I used to make this dish with olive oil, but I recently learned the smoke point of various fats needs to be taken into consideration because a fat is no longer good for consumption after it has exceeded its smoke point and has begun to break down. It is believed that fats that have gone past their smoke points contain a large quantity of free radicals which contribute to risk of cancer. Refining oils (taking out impurities) tends to increase the smoke point. Extra Virgin Olive Oil has a ballpark smoke point of 325°F – 375°F, depending on the quality of the oil. Thus, we do not raise the temperature past 325°F when using extra virgin olive oil. Avocado oil has a ballpark smoke point of 520°F and is similar in composition to olive oil, which makes it a great choice for this dish, as the dish is cooked at 450°F.

Packed with more than 20 vitamins and minerals, avocados are one of the world’s healthiest foods. Avocado oil is high in potassium, vitamin A,E, and D. Additionally, avocado oil has been found to have the highest concentration of monounsaturated fats, which are the “good fats” in our diets that help balance cholesterol levels. Oleic acid is the monounsaturated fats in avocados and avocado oil. The antioxidants and beta-sitosterol found in avocados help to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. An essential nutrient for bone and cardiovascular health, the magnesium found in an avocado is also known to reduce migraines and prevent type II diabetes. The Omega-3 Fatty Acids in avocados may reduce inflammation, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, depression and arthritis. Lastly, avocados contain soluble fiber and foliate, both of which aid in improving overall heart health. (Source)

This dish is so yummy, we just wanted to slurp the sauce up! It has a wonderful garlic flavor and the added benefit is how good garlic is for you. Garlic is one of the oldest medicinal herbs (prescriptions for garlic are found on Sumerian tablets from 3000 B.C.). When Russian soldiers in World War II suffered a shortage of antibiotics, they used garlic to such an extent it was called “the Russian penicillin.” The sulfur compounds in garlic and onions promote apoptosis (cell death) in colon, breast, lung, and prostate cancer, as well as in leukemia. Epidemiological studies suggest a reduction in kidney and prostate cancer in people who consume the most garlic. Moreover, garlic and onions help to regulate blood sugar levels. This, in turn, reduces insulin secretion and IGF (insulin-like growth factors), and thus the growth of cancer cells. This recipe calls for mincing the garlic, which makes this recipe even better — active molecules of garlic are released when a garlic clove is crushed and are much more easily assimilated if they are dissolved in little oil.

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Roasted Chicken With Green Beans

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

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Whole Food. Real Food. Good Food. www.facebook.com/wholefoodrealfood

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons avocado oil
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 pound trimmed green beans
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into bite size chunks
• 4 chicken breasts (bones-in, with skin)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a large baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the avocado oil.
2. In a large bowl, combine the remaining oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper.
3. Add the green beans to the bowl and toss to coat.
4. Remove the green beans with tongs and place them in the baking dish.
5. Add the potatoes to the same olive-oil mixture and toss to coat.
6. Remove the potatoes with tongs and place them along the inside edge of the dish on top of the green beans.
7. Place the chicken in the same bowl with the olive-oil mixture and coat thoroughly.
8. Place the chicken, skin-side up, in the dish or skillet.
9. Pour any of the remaining olive-oil mixture over the chicken.
10. Roast for 50 minutes.
11. Enjoy!

Notes:

Purchase organic chicken if possible.

Roasted Chicken With Green Beans

6 tablespoons avocado oil
1 lemon, juiced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound trimmed green beans
2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into bite size chunks
4 chicken breasts (bones-in, with skin)

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a large baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the avocado oil.
2. In a large bowl, combine the remaining oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper.
3. Add the green beans to the bowl and toss to coat.
4. Remove the green beans with tongs and place them in the baking dish.
5. Add the potatoes to the same olive-oil mixture and toss to coat.
6. Remove the potatoes with tongs and place them along the inside edge of the dish on top of the green beans.
7. Place the chicken in the same bowl with the olive-oil mixture and coat thoroughly.
8. Place the chicken, skin-side up, in the dish or skillet.
9. Pour any of the remaining olive-oil mixture over the chicken.
10. Roast for 50 minutes.
11. Enjoy!

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Eat Better. Feel Better.

The wonderful thing about sweet potatoes is they are sweet and delicious in their natural form. Not much needs to be done or added to them to make them a delicious accompaniment to your dinner. When they are cooked, an enzyme in the sweet potato breaks down the tuber’s starch and turns it into maltose, creating an appealingly sweet flavor.

Sweet potatoes are packed with the antioxidant beta-carotene, which the body converts to retinol, or vitamin A. As a result, sweet potatoes may be good for vision, help to prevent some kinds of cancer, and boost immunity. Low in calories and high in fiber, sweet poatoes are great for weight loss or maintenance. They also deliver folate, and vitamins B6, C, and E. Information provided by Power Foods.

When buying your sweet potatoes, look for small or medium-size ones that feel firm and heavy, with smooth, unblemished skin and no sprouts. In ideal conditions (perfectly dry, about 50 degrees, and dark) sweet potatoes will keep up to four weeks. Do not refrigerate sweet potatoes; at temperatures below 50 degrees they can develop a condition called hardcore, and their centers will stay solid even after cooking. Information provided by Power Foods.

When reading about sweet potatoes, I was surprised to learn that they are root vegetables and not considered potatoes or yams. Many people use the terms sweet potatoes and yams interchangeably, and in stores sweet potatoes are often labeled as yams. Yams are drier and starchier than sweet potatoes, with thick, scaly skin and very low levels of beta-carotene.

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Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

See Detailed Nutrition Info on

I use one potato per person I am feeding. This recipe can be easily adjusted to the number of people you are feeding by adding or deleting potatoes.

Ingredients

• 6 sweet potatoes
• Pinch of Himalayan pink salt
• 1/4 cup ghee
• Cinnamon to taste

Instructions

1. Peel and cube potatoes.
2. Add potatoes to a large pot of salted water and cook until tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Drain potatoes and reserve half a cup of the liquid.
4. With a potato masher or electric mixer on low, blend potatoes, slowly adding reserved liquid. Use more or less to achieve desired texture.
5. Add ghee to taste.
6. Blend until smooth.
7. Sprinkle with cinnamon (optional).
8. Enjoy!

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

6 sweet potatoes
Pinch of Himalayan pink salt
1/4 cup ghee
Cinnamon to taste
to taste

1. Peel and cube potatoes.
2. Add potatoes to a large pot of salted water and cook until tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

3. Drain potatoes and reserve half a cup of the liquid.
4. With a potato masher or electric mixer on low, blend potatoes, slowly adding reserved liquid. Use more or less to achieve desired texture.

5. Add ghee to taste.
6. Blend until smooth.

7. Sprinkle with cinnamon (optional).
8. Enjoy!

~ “When you have the best and tastiest ingredients, you can cook very simply and the food will be extraordinary because it tastes like what it is.” – Alice Waters