I’ve been on a spice kick recently. It’s because I’ve focused a lot on nutrient diversity lately and I’ve realized that I could vastly expand my exposure by getting creative with the types of spices I use.
I’ve heard it estimated (in interviews by Terry Wahls) that hunter/gather type populations forage and eat about 200 different types of plants throughout the course of the year. Most people I know eat about 20, if that! With this in mind, I’ve been making a conscious effort to eat a wider spectrum of different plants…both in the whole food form and via all sorts of different spices.
In these seemingly standard recipe, there are 6 different spices and, when you count the nutrients in the sweet potatoes and ghee, it ends up being loaded with goodies to fuel your body with! This makes it a far more healthful than the white potato/soybean oil variety served at most restaurants.
Note: I love white potatoes and have nothing against them, provided that the person eating them has a relatively healthy gastrointestinal tract and doesn’t have any food sensitivities to them (aka: FODMAP intolerance). However, I do conceptually understand that they aren’t the most nutrient dense food out there…just being honest here.
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Ingredients:
- 2 large sweet potatoes
- 1-2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/8 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
Steps:
1. Grate your large sweet potatoes finely in a food processor. (Or you can use a grater to get the job done…but it’ll take significantly longer!)
2. Soak the grated sweet potatoes in cold water for 20 minutes.
3. Drain the sweet potatoes and squeeze out the water well. I usually let it to continue to drip dry in a colander while you get everything else ready.
4. Once the grated potatoes are nearly dry, add all the spices (salt, red pepper flakes, chili powder, cayenne pepper, turmeric, garlic, and onion powder) and stir well to distribute them well.
5. Over medium heat, warm up a large skillet.
6. Once the skillet is hot, melt 1-2 tablespoons into the skillet so that it is distributed evenly.
7. Transfer your potatoes to the hot skillet and press them flat using a large spatula.
8. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until the potatoes are nicely browned on the lower surface.
9. Flip the sweet potato hashbrowns and cook for another 5-8 minutes (or until the potatoes are entirely cooked throughout).
10. Take out of the skillet and serve!
Serving suggestions: I like these as a side dish to eggs, this Paleo Chestnut Meatloaf recipe, or with breakfast sausage/bacon.