly wanted, why I wanted them and how I would obtain them. If you know me, you wouldn't be surprised to see that most of them are food, people and travel related. Some of them are possible and some of them might not be. But why would I sell myself short and not even try at the ones that seem impossible? I'm tired of giving up so easily and letting others be the ones to Do. Find. See. what they love. Why should I not go for it and embrace failures along with (hopeful) successes?

This brings me to this blog specifically. It's something I've dreamed of doing for years and (finally) worked up the courage to start. I want it to be a place of honesty. A place I can come to and share my thoughts, learnings, ideas and dreams. A place where I can be myself. Not stressing to say the right thing. Or presenting myself in a "perfect" way. Just a place where I can share what I'm passionate about and be real. (And hopefully make some friends along the way!)

So, here I go -- attempting to go after my dreams. It will take time, effort, research, patience and who knows what else. But I don't want to settle for someone else's dream - I want to live my own.



As you can see, this recipe is a somewhat familiar twist on the old potato salad. Now before you go running to the treadmill out of fright, give me a minute to stand up for potatoes. Long have been the days where I dream about potatoes and as soon as I finish someone debbie downers me with a statement like "Oh, but you know I really don't eat those because they're so bad for you!" Poor potatoes! They never stood a chance!

But I'm here today to point you in the other direction. I wouldn't say these tubers are super-foods (cause they're not) but they do have some great qualities about them! First off, these babies are chocked full of Phytochemicals and Vitamins! Phytochemicals are compounds made by plants that are great for preventing serious health conditions like cancer, heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. There's evidence that these bad boys fight off the formation of carcinogens and protect our cells by suppressing the development of cancer. In fact, Phenolic Acid (a type of Phytochemical) is so high in red potatoes that it rivals broccoli!

As for vitamins, potatoes are high in B6. This vitamin is essential to the the building and communicating of our cells. Which is of course extremely important in every system in our body!

So, I say we all give potatoes a second chance (unless of course you're allergic - then please don't!) and this is the perfect opportunity!

Green Bean and Colorful Potato Salad
Serves: An army*

Potato Salad:

1.5 lbs green beans
3 lbs small potatoes - blue, red and golden varieties
2 lbs cherry or grape tomatoes
1 large handful parsley, chopped
3-4whole lemons, juiced
1/4 cup olive oil (organic, expeller pressed if possible)
salt and peper to taste

Directions:

1. Boil potatoes until fork tender. Chill and then quarter them.**
2. Blanch green beans. Chill and then cut them into a size similar to potatoes.***
3. Halve tomatoes.
3. Chop parsley.
4. Cut lemons in half and squeeze all the juice.
5. Mix lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. (I prefer more lemon than oil but just measure as you
    prefer!)
6. Mix all ingredients in a bowl except lemon dressing and parsley. Keep chilled until ready to serve.
7. When ready to serve, shake dressing well and pour over salad. Mix well.
8. Sprinkle chopped parsley over top and serve!

Notes:

*The great thing about this recipe is that it is completely flexible! You can add more or less of any
   ingredient to fit your taste preferences. Love potatoes? Add more! Prefer cilantro? Sub it for
   the parsley. Only feeding yourself? Just downsize on all the portions to fit one. You can tweak
   this recipe as much as you like!
**Fork Tender = stabbing potato with fork and the potato slides right off. (Be sure to let them chill
                             completely before quartering or they will mush).
***Blanch = steam or boil for only 30 seconds -1 minute (so beans are still vibrant green) then throw
                     them straight into a big bowl of iced cold water. Let them chill completely and then chop.
****As always, I strongly suggest organic. This is because the less chemicals, hormones, pesticides,
        herbicides, fungicides ETC you put in your body, the more capable it is to function properly! The
        better it functions, the better it serves you!

What are your dreams? Are you living them out already? Still developing them? Let's hear it! 

Whatever they are, I pray you have the courage to embark on your journey towards them....and enjoy the ride! 

Here's to living out dreams,

Anne

References:

1.http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/complementaryandalternativemedicine/herbsvitaminsandminerals/phytochemicals
2. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=48