“Sancocho - A Wonderful Puerto Rican Stew”

Sancocho is a flavorful Puerto Rican Stew that people just love. It’s hearty, it’s comfort food, it’s full of lots of healing veggies, and it takes no time at all to prepare. This is the vegetarian version, but the iconic version of Sancocho has chunks of beef. This stew is great on cold winter days when you need something to warm your body. Everyone has a slightly different recipe depending on their family, but this is my version… and I am sure you’ll love it.

Ingredients:

1 - Large Organic Onion Yellow - Chopped
1 - Cup of Organic Green Bell Pepper - Chopped
1/2 - Cup of Fresh or Dried Organic Cilantro Chopped
1/2 - Cup of Fresh Organic Racao - Chopped or just add more cilantro
3 - Cups of Organic Green Plantain - Cut into one or two inch pieces
3 - Cups of Organic Taro Root or Yautia - Cut into one or two inch pieces
3 - Cups of Organic Name’ or Chinese Yam - Cut into one or two inch pieces or mallanga root can be used
3 - Cups of Organic Red Potatoes - Cut in half
3 - Cups of Organic Brussel Sprouts - Or cabbage cut into large pieces can be used
2 - Cups of Organic Carrots - Cut into large pieces
12 - Organic Garlic Cloves - Minced
3 - Cubes of Organic Salt Free Veggie Bouillonr
Enough Filtered Water to Cover Everything
A Little Organic Olive Oil for Sautéing the Onions, Peppers, and Garlic
Salt and Pepper to Taste ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/

Take a good size pot and spray the bottom with organic olive oil and then saute’ the onions, peppers, and garlic together until nice and soft. Then add the green plantain, taro root, name’, carrots, red potatoes, bouillon cubes, Brussel sprouts, and cilantro and racao. Racao is a local cilantro that has a similar but slightly different taste than cilantro… but cilantro all by itself will work well.

Then add water and simmer until everything is nice and tender. The green plantain will make the water a rich brown color just as if you had beef in the recipe but it’s totally vegan. Salt and pepper to your exact taste… it always tastes better with a little a little bit of salt because of all the root veggies in the stew.

Now you have a great tasting Puerto Rican Stew that’s to die for. In fact I had a friend from Califo
ia visit here in PR and he fell in love with Sancocho to the point that new now makes Sancocho at home on a regular basis.

Also Sancocho can be portioned out and frozen for later use.
Health Benefits of Green Plantain
Plantains are amazingly healthy, full of lots of vitamins, minerals, energy, fiber and more. One Plantain plant can produce as much 100 pounds of wonderful fruit which can be used just like potatoes.

Plantains grow in Asia, Africa, Caribbean, Central America, South America, parts of Australia, and in the US in Florida, or any where in a green house. Once the tree bears fruit it must be cut down allowing one of the little plantains that grow around the trunk of the tree to grow tall and take it’s place.

Plantains have more potassium than bananas and thus help with cardiovascular function and water regulation. And potassium can help offset the negative qualities of salt in a diet by lowering blood pressure. A study by the prestigious Mayo Clinic found that Plantains contain “leucocyanidin” which prevents gastric ulcers… and they also help with gastritis. Plantains contai
Vitamins A, C, and B – all important antioxidants that help to slow the aging process, prevent DNA damage, and boost metabolism and provide energy. Also Vitamin K for clotting and E for cardiovascular health.

Plantains are a good source of magnesium for cardiovascular health and strong bones, phosphorus for strong bones, and iron for anemia, zinc for immunity, and calcium for enzyme activity and osteoporosis.

Boiled Plantains also work well for weight loss because they are full of “Resistant Starch” that does not break down in our GI tract and helps lower cholesterol. And cooked Plantains are low in carbs and calories, high in water, and also help our body absorb more calcium. Boiled Plantains have a low glycemic index (Glycemic index of 38) making them great for diabetics. Some experts highly recommend Plantains as a nutritious food with lots of energy for children and athletes… and people needing sustained energy.

Short chain fatty acids (Resistant Starch) important for colon health and helps in the treatment of colitis, IBS, and other colon diseases. Also cooked Plantains slow down the digestive tract, add fiber to our diet, and contain fiber that’s beneficial to the probiotic bacteria in our colon. In fact according to the National Institute of Health short chain fatty acids are well known for preventing colon cancer.
Plantains contain a large amount of beta carotene and thus boost our immune system and prevent cardiovascular disease, strokes, and cancer.

Plantains have no cholesterol and thus help to maintain a healthy cholesterol level… and they are almost fat free. Plantains are full of wonderful fiber provides a good environment for the growth of probiotic bacteria… and thus boosting our immune system. One average Plantain contains around 200 calories depending on the size, plantains are good for weight control because they are very filling. Plantains are low in sugars, fats, and sodium making them a good diet food… as long as you don’t fry them. Plantains also contain good fats in the way of Omega 3 and 6 Oils which are important for cardiovascular health and cancer.

And if you google “Healthy Plantain Recipes” lots of great recipes will come up! And plantains can be found at most supermarkets around the world in this day and age.

Enjoy Sancocho Stew!

I Love It!

Dr. Paul Haider - Master Herbalist