Breakfast of Paleo Champions: Sweet Potato Hash with Guacamole

My butt just got kicked into a brand new shape. Did that grab your attention?

I’m tired and sore and most importantly, I’m STARVING. I can thank my new trainer, Natalie, for putting me through my paces today during a great session. I have to say that I never thought I’d seek out a personal trainer, but after following Natalie’s work for the last couple of years, I thought I’d give it a try. No regrets-she’s awesome! I’m now in love with kettlebells (but I hate you jumping split lunges!) and pushing to keep up with her program. Check her out on IronCaliberHers on WP or follow Natalie Vera on Facebook, especially if you’re in NYC and looking for a trainer.  🙂

Gushing aside, let me get back to my point here. I’m freaking hungry. And I’m tired. With Thanksgiving due in about a week, I’m taking it easy in the kitchen for now. So I decided to fall back on my favorite dinner, and that’s breakfast. That’s right. Breakfast for dinner. If it were up to me, I’d eat breakfast foods all day long. Of course, now that I’m following (or attempting to follow thanks to recent setbacks) a paleo lifestyle, I have to get creative. I’m more a fan of the savory than sweet, but no bread, potatoes or cheese make for some interesting challenges. No problem, when you’ve got sweet potatoes, eggs, and avocado handy. And the best part of making breakfast for dinner (other than eating it of course) is that it takes less than half an hour to prepare. Let’s get to it!

FOOD4THOUGHTNYC’S NUTRITION FACTOIDS

Hass Avocado

There are over 500 varieties of avocado from all over the world varying in size and color. My personal favorite is the Hass avocado. It’s dark green pebbly skin and creamy flesh stands out from the rest and on any given day, you’ll find at least one or two in my fruit bowl. Aside from its incredible flavor and versatility, avocados pack a mighty punch on the nutrition end. Here are some of those benefits:

• Sodium and cholesterol-free, but densely packed with approximately 380 calories, 35g of fat, 16g of fiber and 5g of protein in an 8oz serving. Despite the high fat content, these fats are mostly monounsaturated (MUFAs) which are healthier and mainly found in avocados.
• Speaking of fat: Perhaps the biggest health benefit of eating avocados is oleic acid, an omega-9 fat which helps decrease blood cholesterol by increasing the production of HDLs, or high-density lipoproteins.
• Vitamins & Minerals: In a 1oz serving of hass avocado (about 1/5 wedge), there is 152mg of potassium (4%DV), 6.3mcg of Vitamin K (8%DV), and 27mcg of Folate (6%DV). Avocados are also rich in Vitamins B6, E,C, and Riboflavin each accounting for 4%DV.
• Fiber: Avocados are high in fiber with approximately 40% of your DV in one serving. Fiber improves digestion and can help reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer.

These little guys are an amazing addition to any diet and as I mentioned earlier, they are really versatile. From guacamole, to sauces, to smoothies, and even desserts, avocados can be used in just about anything.

Since I was so tired and my brain was processing things more slowly than normal (“Must. Eat. Now.”), I didn’t go nuts with photos here. The meal is fairly simple. I’m a huge fan of home fries, but since white potatoes are a no-no for paleo, I’m using my new standby, sweet potatoes. A side of chunky guacamole with a sunny-side up egg rounds out the meal.

PALEO SOUTHWESTERN HOME FRIES WITH CHUNKY GUACAMOLE AND FRIED EGG

Ingredients- Serving 1 very hungry person

Home Fries:

• 1 medium-sized sweet potato or yam, any variety is fine
• 1/4 cup of chopped veggies, divided evenly: red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and red onion
• handful of fresh spinach
• 1/2 tbsp avocado oil
• 1 tsp of organic Apple Cider vinegar, preferably Bragg’s
• 3/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• couple cracks of ground sea salt
• couple cracks of ground black pepper
• dash of ground chipotle pepper (add more if you like it on the spicy side!)

Guacamole:

• 3/4 ripe Hass avocado, roughly chopped
• 10 small grape tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 lime
• 2 cloves of garlic, mashed
• 1/2 tbsp of red onion, minced (I’d say 2 slices of a medium-sized onion)
• generous handful of cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 tsp of freshly ground sea salt (about one crack, but be careful!)
• couple cracks of ground black pepper

And the eggs of course:

• 1 egg
• 1 tsp avocado oil
• 1/2 tbsp of cilantro, finely chopped for garnish

Notes: You can add jalapeno to the guacamole if you prefer some heat; keep the seeds in for even more heat. This is a pretty big helping of avocado so this is high on the calorie side. But like I keep saying, I was HUNGRY! You can halve this recipe for just yourself or make more for a party. But note that the fresh garlic gives it a good kick and you shouldn’t be heavy-handed with the salt, especially freshly ground sea salt. I prefer a chunky guacamole, but you can also toss these ingredients (minus the tomatoes) into the food processor and create a smooth dip.

Special Tools

• Steamer Pot (or steam basket)
• Mortar and Pestle (or garlic press)

1. Prep all of your ingredients by chopping and dicing the sweet potatoes, peppers, tomatoes and onions. Leave the avocado for later so that it doesn’t oxidize.

2. Peel and mash both cloves of garlic with your mortar and pestle or by garlic press. If you don’t have either of these tools, you can also use a grater. I think the pulp from the garlic works better in guacamole than pieces that you’ll bite into. If you’re using a food processor to make a smooth dip, than ignore me completely!

3. Place sweet potatoes in the steamer. Cook until a fork can go completely through easily without resistance. About 8-10 minutes.

4. While potatoes are steaming, dice up the avocado, remove the peel,  and place in a small bowl. Tip: To remove the core, take a heavy chef’s knife and carefully bang the heel of the blade through the center. When it’s secure, gently twist the knife handle counterclockwise and the core should slide right out.

5. Add the onion, garlic, tomatoes, cilantro (reserve some for the garnish), salt, and pepper into the bowl with the avocado. Mash it up and mix with a fork until you reach the desired consistency. Squeeze the juice of  half a lime over the top and mix. Taste for salt and set aside.

6. Heat half a tbsp of avocado oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Saute the onions and peppers for a couple of minutes.

7. Add sweet potatoes to the pan and add salt, pepper, oregano, and ground chipotle and stir to mix thoroughly. Raise the heat to medium high. You want the potatoes to develop a nice outer crust, so be sure to keep an eye that it doesn’t burn. About 4-6 minutes.

8. Once the potatoes have started to brown, pour the apple cider vinegar into the pan and scrape off all the bits on the bottom to stir it in with the potatoes.

9. Throw in the spinach and cook with the potatoes until it starts to wilt. About 2-3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

10. Heat a small nonstick frying pan with 1 tsp of avocado oil. Once hot, crack an egg over the top and carefully pour into the pan without breaking the yolk. Fry until the whites are cooked through.

11. Assemble the home fries, guacamole, and egg on a plate and garnish with leftover chopped cilantro.

Thank goodness this was a quick meal otherwise I might have completely passed out from starvation. Dramatic? Yes. But like I keep saying: I was hungry damnit! 😉

This was quick and filling and most importantly, yummy.  It’s an easy meal if you don’t want to fuss too much over a stove and you’ve got some leftover avocado to use. This would be great for a brunch or if you’re cooking for lots of people because it’s really easy to make more and it’s not an expensive meal. Give it a try the next time you’re looking for something quick and paleo-friendly.

Stay tuned next week for a very special post because it’s Thanksgiving! How the heck am I going to keep it paleo??? Until next time, keep it clean and keep paying it forward! 🙂