I am so excited for you all to try this recipe — it’s a super simple vegetable-filled hash that is completely whole food, plant-based. It’s inspired by my most recent listening of a podcast with Rich Roll and Dan Buettner as well as his new book, The Blue Zones Kitchen, which is both a an exploration of our heritage and a way of eating that has largely been lost in America. It also delves into how we can re-incorporate some of these indigenous foods and recipes into our everyday to live a healthier and longer life. I hope you enjoy!
Jump to RecipeFirst, I want to explain why I’ve been MIA recently! It’s been quite a busy fall for me after I finished my marathon in October which went really well! I’ve been doing some research here in Los Angeles, visiting family and most importantly interviewing for where I’ll be next year for my Medicine residency! It’s really been an exciting time and I can’t believe that 2022 is nearly over.
Recently, I was I was listening to a Rich Roll podcast with Dan Buettner where he talked about his work discovering the Blue Zones around the world. If you haven’t read his book or listened to him before, I would definitely recommend checking it out. Dan basically went to several regions around the world and found particular areas where you have the highest rates of centenarians (or individuals that live above the age of 100). It’s pretty incredible work and as a Greek myself, I was happy to see that Ikaria was an island that was part of the blue zones. Residents of Ikaria eat a mostly whole-foods, plant-based diet and part of that is actually because of our Greek Orthodox religion which requires pretty strict fasting for a majority of the year. A bulk of their diet is heavy on legumes, olive oil, a variety of dark leafy veggies (from spinach to dandelion roots) from their gardens, black coffee, tea and of course homemade red wine.
But another part of the culture that really speaks to the longevity aspect is movement and connection. Individuals in each Blue Zone walk to each place and still partake in manual labor to this day. More importantly, they also do most of these activities with others. When Blue Zone centenarians share meals — whether it’s coffee in the morning or dinner — it’s full of with laughs, intensive discussion and story telling for hours at a time. I really think that’s an aspect of our culture that we have largely lost in the United States.
So in Dan Buettner’s newest book which is called The Blue Zones Kitchen: 100 Recipes to Live to 100 — he decided to dig deeper into our American roots and find regions of the U.S. where folks were still living long, relatively disease-free lives. This culminated in a book full of recipes from different regions of the world fused with New Age ingredients – from arepas to whole-head roasted cauliflower. Each recipe is simple and nutritious and behind the inspiration of this recipe.
Our mornings are busy and sometimes it’s hard for folks trying to be plant-based to think of breakfast ideas. This hash is super simple and quick to make and can easily double up as a lunch or leftovers for dinner too!
Easy 5-Min Chipotle Veggie Hash
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 red onion, sliced length wise
- 1 can black beans, rinsed
- 1 cup brown rice, cooked
- 1.5 cup boiled or roasted potatoes
- 1/2 bag Trader Joe's Cruciferous Crunch
- 2 cups Spinach
- 1/2 cup CopyCat Chipotle Dressing, (see note)
- 1 jalapeno, diced
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- Salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne, paprika, to taste
Instructions
- Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a non-stick pan on medium-high heat.
- Add in onions and sautee until translucent.
- Add cooked rice, potatoes, and black beans and stir well.
- Once cooked for 2-3 minutes, add salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne and paprika to taste. Add in chopped jalapeños, stirring frequently.
- Next, stir in 1/2 cup of CopyCat Chipotle Dressing (or if you are not using, add in the chipotle peppers chopped as well as the adobo sauce that comes in the can).
- Stir well for 1-2 minutes, then add in Cruciferous Crunch, spinach, and cilantro. Stir well on medium heat until cooked through, about another 3 minutes. Keep lid off to eliminate excess water from the green veggies.
- Remove from heat, place into bowl. Top with more fresh cilantro and sliced avocado. Enjoy!