RECIPE: Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Kale and Pomegranate
Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Kale and Pomegranate
RECIPE
Sweet potatoes are definitely one of my favorite root veggies. Root veggies are my go-to dietary staple, as they provide a grain-free alternative to getting necessary daily carbs, with lots of healthy fiber, vitamins, and nutrients.
Plus, they're full of beta carotene, a natural form of vitamin A that heals and protects your skin and reverses cellular damage at the level of our DNA. Beta carotene is what makes sweet potatoes orange.
HERE ARE JUST A FEW MAJOR HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE HUMBLE SWEET POTATO:
Lots of vitamin A and vitamin C, for anti-aging effects and immune system support
Weight management AND stable energy levels because of their high fiber content
Anti-aging effects due to the many antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds in sweet potato
Sweet potatoes also contain lots of B vitamins and plenty of minerals including potassium, manganese, and copper
In Chinese medicine, the sweet potato is an essential food to promote digestion and therefore provide many of the same benefits listed above, including immunity, energy, and youthfulness. They believe that the sweet potato directly supports our digestive organs, which then helps our bodies make all of the substances we require for health.
Here's a recipe I use to incorporate sweet potatoes into my everyday diet. The sweet potato mash can be made once a week and refrigerated or frozen in small portions to grab and go throughout the week.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Kale and Pomegranate Seeds
SWEET POTATO
Anti-aging, Supports Skin and Immune Health
What you'll need:
1-2 medium or large sweet potatoes (depending on how much you want to make)
note that sweet potatoes and yams are similar but actually different root veggies; here I actually used a garnet yam, which is a delicious alternative.
1/2-1 bunch of Dino (aka Lacinto) Kale (make enough for a few meals; steamed kale keeps in refrigerator for about 2 days)
1 cup pomegranate seeds
Your favorite spices, such as:
fresh ginger
cinnamon
cardamom
cloves
sea salt
white pepper
pumpkin pie spice blend (often on hand during autumn holidays!)
1/2-1 cup Coconut Milk
For Kale Vinaigrette:
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp White Balsamic Vinegar (or substitute freshly squeezed lemon juice)
Salt
White pepper
Cut sweet potatoes into small pieces, no larger than the diameter of a dime, and place in a colander or steamer over boiling water to steam for roughly 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
Mash sweet potatoes: either by hand, in a food processor or mixer, or in a blender. I use a Vitamix. To the sweet potatoes I add a bit of sea salt and whatever warming spices I have on hand, which often includes freshly grated ginger. If I'm feeling really creative, I'll experiment with what I already have! For added creaminess, I add coconut milk (vegetable broth is a low-calorie alternative). Mix this up until you’ve got a delicious mash.
For the kale, I prefer dino (or Lacinto) kale. I first remove it from the stalks and then I chop them into thin ribbons for quick cooking and easy eating. I lightly steam it for no more than 4 minutes in the same setup as I steamed the sweet potatoes.
The trick for steaming kale is to catch it when it turns a vibrant, gorgeous green.
At that moment, take it off the heat immediately.
To preserve vital nutrients, don't oversteam your kale!
If you will save some of your steamed kale for another meal, set that portion aside in a covered dish in the refrigerator.
Put ingredients for your vinaigrette dressing into a bowl and whisk together briskly. If you are making enough for another meal, store extra vinaigrette in a closed container in the fridge.
Add the steamed kale to your whisked vinaigrette and gently mix these together.
Spoon out portions of the sweet potato mash, then top with your dressed kale. On top of this, sprinkle pomegranate seeds.
When I need a little extra protein I'll add fish (either white fish like halibut or wild salmon), or a chicken breast. The protein can be cooked simply with lemon, salt and pepper.
This is a nutrient-dense meal that goes a long way in protecting your health, both inside and out! Eating more sweet potatoes is an amazing way to protect your skin's youthful vitality.