I’ve spent more than 20 years identifying “blue zones” — places around the world where my research team and I have identified the longest-lived people — and learning lessons from centenarians. These are people living years beyond average life expectancies, and those extra years are largely free from chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers.
How did they do it? Not through fad diets, exercise programs, supplements, “superfoods,” or any of the other ways “healthy” marketers sell to us. In fact, people in blue zones never tried to live a long time. They didn’t pursue health and longevity the way Americans do. Instead, we think, their healthy, long lives are a result of living in the right environment — and, of course, of the food they eat and the consistency with which they eat it.
We observed that people in the blue zones almost always cook at home using mostly whole foods and plant-based ingredients. And most of their calories come from ingredients — like grains, greens, tubers, and beans — that are commonly associated with “peasant food.”
The recipes in this book, developed by Peter Barrett, are inspired by this type of cooking. Here are three recipes to try.
Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowls
These delicious, satisfying, and beautiful bowls come together very quickly if you bake the sweet potatoes the day before. Orange sweet potatoes are great for this, but purple varieties bake to a beautifully cakey consistency that works even better. (Purple sweet potatoes get their color from powerful longevity-boosting antioxidants.) You can prepare the whipped base ahead of time and just heat and garnish it in the morning for a super-easy breakfast.
Makes 4 servings • Prep time 5 to 10 minutes (with precooked sweet potatoes)
For the Base
- 2 cups sweet-potato flesh (from 2 medium potatoes, baked until very soft, then peeled)
- ¼ cup coconut yogurt
- 2 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbs. maple syrup
- ½ tsp. fresh grated ginger
- ¼ vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. cinnamon
- ⅛ salt
Topping Variations
Chocolate-Covered Cherry
- 1 tbs. unsweetened dried cherries
- 1 tbs. slivered almonds, toasted
- 2 tsp. cacao nibs
- 1 tsp. chia seeds, soaked overnight in water and drained
Morning Glory Orange Spice
- 1 tbs. walnuts, toasted and chopped
- 1 tbs. medjool dates, pitted and chopped (about ½ to 1 date)
- 1 tsp. orange zest
- ¼ tsp. spice blend*
* To make spice blend, combine ¼ teaspoon each of ground cardamom, ground cloves, ground allspice, and ground cinnamon. You can store this mixture in a jar for up to a month.
Maple-Pumpkin Spice
- 1 tbs. pecans, toasted and chopped
- 1 tbs. medjool dates, pitted and chopped (about ½ to 1 date)
- 1 tsp. flax seeds, toasted
- 1 tsp. maple syrup
- ¼ tsp. pumpkin spice
Pomegranate Power Bowl
- 1 tbs. pomegranate seeds
- 1 tbs. macadamia nuts, toasted and chopped
- 1 tbs. coconut flakes, toasted
- 1 tsp. hemp seeds, toasted
Tart Apple Crumble
- 2 tbs. diced tart apple (like Pink Lady)
- 1 tbs. granola
- 1 tbs. walnuts, toasted and chopped
- 1 tsp. maple syrup
- Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Use an immersion blender to blend until completely smooth. (You can also use a regular blender for this step.)
- Add toppings of your choice or one of the above recommendations.
Mushroom and Black Bean Birria
Birria is a slow-cooked Mexican stew that’s often strained and served alongside tacos as a dipping sauce. And it’s becoming more popular in recipe trends in America, too — no surprise, since our research found U.S. diners love Mexican flavor profiles. You can choose to serve this dish as a stew or strained as a taco filling. Traditionally, birria is made with meat, but this Blue Zones version delivers great flavor and tons of fiber along with the magical health benefits of black beans.
Makes 4 servings • Cook time 30 minutes
Chili Paste
- 4 ancho chilies
- 4 pasilla chilies
- 2 chilies de arbol
- 8 peppercorns
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. ground coriander
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika (hot or sweet, according to taste)
- ½ cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 1 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
- 8 garlic cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ white or yellow onion, peeled
- 1 14-oz. can crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp. salt
Birria
- 2 tbs. avocado oil
- ½ white or yellow onion, diced
- 1 lb. button mushrooms, halved or quartered into bite-sized pieces
- 1 lb. cremini mushrooms, halved or quartered into bite-sized pieces
- ½ tsp. salt
- 2 cups cooked black beans
- 6 cups vegetable stock or dashi
To Serve (Optional)
- Corn tortillas
- 1 cup cilantro sprigs, chopped
- ½ cup onion, diced
- 1 to 2 jalapeños, sliced
- 2 limes, quartered
- To make the chili paste, toast the chilies in a large dry pot over medium-high heat until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the chilies and use a knife to destem and deseed, discarding the stems and seeds. Set the chilies aside in a bowl.
- In the same pot, toast the peppercorns, cloves, cumin, coriander, paprika, and cinnamon until fragrant and just beginning to smoke, 1 to 2 minutes. Put the toasted spices and remaining chili-paste ingredients in a high-powered blender with the peppers and purée until you have a smooth paste. Set aside.
- To make the birria, wipe the pot clean, then add the oil and heat over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the onion and sauté until it begins to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and stir well, then add the salt and stir again. Sauté the mushrooms until they give up their liquid and begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add the beans, stock, and chili-paste mixture to the pot and stir well to combine. Bring everything to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and let simmer to meld the flavors, about 15 minutes.
- Taste for seasoning and serve as a stew. If you want to make tacos, strain the birria and put the mushroom-bean mixture in one serving bowl and the liquid in another. Either way, serve with the tortillas and garnishes, taco-bar style.
Apple-Cinnamon-Raisin Hand Pies
There’s nothing more American than apple pie. And now you can have a Blue Zones–approved version in the form of these portable pies wrapped in a flaky crust and filled with warm and comforting apple and cinnamon.
Makes 4 pies • Cook time 30 minutes, plus 1 hour chill time
Crust
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- ½ cup fine semolina flour
- 4 oz. coconut oil, frozen and cut into chunks
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ cup ice water
Filling
- 1 large pie apple, finely diced
- 2 tbs. raisins
- ½ tsp. cornstarch
- 2 tbs. maple syrup, plus 2 tbs. to finish
- ¼ tsp. cinnamon
- To make the crust, put the flours, coconut oil, and salt in a food processor and pulse until the oil is broken up, with the largest pieces of coconut-oil chunks no bigger than a pea.
- Add the water and pulse again until the dough starts to come together. Don’t overwork it or it will get tough. Turn the dough out onto your work surface, gather it into a ball, and wrap it tightly. Rest it in the fridge for at least an hour or up to overnight. (You can make the crust ahead of time and keep it tightly wrapped in the fridge overnight or in the freezer for up to a month.)
- To make the filling, toss all the filling ingredients (except the maple syrup for finishing) in a bowl until combined.
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. To make the hand pies, let the dough come to room temperature. Lightly flour your work surface and roll the dough out into a sheet about ⅛-inch thick. Use a knife to trim ragged edges, then use the trimmed pieces to press and fill any holes so that you end up with a rectangle about 12 inches wide and 16 inches long.
- Cut the sheet of dough into rectangular quarters. Place a quarter of the filling on one half of each piece of dough, leaving ½ inch around the edges. Fold the empty half of the dough over the filling, line up the edges, and press down gently all the way around. Use a fork to poke the top of each pie, and then press down with the fork to seal the three joined edges of the crust.
- Brush the tops of the pies with the remaining maple syrup and bake for 30 minutes.
- Let cool 10–15 minutes before serving.
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