Recipes: Healthy Potatoes
Tuscan Style Potato and Chicken Casserole (see above)
Serves 4Total time 25 minutes
Ingredients
300g potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
3 chicken breasts, cut into chunks.
1tbsp olive oil
3 anchovy fillets
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
300ml chicken stock
1tsp fresh sage
1tbsp fresh chopped parley
How to do it
In a large casserole pot add the olive oil, season the chicken and cook until nicely golden then remove from the pan. Add the anchovy, onion, carrot and celery to the pan and cook this until the vegetables are soft, stirring every so often. Next add the chicken back to the pan along with the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes.
Now add the tinned tomatoes, chicken stock and fresh sage and bring to the boil. Once boiling stir in the chopped potatoes turn down to a simmer, pop a lid on and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring every so often until the potatoes feel tender.
Just before serving sprinkle over the parsley and serve.
Baked New Potatoes and Cod En Papillote
Serves 4Total time 20 minutes
Ingredients
400g new potatoes, sliced in half
4 thick cut cod steaks (about 120g each)
100g fresh spinach
1 red pepper, sliced
10g fresh parsley
4 slices of lemon
100ml white wine
20g butter
How to do it
By Oven:
Pre-heat your oven to 180*c / gas 4
Cut 4 large rectangular pieces of non-stick parchment paper, roughly 30cm x 25cm.
Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the potatoes for about 8 minutes, drain.
Take a piece of the parchment and fold in half. Divide the potatoes, pepper and spinach between the parchment paper on one half. Place a cod steak on top then place a slice of lemon on the fish. Season with salt and milled pepper and scatter over the parsley.
Drizzle over the wine and add a dot of butter. Wet the edges of the parchment with water and then seal all the ingredients in a bit like making a Cornish pasty.
Place the parcels onto a baking sheet and cook for about 15-20 minutes depending on how thick your cod is. Place the en papillote on serving plates so you open at the table.
By Microwave:
Cut 4 large rectangular pieces of non-stick parchment paper, roughly 30cm x 25cm.
Cook the potatoes in 100ml of water in the microwave for about 8 minutes, drain.
Take a piece of the parchment and fold in half. Divide the potatoes, pepper and spinach between the parchment paper on one half. Place a cod steak on top then place a slice of lemon on the fish. Season with salt and milled pepper and scatter over the parsley.
Drizzle over the wine and add a dot of butter. Wet the edges of the parchment with water and then seal all the ingredients in a bit like making a Cornish pasty.
Place the en papilotte into the microwave 2 at a time and cook for 10-15 minutes.
Huevos Rancheros
Serves 4Total time 20 minutes
Ingredients
400g potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm dice
1 large onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1tbsp olive oil
100g sweetcorn
1 tsp paprika
1 green chili, sliced
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
4 medium eggs
Fresh coriander
How to do it
By pan:
Boil the potatoes for 6-7 minutes and drain.
In a large frying pan gently cook the onion in the olive oil until softened, add the potatoes and continue cooking until the potatoes just start to crisp a little.
Add the paprika, garlic, sweetcorn and chili and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes. Pour in the tinned tomatoes and bring to a steady simmer. When the potatoes feel tender, season with salt and milled pepper. Make 4 well's in the potato mixture and crack in the eggs. Making sure each egg is surrounded by the lovely potato mixture. Continue cooking until the egg is cooked but yet the yolk is soft, sprinkle with fresh coriander and serve straight from the pan.
Delish served with crisp bread or corn chips.
By Microwave:
Place the potatoes into a bowl with about 100ml of water and cook for about 8 minutes, until they feel tender, drain. Add the olive oil, paprika, onion, garlic and chilli to the potatoes and cook for a further 3 minutes.
Take a medium sized microwavable flat dish and tip the potatoes into it, Mix in the tinned tomatoes and sweetcorn and microwave again for 3-4 minutes. Now make 4 wells in the mix and crack an egg into each well.
