I often order from the ‘sides’ part of the menu when I go out for dinner. That’s where you usually find the good guys (and the French fries…); sautéed spinach, roasted carrots, green beans, Brussels sprouts etc.
What I wish though, was that more restaurants (and not just the healthy and/or plant-based ones) gave these simple veggie sides the muscle to help them stand alone as main courses. Some roasted chickpeas, an ancient whole grain, something to help it all stick a little better.
Potatoes are my favourite. They are also one of my go-tos when I am cooking for someone who is nauseous from cancer treatment, well before we resort to toast and crackers (which is sometimes inevitable but temporary). I know better than to substitute cauliflower for the real deal (like in this really delicious, most of the time, Cauliflower No Potato Salad) in that crucial moment.
They are a little high on the glycemic index, which is why I think they get such a bad rap (their spin-offs, potato chips and French fries don’t help either). But if we leave the skins on (adding fiber) and serve them with some form of healthy fat (like the extra virgin olive oil in this dressing, fresh avocado or just a smear of extra virgin coconut oil), the overall glycemic load is lowered.
This recipe is based on a legendary dish from one of my favourite places in Vancouver.
Vikram Vij and his wife, Chef Meeru Dhalwala, have a sidekick restaurant to their hugely popular Indian meets the Pacific Northwest restaurant ‘Vij’s’ (a giant lineup away from an exotic and comforting good time). It’s called ‘Rangoli’.
Every Sunday night, Vikram and Meeru used to come into a French restaurant where I used to work, and request a vegetarian menu. It just happened to be that Sundays were the nights that only the women in the kitchen were working (we used to joke that it was Lileth Fair night). We loved the challenge of putting together something special for them with the ingredients that we had each week, and it became something we looked forward to.
I used to have a jar of sambal in my fridge at all times, as well as backup in my cupboard. I loved spicy food (still do) and this was my fave spicy condiment. That spiciness is addictive, apparently our brain thinks we are on fire and sends out endorphins and dopamine, both of which make us feel great, and leave us wanting more.
Unlike other addictive substances/foods –drugs, alcohol, coffee, cheese, sugar, there doesn’t seem to be a downside to spicy food (unless your colon is inflamed, or you’re sensitive to nightshades). Although there are worse processed foods to consume than sambal, if we have the ability to make a homemade version and turn it into a superfood, we’re obviously going to do it.
