Sustainable Sunday: Smashed Potatoes

This week our Sustainable Sunday recipe comes from Rosanne, a friend and fellow teacher who has a passion for cooking and eating fresh and locally grown food. She so kindly took the time to snap some photos of this tasty meal and email me the recipe. I'm hoping that since many of you, all over the world, have locally-grown potatoes available, you'll give this recipe a go and let us know how it turns out. I know I'll be whipping it up asap. 


If you are interested in submitting a recipe for Sustainable Sunday, please email me: gwenedwards82[at]gmail.com or leave a note in the comments below. 


Rosanne's Smashed Potatoes
serves as many as you need


1 or 2 small(under 2 inch) red potatoes per person (Rosanne used yellow because that's what she found at the farmer's market)
Mac nut oil 
salt & pepper


Steam or boil the potatoes whole until done and drain them. Put them on your cutting board and use the palm of your hand to smash them. They will stay together better the smaller they are. Just try and keep them as together as you can when putting in the pan and turning them.

Put macnut oil in a pan and fry them for several minutes on each side. You want the outside to be crispy and the inside nice and creamy. I just seasoned with salt and pepper but you could use fresh thyme and parsley, too.


The rest of the meal consisted of zucchini, carrots, onions, garlic ,kale, and green cauliflower. I slightly steamed these. All items purchased at the Keauhou Farmers' Market. The tofu was pan fried in macnut oil and is the Natural Pacific brand made in Keaau, HI.

How To Get More Energy

Fish Chowder (recipe below)

I'm going to let you in on a little trick. Many of you probably already know about this, but since this was news to me recently, it only felt right to pass the info along.

Earlier this year, I shared some of the struggles I had been going through in 2011. The aspect of depression I struggled with the most, and am still recovering from, was the lack of energy. I was dragging through life, without the energy to do the things I loved. 2011 was also the year of no meat.

My friend, who is also a nurse, prodded me about a possible vitamin B12 deficiency. Her concern centered around my lack of energy (a known side-effect of B12 deficiency) and shunning of meat, as B12 only naturally occurs in animal products.

Stay with me here. Over the past few months, I've been eating meat again, little by little. Almost immediately, I began to notice my energy levels going up. And up, and up. Shoot! I almost feel normal again. Here's where I'm going to make a leap and attribute this surge to vitamin B12, because "at levels only slightly lower than normal, a range of symptoms such as fatigue, depression, and poor memory may be experienced." Because I hadn't been taking a supplement or been eating meat, it's likely my levels were low, as my nurse friend had suspected.

So how do we make sure we're getting enough B12? If you are vegetarian or vegan, you should take a supplement or eat cereals and grains that are fortified with the vitamin. I did some research and there is no conclusive evidence that B12 occurs naturally in any plant-based source. The rest of us can get B12 by eating animal products such as meat, fish, milk, eggs, and cheese. The best natural source out there is liver, I might be giving that a go soon, never tried it.

Try these vitamin B12 rich recipes and let me know if this little trick works for you.

Fried Goat Cheese Salad

Fish Chowder

Veal Sliders

Breakfast Skillet with Spinach and Avocado

Steamer Clams

Breakfast Skillet

The Picture of Health (Wordless Wednesday)

Weeknight salad:
Farm fresh broccoli, sweet potatoes, lettuce and tomatoes with garden asparagus and chard. Topped with a little goat cheese and black pepper. 

Sustainable Sunday: Veal Sliders with Onion Rings

Happy Earth Day everyone! We celebrated the Earth on this lovely Sustainable Sunday with veal sliders and onion rings.

A couple weeks back we made our way up to the Waimea farmer's markets where we can find delicious goodies not sold at the markets here in town, such as mushrooms, goat cheese, and lamb. (Although I did see that Ohia Farms had lamb this week in Keauhou). Let's be real, it's a splurge to drive an hour out of the way to buy Hawaii raised meat, so we stocked up a bit.

We scored some ground veal from Hawaii Ranchers, who raise their cows hormone and antibiotic free on grassy free-range ranches. This a meat product I can get behind.

