Can you really be prepared for the Big One?

Last week I felt my second earthquake, the first in my own home.

It make me think and create this Sweet potato salad with chicken and avocado.

 

I was sitting at my desk, cat Juli had climbed on my lap and I just had started to caress her. One handedly, as I wanted do some typing as well. She pricked up her ears and turned them toward where the sound was coming from. Looked at the closet as well. We both felt it. Heart it, like a few things shove. She looked at me, but I didn’t show uneasiness. Continued to caress her. Reassured her.

It only lasted a few seconds. If it was more than just one. But it made an impression.

The first small earthquake I felt at home.

I started typing, working, but soon found myself back at the municipal website, subscribing for a PEP-class. A Personal Emergency Preparedness class that is. After a year of living in this earthquake rich area it’s time to be a bit more prepared if when the next Big One will hit us. Quite scary to write this down, I must say.

I do know one thing already.

I must have sweet potatoes in supply. 

They last, and last, can keep up for ages – as I learned when I was still living in the Netherlands and eat a few that I had for months.

It doesn’t surprise me anymore, though. I had read about how Hawaiians and Maori sailed from Central America to New Zealand in the 14th century and most probably brought the sweet potato with them. Long was thought, that this trip was impossible. Until Norwegian Thor Heyerdahl in his Kon Tiki-expedition in 1947 proved it could be done. On his small raft it took him 101 days to sail from Peru to Polynesia. As a kid this story fascinated me.
A second proof is etymological: the old Peruvian name for sweet potato is kumar, and nowadays used in comparable forms on the Polynesian islands.

From his book we know Thor Heyerdahl brought sweet potatoes on his trip, as they’re great to eat raw. I don’t think he made this Sweet potato salad with chicken and avocado. How on earth could he have had access to grilled chicken on the middle of the ocean?

I hope I’ll learn at my PEP-class, in case the Big One strikes again.

Do you have other tips for me? For ingredients to have in stock, that keep a while, are tasteful and usable without heating? 

Recipe Sweet potato salad with chicken and avocado - #illustration #edieeats #recipe #salad #sweetpotato #chicken #avocado

Sweet potato salad with chicken and avocado

You need for 2:
1 big or 2 small sweet potatoes (orange)
2 tablespoons Mexican spice mix
1 ripe avocado
leftover grilled chicken
1 red bell pepper
few leaves of Romaine lettuce
2 scallions (spring onions)
few twigs of parsley
4 tablespoons of a good olive or nut oil
1-2 tablespoons lime juice
salt and pepper

You do:
Cook the sweet potatoes. Peel them, cut in bite-size pieces and boil them with 1 tablespoon of the Mexican spice mix in about 10 minutes or until done. Sieve and let cool a bit.

Cut the other ingredients. Peel the avocado and cut in small pieces. Cut or pull the chicken. Cut the bell pepper in small cuts. Wash the lettuce and tear into smaller pieces. Cut scallions in small rings and chop the parsley fine.

Make the dressing by mixing the olive oil, lemon juice, the rest of the Mexican spice mix, salt and pepper.

Mix all ingredients and bring to taste with more lemon juice, salt and pepper if needed.

TiP: It’s also great to mix a dollop of mayonnaise through the salad.

TiP: Vegetarians can opt for blue cheese in stead of the chicken.

Do you want more great (lunch) salads? Or my other recipes with chicken? Avocado maybe? Just click on the words. Or view all my recipes here, or check my vegan or vegetarian recipes.

 

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