Mashed Veggie Roots

Mashed Veggie Roots

Hey everyone! I'm Matana Myers. I decided to do this recipe because it is super simple and it has a very small amount of preparation time. My dad has cooked this for my family for years, and it is definitely one of my favorites. It's super healthy, and if you love mashed potatoes, chances are that you will love these! This recipe is great because you can substitute the ingredients for different things and/or add whatever root veggies you love.

Preparation time: 20 min.
Cook time: 25 min. or until tender when pierced with a fork

Ingredients:
2 large potatoes (I used russet potatoes, but red or gold can be used as well)
1 yam
1 sweet potato
1 parsnip
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. milk

...you can also use beets, carrots, turnips, or any combination of root vegetables...

Directions:
Wash all roots and give them a light scrub to get any left over grit off. Peel all veggies. Cut all veggies into rounds about 1 inch thick. Drop them into a pot of water and bring to a boil. Boil for about 25 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. When done cooking, strain and let sit for just a minute or two. Mince up the garlic and put in with the veggies. Take a potato masher and start smashing all vegetables and garlic. Adding about a tsp. of olive oil and 2 tbsp. of milk will make the potatoes a little more smooth and creamy. You can mash the mixture for as little or as much time as you'd like depending on how chunky you want the veggies. Mine were almost completely smooth and mixed and it took me about 5 minutes.
You can add any spices you like (i.e. chives, rosemary, dill, garlic powder, minced onions, etc.) and salt according to taste.

Servings: 

This recipe can serve anywhere from 4-8 people (even more or less) depending on how much each person is served.

Nutrition Facts: We'll go with an average of 5 servings for the nutrition facts, and I will provide the nutrition info per serving. (this is about a cup serving size)
126 calories
.13 grams of Fat
30 grams Carbs
2.4 grams of Protein
23.8 milligrams of Sodium
672 milligrams of Potassium
No Cholesterol :)
3.35 grams of Sugar
74.6% of Vitamin A
42.6% of Vitamin C
2.8% Calcium
4.6% Iron

Price: This cost me less than $7 to make!

Taste:
I love the taste of these because they are just like a healthy version of creamy mashed potatoes. Because of the yams and sweet potatoes they are naturally sweet, and you get a taste of the garlic as well!

Ease of Preparation:
This are so beyond easy to make. Once you get past the peeling (I hate peeling things, but it wasn't too bad) and cutting them up, it is little to no effort at all. Plus, you can get other things done while waiting for them to boil.

Dinner:
I would normally think of this as a dinner side dish. You could pair this with a source of protein and a glass of milk, maybe a source of grain, for a very nutritious meal! It goes great to pair with anything you want. Plus, you can put some of your other favorite veggies in the mix as well, to change it up a bit. The good thing is that these have a little bit of protein on their own, as well as many vitamins and minerals!

Vitamins and Minerals:
This dish includes Vitamin A, which is important for the growth and development of several systems within your body, Vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant and helps the body form connective tissue, Calcium, which builds your bones and keeps them healthy while also clotting our blood and helping our muscles contract, and Iron, which is a part of all cells and carries oxygen from our lungs throughout our bodies. There is a lot of potassium, very little fat, and no cholesterol.

Proteins and Carbohydrates:
While these aren't the first thing you think of as a source of protein, it does offer 2.4 grams of protein. Protein is necessary in the diet for building bones, muscle, cartilage and more. It also makes enzymes, hormones, and other bodily chemicals that are needed. There is 30 grams worth of carbs in this dish. Carbs are good for providing energy for your body. Starches are a complex carbohydrate where lots of sugar molecules are joined together. These will help provide lots of energy for your body.

Fats and Sugars:
This dish is extremely low on fat and relatively low on sugars. Fats and sugars are necessary to provide protection, insulate us, and provide energy for your body.

There's so many benefits with this recipe. I don't really have something I don't like about these considering all the good it comes with. It's so easy to made and my whole family loved them too!