Now, I don't want you to think we are going meat crazy around here. It is true that after spending the last year on a vegetarian diet and the first part of this year mostly vegan, I am feeling rather indulgent what with all the lamb and charcuterie that's made its way into my kitchen as of late and I'm loving sharing the happiness these meats have brought to my tummy. In real life, we eat meat about once a week as I'm very aware that it's easy to overdo it. My main goal is to make our diet mostly plant based, for health and saving the Earth purposes.

Speaking of saving the Earth, I hope you'll enjoy this week's Sustainable Sunday fare, recipes below.

Veal Sliders
serves 2-4

1 pound ground veal (from Hawaii Ranchers)
1 clove garlic, sliced
1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce
salt & pepper to taste
6-8 taro sweetbread rolls (from Punalu'u Bake Shop)
6 lettuce leaves
1 tomato
cheese, mayo, ketchup, mustard as desired

Combine veal, garlic, Worcestershire, and salt & pepper in a bowl. Form meat into 6-8 patties, depending on how many you are cooking for.

Add a little olive oil to a pan over medium high heat. Cook patties in the pan for about 3 minutes each side for medium rare. Split buns and toast in pan. Assemble with lettuce, tomato, and whatever goodies you like. Enjoy!

Veal from Waimea Farmer's Market, rolls and sea salt from KTA, lettuce and tomato from Keauhou Farmer's Market, other ingredients not locally sourced (sorry!).


Baked Onion Rings
serves 2-4

1 Maui onion (or other sweet variety)
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 cup panko
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450. Slice onion into 1/2" rings and separate rings from each other. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, combine egg and milk along with some salt and pepper. Place flour and panko on 2 separate plates, season both with salt and pepper.

Dip/dredge rings in this order: flour, egg mixture, then panko. This process takes a little time, so try to get a helper. Place rings on the baking sheet. I was able to fit them all onto one, but you may need more sheets.

Bake for 10 minutes, then carefully flip rings and bake for another 10 minutes. Crunchy and delicious, best when eaten immediately. Enjoy!

Maui onion from Costco, egg from Keauhou Farmer's Market, sea salt from KTA, other ingredients not locally sourced. 

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto with Romanesco Broccoli

Today one of my students was writing a short paragraph about whether or not he agreed with hunting.

He firmly believed that hunting and killing animals would "harm nature" because there would be less animals for all of us to enjoy.

You know what I said next. YOU KNOW! That's right, I asked him what his favorite kind of meat was, and then asked him if he knew where it came from. This child did not know that meat came from dead animals. I may have rocked his little world today, but felt good that he can now make an informed decision about what he eats. He informed me that he will no longer be eating any meat except steak. Because that comes from cows. Take that however you want.

Hey little man, whatever works for you. I'm not exactly an advocate for vegetarianism, however I do think it's very important that we take the time to consider what we put in our mouths.

That said, here's a nice little vegetarian pasta dish for you that my husband claims is one of my best yet.
You be the judge.

Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Romanesco Broccoli
serves 2-4

1/2 pound pasta
2 tsp salt + more for seasoning
1 TBL olive oil
1/2 Maui onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
1 small head of Romanesco broccoli or cauliflower, chopped
zest from 1 lemon
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup pasta water (reserved after cooking pasta)

Pesto
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
small handful of walnuts
2 garlic cloves
1/3 cup olive oil
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/3-1/2 cup shredded parmesan
salt & pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water and 2 tsp salt to a boil and toss in pasta, cook according to package directions. I recently learned that you need to add a pretty significant amount of salt to the water in order to properly season the pasta, so don't be scared.

While the pasta is boiling, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil and onion and saute until soft. Add garlic, pepper flakes, salt & pepper to taste, water and romanesco to the skillet. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes. Add zest.

To make pesto, add all pesto ingredients to a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.

Return pasta to the pot after draining along with 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water, romanesco mixture, and pesto. Stir to coat. Top with a little more parmesan to serve. Enjoy!

