INEXPENSIVE HEALTHY EATS: POTATOES
September 29th 2009 17:59
The noble inexpensive and healthy potato is highly underrated
as a main course selection. At home, one can easily cook
a nutritious, creative meal for under US$2.
Presently, potatoes are one of the most inexpensive items available
for purchase in supermarkets' produce sections, particularly if
bought in large five, ten or even 50 pound bags.
The beauty of potatoes are: they are easy to store, requiring no
refrigerator space. They do well in dry, cool cupboards, closets
or basements. The biggest concern is to keep the rodents of the
night away from them by storing them in plastic or metal containers.
For a quick, filling meal it's hard to beat a baked potato or two
topped with say melted butter and sour cream. To add a little
flair and more vitamins, add chopped spinach or broccoli, crumbled
bacon bits and perhaps a dollop of homemade cheese sauce.
Then you have your traditional mashed potatoes which even most kids
like to eat. There's no rule that says cooks can't add other goodies
to the mashed potato mix--various veggies, sauces and spices.
What's nice about cooking up a patch of traditional baked potatoes
in a dry heat oven is the left overs can be peeled, sliced and fried
up for home fries for breakfast.
Of course, it's usually cheaper, energy use wise to cook potatoes
in the microwave rather than a traditional oven, but if you prefer the
texture of baked potatoes fresh from the oven, try skewering the
potatoes with metal shish kabob rods to speed the cooking
process along.
North America is fortunate to have an abundance of low cost potatoes
available in food markets, year after year. For those with garden space,
potatoes are easy to grow and do not require much in the way of
maintenance like prima donna tomatoes do.
Cookbooks, especially German ones, abound with creative potato
recipes to try. If you like to eat healthy and cheap, give the noble
potato a second chance to please your palate.
as a main course selection. At home, one can easily cook
a nutritious, creative meal for under US$2.
Presently, potatoes are one of the most inexpensive items available
for purchase in supermarkets' produce sections, particularly if
bought in large five, ten or even 50 pound bags.
The beauty of potatoes are: they are easy to store, requiring no
refrigerator space. They do well in dry, cool cupboards, closets
or basements. The biggest concern is to keep the rodents of the
night away from them by storing them in plastic or metal containers.
For a quick, filling meal it's hard to beat a baked potato or two
topped with say melted butter and sour cream. To add a little
flair and more vitamins, add chopped spinach or broccoli, crumbled
bacon bits and perhaps a dollop of homemade cheese sauce.
Then you have your traditional mashed potatoes which even most kids
like to eat. There's no rule that says cooks can't add other goodies
to the mashed potato mix--various veggies, sauces and spices.
What's nice about cooking up a patch of traditional baked potatoes
in a dry heat oven is the left overs can be peeled, sliced and fried
up for home fries for breakfast.
Of course, it's usually cheaper, energy use wise to cook potatoes
in the microwave rather than a traditional oven, but if you prefer the
texture of baked potatoes fresh from the oven, try skewering the
potatoes with metal shish kabob rods to speed the cooking
process along.
North America is fortunate to have an abundance of low cost potatoes
available in food markets, year after year. For those with garden space,
maintenance like prima donna tomatoes do.
Cookbooks, especially German ones, abound with creative potato
recipes to try. If you like to eat healthy and cheap, give the noble
potato a second chance to please your palate.
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