Issue 148

December 2016

Cook fresh fight-camp fuel with UFC featherweight Dennis Bermudez.

Think New York cuisine and you might think bagels, pizza, hot dogs, clam chowder and cheesecake.

Not the sort of foods that will fuel your fight camp.

But out on Long Island, Dennis Bermudez avoids the temptation of NYC staples and is curating his own MMA menu.

‘The Menace’s YouTube channel is full of recipes, but when he’s in full training mode he needs to lay off the sandwiches, ice cream tacos and meat lovers’ pies to make sure he can cut down to 145lb.

He’s got to get his fix of protein, healthy fats and complex carbs, but we’re not talking about some plain chicken breasts with broccoli here.

Bermudez is taking inspiration from his Puerto Rican heritage – and Texas – spice things up and prepare lime grilled chicken with Southwest sweet potatoes and an avocado salsa on the side.

GROCERY LIST:

Southwest Sweet Potatoes

  • Sweet potatoes
  • Red and green sweet peppers
  • Olive oil
  • Ground cumin
  • Corn

Lime Grilled Chicken

  • Chicken breasts
  • Lime juice
  • Cilantro
  • Ground cumin
  • Salt
  • Olive oil

Avocado Salsa

  • Avocado
  • Lime juice
  • Cilantro
  • Red wine vinegar
  • Crushed red pepper
  • Garlic



LETS GET COOKING

The first thing you’re going deal with is your Southwest sweet potatoes. Chop the potatoes into cubes and coat in olive oil and ground cumin. Put them on a tray and bake in the oven at 400F for about 30 minutes.

Once that time is up, take the tray out of the oven and pour on your chopped red and green bell peppers, as well as some corn. Then put the tray back in the oven for another 15 minutes.

While the sweet potato is in the oven, it’s time to prepare your avocado salsa. It shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes. In a bowl, add chopped avocados, a dash of red wine vinegar, a dash of lime juice, chopped cilantro, a shake of crushed red peppers and chopped garlic. Toss gently to mix it up and it’s ready to serve right away.

Now it’s time for the main event. First, you’ve got to marinade your chicken. Grab a sealable plastic bag and throw your meat in with your chopped cilantro, lime juice, ground cumin and a little salt.

Shake it about and allow your breasts to soak up the flavors for 10-15 minutes, then they’re ready to barbecue. To cook them, just throw them on the grill for a few minutes, then turn them over and cook the other sides.

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