My mom made this bold proposition on Mother’s Day. While my mom has been supportive of most of my decisions in life, one thing that she isn’t particularly supportive of is my new-found passion for running. Her argument is that running is hard on the joints; more importantly, the constant exposure to the sun makes runners look older. She would rather me look like Snow White, than a fit, tanned runner.
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| I might have burnt it a little (again) , but it was still yummy. |
Yet, in life, there’s a price to pay for everything, and there are risks to every activity that we engage in. Even activities that are deemed to be beneficial, can be dangerous too. I have heard about how people break their backs while practicing yoga. I told my mom I’m not ready to give up running. What I can do is to take preventive measures – for prevention is better than cure. I promised to always wear a cap and sunscreen, and to eat lots of super foods for the skin. Super foods like sweet potatoes.
Do you know that sweet potato is Oprah’s favorite food? Sweet potatoes are high in beta-carotene, vitamin A and vitamin C, which are necessary for skin cells turnover and collagen production. This subtly sweet side dish is a great accompaniment any Japanese meal, and is perfect in salads too. If you are as crazy as I am, you could it a huge serving on its own!
Adapted from Japanese Pure and Simple
Serves 4 as a side
Ingredients
400g sweet potato, peeled and cubed (1-inch pieces)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp sesame oil
Pinch of salt
For the glaze:
1 ½ tbsp honey
1 tbsp soy sauce / tamari sauce (if gluten free)
2 tsp of juice of grated ginger
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
- Place the cubed sweet potatoes in a single layer on a baking tray and drizzle over the vegetable and sesame oils. Coat the sweet potatoes with the oils, using your hands; sprinkle a pinch of salt.
- Roast the sweet potatoes for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the edges turn crisp. Shake the tray every 15 minutes.
- Preheat the grill to the highest setting, Mix the honey, soy/tamari sauce, and ginger juice in a small bowl. Drizzle over the sweet potatoes, and grill for another 5 minutes, shaking the tray occasionally. Top with sesame seeds, and serve. Enjoy!
If gluten-free: Use tamari sauce.
Other Sweet Potato Recipes You May Like
Baked Curry Sweet Potato Fries by Joy the Baker
Roasted Sweet Potato and Pomegranate Salad by Scandi Foodie
Kathy's Famous Sweet Potato Mash by Healthy Happy Life
Has anyone ever dissuaded you from doing something that you enjoy?
7 comments:
These are so so yummy! We had a similar dish in Tokyo and you've just reminded me how tasty they were. I can't wait to make these!
I'm sorry to hear your mom isn't more supportive of your running. Sometimes parents have ideas regarding what their children want, but it doesn't always match what their children actually want. Keep going with the training!
To be honest, part of the reason I'm not a runner is because my mother wouldn't be happy about it. Though not because of the tanned things, just because she doesn't really think human bodies are made for long-distance running. But she does encourage/nag me to do yoga, so I should probably at least start that :P
Sadly my mum would say the same thing (but she would also worry that I would get run over or something)! Although if you run can you wear a cap or something?
I love sweet potato :) My Mum has really given up on telling me not to do things...but I suspect she would secretly rather I didn't run too. I'm not 100% sure why, but I think she finds the concept difficult to grasp, and likely to lead to injury!
@Maria - Ginger and soy is a lovely combination. I hope you'd like it. Do let me know how it turned out:)
@Victoria - Thanks for the encouragement. Yes, parents do have different ideals, but I think ultimately, all parents have their child's interest at heart. I'm grateful for that, but I'm still gonna train hard.
@Hannah - Yoga is really good for the body. I have been doing yoga with my mom, so that she wouldn't 'nag' at me as much. I think it does help to keep me injury-free:) I actually like the idea of mother and daughter doing yoga together:)
@NQN - I don't particularly like wearing a cap while running, but I guess it seems like a necessary evil now.
@Kari - I think mothers tend to be overly protective sometimes, but it's really heart-warming to know that no matter what happens, there will always be this person whom you can go to for help. Let's try to stay safe and injury-free when we run!
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