Sustainable Sunday: Turnip Gratin

On this lovely Sustainable Sunday I'm watching Harold and Maude, pondering over cooking up a coffee version of these brigadeiros, and making a completely locally sourced meal from the turnips I found at the Keauhou Farmer's Market.

I'm also gearing up for a big trip to New York City this summer and trying to score some reasonable plane tickets. I can't wait to share with you what I find for Sustainable Sunday when I get to New York!

You know I've never had turnips before, cooking them is just like fixing potatoes. They have a slightly bitter taste, sort of like a radish, but much milder. The greens are edible too, as you'll see below.

Is anyone else out there making their own Sustainable Sunday meal? Or Monday? Or Everyday? I'd love to hear about it. Tweet me @SatswithMaggy using the hashtag #SustainableSunday or send me an email at gwenedwards82@gmail.com if you are interested in having a recipe featured on the Sustainable Sunday series.

Hope you had a great weekend, see recipes below.

Turnip and Leek Gratin with Goat Cheese
Inspired by French Women Don't Get Fat
serves 4

3 turnips
1 leek
1 egg
3 oz goat cheese
2 TBL mac nut oil
1/3 cup mac nuts, crushed
salt & pepper to taste
green onions to garnish

Preheat oven to 400. Remove greens from turnips and reserve for recipe below. Peel turnips. Use a mandoline to slice the turnips and white part of the leek, or slice thinly. Steam turnips and leeks for 15 minutes.

Place steamed veggies in an 8x8 baking dish. In a smal bowl mix egg, goat cheese, mac nut oil and 1/2 of the mac nuts with a fork. Add some salt and pepper. Drizzle egg mixture over the veggies and top with remaining mac nuts.

Cook in oven for 15 minutes or until top is nice and browned. Enjoy!

Veggies, nuts and eggs found at the Keauhou Farmer's Market. Oil and cheese found at KTA.

Turnip Greens with Portuguese Sausage
serves 4

greens from 3 turnips
1 TBL mac nut oil
1/2 lb Portuguese sausage from When Pigs Fly Charcuterie
salt & pepper to taste

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and sliced sausage and cook for 5 minutes or until both sides are browned.

While the sausage is cooking, remove the ribs from the turnip greens and wash the leaves well. You should have 10 cups or more of greens.

Add the greens to the skillet and turn heat down to medium. Add salt & pepper to taste. Saute for about 20 minutes or until greens have cooked down and are softened. Enjoy!

All ingredients found at the Keauhou Farmer's Market. Oil found at KTA.

Sausage, Potato & Lima Bean Soup with Dumplings

Dumplings are a source of disagreement in our family. My grandma uses to make flat, noodle like dumplings that we all loved but have not been able to duplicate. My mom made fluffy, biscuit-like dumplings that floated and rolled on top of a soup.

The truth is, they're both great versions but it all depends on what you want your dumplings in. For a chunky, spicy soup like the one below, I prefer the biscuit-like dumplings as they give the soup an overall hearty coziness.

The dumplings will be doughy on the outside and bready on the inside, a great texture contrast. This soup comes together quickly, and is impressive on the table.


Sausage, Potato, and Lima Bean Soup with Dumplings
serves 6

Soup:
1 TBL olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 quarts vegetable stock (I used lamb stock from Easter leftovers)
2 cups frozen lima beans
4 red potatoes, cubed
2 cups Swiss chard, chopped (or sub for any other leafy green)
1 spicy Italian sausage, sliced
1 TBL fresh thyme
salt & pepper

Dumplings:
1 batch Mom's Baking Power Biscuit dough

Saute the onions, carrots, and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat in your soup pot until soft and very aromatic. Add the stock, lima beans, potatoes, greens, and sausage and bring to a boil. Bring soup back down to a gentle simmer and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes and beans are soft. Add thyme, salt and pepper to taste.

While the soup is simmering, mix your biscuit dough and roll into small balls, a little smaller than a golf ball. When potatoes have softened, drop dough balls in the soup, cover and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes. You know the dumplings are done when they are "bready" on the inside. Enjoy!

This soup was featured on Easy Natural Food's "Sunday Night Soup Night."