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April 14, 2007
One Potato, Two Potatoes...
Potatoes may be one of America's best-loved vegetables, and not merely because French fries are the only kind some people knowingly consume. Even among those of us who eat -- and enjoy -- a variety of vegetables, potatoes rank as favorites. The reasons boil down to these: comfort, ease, and versatility. Plus, of course, flavor. The tuber tastes good. And it couldn't be simpler to prepare -- whether baked, roasted, boiled, or mashed. They need little in the way of cleaning and prepping.
As for versatility, you can do a lot of things with potatoes, and easily. In addition to the basic approaches, they can be turned into a soup, salad, or side dish; thrown into a stew; formed into cakes; and flattered with a seemingly endless array of seasonings and pairings. Adaptability is the advantage of their neutrality and probably the reason why so many standard cookbooks have more options for potatoes than for any other vegetable.
Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
4 cups cubed peeled baking potato (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 garlic clove, sliced
3/4 cup 1% low-fat milk
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon stick margarine or butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Place potato and garlic in a medium saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until tender. Drain. Return potato to pan. Add milk and remaining ingredients; mash with a potato masher.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
CALORIES 176 (21% from fat); FAT 4.2g (sat 1.4g,mono 1.6g,poly 1g); PROTEIN 5.7g; CHOLESTEROL 4mg; CALCIUM 104mg; SODIUM 405mg; FIBER 2.4g; IRON 1.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 29.5g
Parsley Red Potatoes
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups small red potatoes, quartered
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash of crushed red pepper
Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add potatoes; cook 18 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in parsley, salt, and pepper.
Yield: 2 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
CALORIES 162 (26% from fat); FAT 4.7g (sat 0.7g,mono 3.3g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 3.3g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 18mg; SODIUM 304mg; FIBER 2.5g; IRON 1.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 27.7g
Brown Sugar-Glazed Sweet Potato Wedges
1/4 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, cut in half crosswise, and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 400°.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar, water, salt, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon; bring to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Discard cinnamon stick. Combine sugar mixture and potato wedges in a large bowl; toss well to coat. Arrange potato mixture on a large jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes or until tender, stirring after 20 minutes.
Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup)
CALORIES 182 (19% from fat); FAT 3.9g (sat 2.4g,mono 1.1g,poly 0.2g); PROTEIN 1.7g; CHOLESTEROL 10mg; CALCIUM 44mg; SODIUM 211mg; FIBER 3g; IRON 0.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 36.1g
Posted by Lisa at April 14, 2007 09:57 AM
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