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Product review: GiLICIOUS lower carb potatoes
GiLICIOUS lower carb potatoes are the answer for people who love potatoes but would benefit from eating foods with lower glycaemic index. The glycaemic index (GI) of a carbohydrate-containing food indicates how much it raises your blood sugar relative to pure glucose. People with health conditions related to blood sugar regulation, including insulin resistance, diabetes and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) should aim to get most of their carbohydrates from low GI foods. Note that quantity is also important: eating too much of a low GI food represents a large glycaemic load (GL) on the body. What Is GiLICIOUS? GiLICIOUS is a food brand dedicated to preventing type 2 diabetes and…
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Potatoes vs sweet potatoes
Potatoes vs sweet potatoes might be one of the hottest debates in the nutrition world. Jokes aside, many of people wonder which is better. “Are potatoes paleo?” might be one of the most frequently asked questions in the past 10 years or so. Potatoes and sweet potatoes – what are they? Both potatoes and sweet potatoes are root vegetables. Despite their name, they are not botanically related. According to Merriam-Webster online: Potato: “an erect South American herb (Solanum tuberosum) of the nightshade family widely cultivated for its edible starchy tuber” (1). Sweet potato: “a tropical vine (Ipomoea batatas) of the morning-glory family that is often grown for its edible tuberous…
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Recipe: Smashed potatoes with roasted garlic chimichurri
These smashed potatoes and roasted garlic chimichurri are great as a side dish, as part of a grazing table or on their own as a snack. This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan. The secret to golden, crunchy potatoes is to cook them twice and smash them in between. I used Spud Lite lower carb potatoes but you can use any waxy potato you like. This recipe will make extra chimichurri, which you can store in a jar in the fridge. You can eat it with steak, lamb chops, eggs, octopus, etc.
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Recipe: My mum’s tuna croquettes
Another mum recipe! Tuna croquettes (“croquetas de atún”) was a weeknight dish that was on a semi-regular rotation at our house. I always looked forward to the next time we’d have them. Mum served the croquettes with a lot of rice and some veggies: green beans, peas and carrots that were first blanched in water and then fried in butter. I would always add a big dollop of tomato sauce on my rice. No wonder I was a fat kid! I’m not complaining but this was the hardest mum’s recipe for me to re-create because she did not give me even a remote approximation of quantities. I do know she…
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Recipe: Causa de atún (tuna causa)
Causa de atún is one of my favourite variations of causa limeña, a traditional Peruvian entrée. Causa is a cold potato-based dish, made with mashed potatoes that are flavoured with lime and chilli, then used to sandwich the filling. Traditional filling is made with shredded chicken and mayonnaise, but versions with fish and seafood are also popular and tastier, in my opinion. Legend says the name originated when Perú was under Spanish control. Street vendors would sell an early version of the dish “por la causa” (for the cause), the cause being independence from Spain. The recipe calls for ají amarillo (Peruvian yellow chilli) paste, which can be found online…
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Recipe: Smokey poached salmon and potato salad
This is another recipe featuring one of the wonderful sustainable Saltverk Icelandic sea salts. Once again, I relied on the internet to tell me which foods are common in Iceland and put a bunch of them together in dish that is easy to make, healthy and delicious. If you have never poached fish before, I encourage to give it a try. The trick is to use a flavourful sauce or dressing to make the fish shine. I used Spud Lite potatoes for this recipe for a slighter lower carb meal, but you can use whichever potatoes you can get your hands on.
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Recipe: Puré de espinaca (spinach mash)
Puré de espinaca is such an easy and middle-class recipe that I’m almost ashamed of posting it. But it brings warm memories of my childhood and of food from home. Eat with roast chicken, burger patties, fried eggs… whatever you fancy!
- Blog, Dairy-free, Entrée, Gluten-free, Peruvian, Peruvian food, Recipes, Vegan, Vegan, Vegetarian, Vegetarian
Recipe: Vegan causa
Yes, vegan. Before you think I’m crazy for bastardising one of my national dishes, let me explain. I made this version for an assignment for which I had to modify a recipe for social (i.e. religious, ethical, etc.) reasons. I thought of causa because I know people make vegetarian versions all the time (not me, I love it with seafood) but I have never seen a vegan version out there. Not only I had to ditch the main protein, but also the eggs used as garnish and in the mayo. I combined a few vegan soy-free mayonnaise recipes I found online and the result was awesome! Also so much easier…
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Recipe: Carapulcra (Peruvian pork and potato stew)
This is very weird. I have hated this dish for most of my life. My mum and aunties are so nice that they actually cooked a different dish for me whenever they made carapulcra. When I went to cooking school my friends really trusted my palate and made me test their version before presenting them to the instructor for marking. I knew they were really well made but I still hated them. Last year Alvaro, Gladys, Vicky and I went to a Peruvian festival and I tried their carapulcra. I liked it. A lot. I liked it so much that I bought a bag of papa seca (dried potatoes, the…
