This recipe was brought to us by Shanika Weerasundara, our Corporate Counsel here at Viome. Originally from Sri Lanka, Shanika loves to bring regional, traditional dishes to the office for all to enjoy, many of which are completely plant-based. This dish was inspired by her discovery of the purple sweet potato from Okinawa, the Japanese island, known for its inhabitants living very long, healthy lives. The Okinawa sweet potato contains 150% more antioxidants than blueberries, making for a powerfully healthy superfood to support healthy aging.
Ingredients:
2 - 3 purple Okinawan sweet potatoes
1 Tbsp. virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
2-3 small, sweet bell peppers, chopped
1 small jalapeno or other spicy chili pepper, chopped (optional)
1/2 cooked or canned garbanzo beans, drained
salt and pepper to taste
For garnishing and serving:
olive oil
fresh-squeezed lemon or lime juice
fresh microgreens
Instructions:
Peel the sweet potatoes (you can keep some of the peel as it contains a lot of nutrients), cut into 2 inch pieces, and place into a saucepan. Add just enough water to completely cover the potatoes, add a little salt, and cover, bringing to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat when the yams are cooked, and you can insert a fork into them easily. There should be some water left in the pan, do not drain. Add the coconut oil, chopped onions, sweet and hot peppers, and garbanzo beans. Mash everything together lightly with a potato masher or a fork. It will not be smooth, but will combine the other ingredients with the potato.
To serve, spoon the mashed purple "hummus" into a bowl. Add your microgreens, then top with a little olive oil, lemon or lime juice, season with black pepper (and a little salt if needed). Enjoy warm or room temperature.