Cover and cook again for 2-3 minutes until the egg is cooked to your liking. Serve with chopped fresh coriander, crisp bread, pitta of corn chips.
Mini Hassleback Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic
Serves 4Total time 30 minutes
Ingredients
500g new potatoes
4 sprigs of rosemary
1 garlic bulb
1tbsp olive oil
1tsp sea salt flakes
Fresh milled pepper
How to do it
By oven:
Pre-heat your oven to 190*c / gas 4
Place the potatoes into a pan of boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes, drain and cool.
Now insert a skewer through the middle of the potato. Using a small knife make little cuts through the potato until you hit the skewer. Place the potatoes into a small roasting dish, scatter over the rosemary, break the garlic up and scatter over the potatoes, season with the sea salt and milled pepper and finally drizzle over the olive oil and cook until crisp and golden. About 30 minutes.
Great served with all meats, salads or simply on their own.
One pan Lyonnaise Potato
Serves 4Total time 20 minutes
Ingredients
600g potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 onions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
20g butter (remove if using the microwavable recipe)
350ml beef stock (fresh stock works best but a stock cube is fine)
1tsp thyme leaves
200g leftover roast beef
How to do it
By pan and grill:
The easiest way to slice your potatoes thinly is by way of a mandolin. Alternatively take your time and use a sharp knife making sure your potatoes are of similar size.
Take a medium/large frying pan and melt the butter and once fizzing add the onions and garlic, cook until soft. Remove from the pan.
So to the pan add a layer of potatoes, followed by 1/3 of the beef, 1/3 of the onions and 1/3 of the thyme. Repeat twice building up the layers finishing with a layer of potato.
Pour in the beef stock and pop a lid on and simmer away for about 15 minutes.
As the potatoes are nearer the end of their cooking turn your grill onto high.
Pop the pan under the grill to crisp up the top of the dish and serve.
Twist; if you fancy, replace the beef stock with chicken stock and the leftover beef with left over chicken and cook in the same way.
By microwave:
The easiest way to slice your potatoes thinly is by way of a mandolin. Alternatively take your time and use a sharp knife making sure your potatoes are of similar size.
Place a layer of the potatoes into a medium sized microwavable dish. Add 1/3 of the onions, 1/3 of the beef, 1/3 of the thyme, season with a little salt and milled pepper then repeat the layers twice more finishing with a layer of potatoes.
Pour in the beef stock, cover the dish with either cling film of parchment paper and microwave for 10 minutes. Rest the dish for 5 minutes then microwave again for 5 minutes and serve.
The Ultimate Hash Brown
Serves 4Total time 25 minutes
Ingredients
300g potatoes, peeled
1 large courgette
1 large onion
1 red chili, finely chopped
1 medium egg
1tsp fresh thyme, chopped
2tbsp olive oil
Great served with
Grilled steak and sautéed curly kale
How to do it
On the coarsest side of your grater, grate the potato, courgette and onion into a clean t-towel and squeeze all the excess water out of the vegetables.
Place the vegetables into a large mixing bowl and combine well with the egg, chili and thyme. Season with salt and milled pepper.
Place a large frying pan over a medium-low heat and add 1 tbsp of the olive oil. When hot add the potato mixture, gently pressing to smooth over the top. Leave cooking away for about 7-8 minutes until golden and crisp. Now invert the potato onto a plate, so the crispy side is uppermost, return the pan to the heat. Add the last of the olive oil and when hot slide the potato back into the pan to crisp up the underside.
Whilst this is cooking grill some steak to your liking and steam some curly kale.
Slice the steak over the potato and pop the kale to one side and serve at the table from the pan.
This is also a great potato dish served with crispy bacon, roasted tomato and fried egg or sliced avocado, lime, coriander and sour cream. The choice is yours!
If you don't have a courgette then try using, squash, beetroot, parsnip, or simply keep it as potato.