Vigoron

Back in my August 2009 column, I featured a number of Nicaraguan recipes. Most of those were Paleo versions of my wife's great-grandmother's recipes. At the time, there was one recipe that we couldn't find any trace of. We are excited to have recently found it! It's called Vigoron, and it’s a delicious salad that is commonly found as street food.

Active Time: 40 minutes

• 1 lb. yucca
• 1/2 head of cabbage, chopped finely
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 2/3 cup sliced onion
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, and diced
• 2-3 Tbsp. lime juice
• 2 tsp. Turbinado sugar
• salt to taste
• 1 large bag chicharrones (pork rinds)

Chop the yucca crosswise, and then remove the thick peel with a knife. Boil the yucca in a pot of salted water until it's creamy and translucent. This may take 30 to 40 minutes. Cut the yucca disks crosswise and remove the woody string in the center. Chop into small pieces, then refrigerate.

Meanwhile, prepare all of the remaining ingredients (except the chicharrones) and combine in a large bowl. Toss well, adding salt to taste. Let the cabbage mixture sit for 30 minutes or longer in the 'fridge.

Mix the yucca into the cabbage ad toss well. Serve with the chicharrones on the side. The chicharrones are traditionally used to scoop up the salad. (It's also traditionally served on banana leaves instead of plates, but we opted to skip that part.) You can also make your own chicharrones if you’d like, but I haven't tried that yet.

Nutritional info: 8 servings at 26g carb. (not including chicharrones)


Creamy Cilantro Sauce

Time: 10 minutes

• 1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
• 4 Tbsp. pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 jalapeno, seeds removed
• 1 cup coconut cream*
• zest of 1 lime
• juice of 2 limes
• salt to taste

Place all of the ingredients in a blender, and then blend until well mixed and the seeds are crushed.

There are many ways you can use this sauce. Our favorite is to cut some leftover meat into bite-sized pieces, then combine the sauce and meat in a skillet and warm it before serving. You can also add any carb you wish, or use it as a topping for the carb.

*Coconut cream isn't quite the same thing as coconut milk, though coconut milk will work in a pinch. I use Kara brand coconut cream and it's delicious! It's usually available in larger Asian markets. There are now other brands you may be able to find as well.

Nutritional info: 4 servings at 5g protein, 21g fat. (sauce only)


Spiced Sautéed Kale

Time: 7 minutes

• 10 cups kale, chopped (loosely packed)
• 4 Tbsp. coconut oil (adjust to your needs)
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Bring the oil to heat in a large skillet. Sauté the kale, mixing often; add the extract and spices as it softens. Serve warm!

Nutritional info: 4 servings at 12g carb, 14g fat.




German Potato Salad

Time: 40 minutes

• 6-7 cups potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1" cubes
• 8 strips bacon
• 2 leeks, chopped crosswise and halved
• ~1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. Turbinado sugar
• 4 boiled eggs
• salt to taste

Peel and chop the potatoes. Steam them for around 10 minutes or until soft. Allow to cool. At the same time, boil 4 eggs for around 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop the bacon into small pieces, then fry in a medium skillet. Once it's browned, add the leeks and sauté until soft. Remove and cool.

Plunge the eggs into cold water and allow to cool. Peel and chop them. Add the potatoes, leeks, and the eggs into a large bowl. Toss carefully so as not to break the potatoes up too much. Drizzle with the vinegar and add the sugar and salt. If it's too sweet, add more vinegar. If the vinegar is too strong, a bit more sugar will fix it.

Nutritional info: 6 servings at 36g carb, 9g protein, 7g fat.