Soyrizo Country Potato Fiesta!

This month’s staff recipe comes from the kitchen of Louis Perez, Melissa’s longtime roaming retail representative. The dish, created by Louis and wife Anita, came about as their contribution to a Saturday morning breakfast tradition.

“On the first Saturday of each month, my family trades off having breakfast at each of our homes. Much of the conversations at these gatherings for our family always seem to get around to watching weight and health issues,” Louis explained. “So, when it was our turn to host, my wife and I decided to stop talking about it and serve them this healthy potato dish using Melissa’s Soyrizo instead of the traditional chorizo sausage. It was such a big hit that the family now expects it on our Saturdays. I call it Soyrizo Potato Fiesta, though only under my breath; to this day, my family does not even know they are eating Soyrizo. Ha, I guess I will have some explaining to do when they read this!”

Louis and Anita’s dish brought back heart-clogging memories of chorizo-infused campfire breakfasts during my apple broker days visiting orchards in Washington State. The scenery was too beautiful to stay overnight in motels, so I opted for campsites. At least that was the cover story to enjoy a favorite breakfast of chorizo & eggs with greasy fried potatoes over an open fire. Those were nutritionally carefree (and careless) days that eventually caught up.

Soyrizo came along just in time to save many a chorizo-head from the ICU. It’s really the seasonings that make one forget (and forgive) all the inherent nutritional collateral damage that comes with that deliciousness. The reason Louis and Anita are not answering their phone right now is because Soyrizo is the perfect fake! Eat plenty of fruits and veggies to maintain a healthy and well-functioning metabolism; the switch to Soyrizo saves lives! Combining this tasty soy product with the buttery goodness of Dutch Yellow® Potatoes is a much healthier way to start one’s Saturday or any other day of the week!
Louis Perez has been introducing Melissa’s products to retailers across the country for twenty-three years. During the first ten years at Melissa’s, he traveled throughout the whole country, learning and responding to how different states have their own unique and traditional diets. Today, he collaborates with the corporate merchandisers of large chains as well as managers of small independent grocers throughout Southern California. What the consumer sees on display in the fresh produce section is yesterday’s business for Louis. His focus is to educate and inform his accounts on what is coming next, both seasonally and in terms of the new items that Melissa’s is constantly introducing to the marketplace.

“I have seen many changes in my career with Melissa’s. I keep the merchandisers and buyers updated on our unique exotic fruits, tropical fruits, organic vegetables, and fruits, and I introduce new concepts such as plant-based food promotion opportunities. The fact is, it’s not all about steaks and potatoes anymore. As demographics shift and consumers become more concerned about health, retailers must reflect these changes in the products offered. Some of the accounts embrace it and some do not right off, so it’s a matter of being patient and making small erodes where possible. I will say this… those who were slow to adopt the new products and marketing approaches immediately came knocking at our door within five years, asking for help responding to their customers! In the end, the retailer who listens to the consumer will succeed – we try to give them a heads-up on that demand.”

Besides educating retailers during the business week and fooling his family on designated Saturdays, Louis counts three interests that have always given him meaning and pleasure – his church, his baseball memorabilia collection and his books. Louis and Anita met at their church and are quite active in its ministry; son, daughter and son-in-law are also active members of the same congregation. His baseball card collection started when Louis was seven, tagging along with Dad to estate sales and swap meets. Empty nesters cleaning out a son’s old bedroom always netted a shoebox full of cards. He still trades and proudly lists some in his valuable collection: Mickey Mantle, Sandy Koufax, Dan Drysdale, Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Pete Rose, and Roberto Clemente. His teenage son, Louis III, also follows suit with a growing sports memorabilia collection.

“I love reading world history. It really opens your mind, and you see the world bigger than before. I also have a deep passion for reading autobiographies about men and women in the past. Especially people in leadership positions and what made them leaders. Emperors, kings and queens, prime ministers, generals, presidents, sports figures. Especially our forefathers of America. I have always been curious as to what made those leaders different compared to the other leaders in the past who were also all successful. By reading their autobiographies, you get to understand their processes and why they thought that way.”

And speaking of historical figures. When asked if there was any famous person, living or from history, that he would invite to his own table for a meal if he could, Louis was not only quick to answer, but he had already had that meal, more than once and even shared the experience with his son. John Wooden was UCLA’s legendary basketball coach who won 10 NCAA Championships, seven of them in a row. He has been Louis’s idol since he was a teenager.

“When he retired in 1975, after winning his last national championship, I was 15-years-old and I remember saying to myself if there’s a man that I like the meet, it will be John Wooden. Well, that dream came true. I was on a store visit for Melissa’s one day and walked across the street to a café for lunch. When I walked in. Behold. I spotted the legend himself sitting alone having lunch. So, I got up enough courage to introduce myself and mumbled a few words of admiration, though it was awkward. It turns out he was a regular at that café and then he really surprised me by asking me to lunch with him! I told him that will be an honor and he said cut that out, that he was just a human being just like me. At that moment, I knew it was going to be fun talking to him. We met the following week, and I even brought Louis III along to meet the coach. We shared several breakfasts together after that. Sometimes, past players would stop by just to say hi and encourage him as he was getting close to 100 years old. I will never forget the things that he shared with me and the time that we spent together breaking bread, it was like reading a fresh book just listening to him. So, maybe I didn’t get to invite him to my table for a meal, but I was very blessed to be invited to his! It was a big loss in my life when he passed.”

Louis, eventually, you are going to have to answer those calls about your Saturday breakfast ingredient subterfuge. They say the best defense is a good offense, so do not apologize for providing a healthier meal than advertised. I am sure no one is calling to complain about the flavors of your little trick and, after all, isn’t that the whole point?

Soyrizo Country Potato Fiesta!
Serves 4
Ingredients
1½ lbs. of bag Baby Dutch Yellow® Potatoes, quartered
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ Perfect Sweet Onions, small diced
½ Red Bell Peppers, medium dice
½ Green Bell Peppers, medium dice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt & pepper to taste
6 oz. Melissa's Soyrizo (one-half of 12oz. tube)

Preparation
Sauté potatoes in oil with the garlic powder and salt and pepper until cooked through and a little crispy.
Add in the bell peppers and onions, cook until the onion turns translucent.
Then add the Soyrizo, stirring thoroughly to combine and cook with the rest of the mixture.