For flavor, versatility, and affordability you just can’t beat potatoes. Rich in important nutrients, potatoes contain more potassium than bananas and nearly half of your daily vitamin C requirements. Add to this the fact that you will find no cholesterol, fat, or sodium in what some simply call spuds and you begin to wonder why potatoes get a bad rap.
If you avoid topping them with sour cream, butter, or other assorted fat-filled ingredients, you can enjoy 150, guilt-free calories and five grams of fiber every time you eat one medium baked potato!
You can find potatoes in a variety of sizes, shapes, and varieties and although the nutritional profile will vary slightly for each, it’s hard to find a healthier choice than the humble potato.
This post is sponsored by Garden Spot Vegetable Farm. Located in Princeville, Illinois, owner, Jim Buckley and his family, cultivate 34 acres of vegetables and 375 fruit trees. Garden Spot is a no-spray farm, offering a variety of CSA packages. Check their Facebook page for current programs and options for available produce.
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When my grocery budget is tight, I automatically stock up on potatoes. I feed my family of six for just $375 year-round. So, finding real-food products at great prices is incredibly important to me.
What’s So Great About Potatoes?
- Potatoes fill you up because of their high fiber content.
- Potatoes will not pack on the pounds if you combine them with healthy ingredients.
- There are literally hundreds of ways to prepare potatoes. So your family won’t get bored.
- There is no waste. You can eat the entire plant, including the skin. (The skin is only recommended if the potato is organic or no-spray).
- You can use leftovers in creative ways to make another meal.
- Potatoes contain 60 different phytochemicals.
- They are heart-healthy.
- They come in various colors, making a beautiful presentation.
- They keep a long time (several weeks – up to several months in a cool, dark, dry space).
Recipes
Here are some recipes which I have made recently, featuring potatoes as a main ingredient. You’ll see that they are perfect for everything from appetizers and main dishes to soups and salads.
Baked samosas
If you like curry, you’ll love these! Traditional samosas are fried in oil. These are baked, saving a multitude of calories. The recipe suggests a chutney to accompany it. We found that a mango hot pepper salsa was perfect for us. The recipe made 20 nice-sized samosas. As an appetizer, it would serve 4-6.
Dairy-free Dill Potato Salad
The 15 year old sous chef and I have been hankering for some good old-fashioned potato salad. This delicious potato salad is both flavorful and healthy. A creamy, flavorful delight and, yet, it contains absolutely no eggs or dairy, you won’t believe how it gives you that same decadent, mouth-feel without weighing you down with too much fat. We added some chopped red pepper, because everything is better with red pepper.
Do yourself a favor and make a double batch. It will go fast!
Burgundy Stew
French in origin, this hearty stew usually contains beef, braised in red wine. Our version features mushrooms (I used white mushrooms) and fresh veggies in veggie broth with either red wine or grape juice. Your choice. Either is delicious! Garnish with fresh herbs and serve with cornbread.
Potatoes and Green Beans with Carrot Top Pesto
This recipe was devised because I remembered the potato and green bean dish that my mother made all the time when I was growing up. She added bacon or ham for flavor. As a vegan, I use liquid smoke, instead.
DIRECTIONS: Cook some diced onion and garlic in a pan with a little water until the veggies are softened. Add diced red potato and green beans. Add about a cup of water to the bottom of the pan so that the potatoes and beans don’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Cook on medium heat for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through. Add onion powder, garlic powder, and salt free seasoning (your choice). About 1 tsp. of liquid smoke will give it a “meaty” feel with no added fat or cholesterol. Stir in about 1/4-1/2 cup of carrot top pesto. Serve warm.
Slow-Cooker Cream-less Potato Soup
I was a little unsure of this recipe when I first saw it. It seemed simple. Nope! It was creamy and flavorful! Divine!
I made the recipe as Kathy Hester designed it, but, I doubled the recipe to serve 8 instead of 4. I wish I had tripled it. Seriously! It was that good!
Curried Potatoes
This taste sensation was the 15 year old sous chef’s choice. It combines cooked potatoes with seasoning, curry powder, nutritional yeast, and non-dairy milk. I could NOT believe how easy it was to make or how delicious it was! The recipe can be found in The China Study All Star Cookbook.
Potato Croquettes
It had been so long since I’d made them, I’d forgotten all about these glorious bits of heaven. These are like homemade tater tots. Crisp on the outside and warm and soft on the inside, they remind you of your childhood, but without the excess oil, fat, and calories of the mass manufactured version! Here’s the link. Yum!
Potato Latkes
For our Jewish friends, these are a staple of Hanukkah! My mother made these when I was growing up to stretch leftover baked or mashed potatoes to feed our family for a second meal. This recipe uses raw, grated potatoes, but you could easily substitute leftover baked potatoes as the base for these lovely, golden pancakes. I used egg substitute instead of whole eggs.
I don’t cook with oil. So, I did a little experimenting. I threw half of them into a non-stick skillet and browned them on both sides on medium heat. The other half, I patted them into balls, rolled them in a little extra flour, and baked them in my air fryer for 14 minutes at 400 degrees. I turned them half way through the cooking time. They were both good. But, the air fried version won the texture and taste contest.
