In Defense of Potatoes (Plus, 12 Potato Recipes)

A few weeks ago, in a post entitled How to Buy the USDA-Recommended 4.5 Cups of Fruits and Vegetables for $2.50 Per Day, I argued against buying corn, lettuce, and potatoes in favor of other vegetables. Also, I may have written the following:

Among the produce counted towards the $2.50 total are 
white potatoes and corn, starchy vegetables not exactly known 
for being powerhouses of vitamins and minerals.

and

Though tasty and inexpensive, 
potatoes are somewhat lacking in the nutrient department.

Several readers called me out on the statements, and rightfully so. Looking back, I gave short shrift to spuds, which are actually quite healthy when not drenched in oil and deep fried. Somewhere, my Irish ancestors are looking down from the heavens, flipping birds and cursing the anti-tater dummy they unknowingly begat – the one who so callously dissed the very calorie-dense food that sustained them through generations of largely absent nutrition. Yep - the very same edible that’s lack drove them clear to another country, if they were lucky enough not to die of starvation first.

In penance, I would like to prove conclusively that potatoes are better than me. Defending spuds will be Liz Conant of the United States Potato Board, a lovely organization dedicated to the advancement of potatoes in American culture. Defending me will be me.

To accomplish this, I've set up a comparative chart, pitting our most prominent qualities against each other in a tater/blogger battle for the ages. Specific criteria are listed in the first column. Liz's answers are in the second column, and mine are in the third. The winner of each is proclaimed in the fourth and final column, and the quantitative victor is named at the end. You have to click on it to read. (Sorry 'bout that.)

As you can see, Liz housed me. Potatoes clearly win Battle CHG, and as such, I rescind my former anti-spud statements. In fact, here are 12 potato recipes to make it up to you:

Baked Loaded Potato Skins
Chili-Spiced Potatoes
Chorizo and Potato Fritata
Dijon Roasted Potatoes
Mashed Potatoes with Leeks and Sour Cream
Meatless Shepherd's Pie
Miso Mashed Potatoes
Pasta with Lemon, Potatoes, and Cannellini
Potato Gnocchi
Potato Leek Soup with Kale
Potato Salad for Rainy Day People
Roasted Red Potatoes

For more information on the potato and its nutritive qualities (which are manifest, I promise), head over to the U.S. Potato Board's website.

Readers, how do you feel about potatoes? When and where do you buy them on sale? What are your favorite potato recipes? Have you ever gone face to face with a potato and lost? Please fire away in the comment section. Oh, and Happy St. Patty's Day!

~~~

If you enjoyed this, you'll also dig:

• "Healthy" Defined! (As Best We Can)
• Rest in Peas: A Working Mother's Guide to Not Making Baby Food
• Winter Squash 101 (Plus 18 Recipes!)

Ask the Internet: Inexpensive Cheese for Cooking?

Today's question comes from reader Alicia N. It's a super good one, especially for all you frommage lovers out there.

Q: What do you use when you need some cheap cheese for cooking? I made a great baked pasta last week and it called for a cup of shredded Jarlsberg. My husband came home from the store and asked me to please stop using $9 cheese. I don't mind splurging on expensive cheese if we are going to eat it on its own ... but it seems silly if we are just going to melt it with something else or make mac-n-cheese out of it. Extra points if it's something I might be able to find already shredded.

From Dominik

A: Alicia, I do three things:

• For cooking, I tend to concentrate on recipes with four main cheeses: Cheddar, Parmesan, mozzarella, and feta. They go on sale the most, I can get good-to-great brands, and they're widely applicable to a huge range of recipes.
• I let the sales be my guide. Rather than planning a dish and then buying the appropriate cheese, I wait until a cheese (any cheese) goes on sale, and plan a dish around that.
• Though I also use shredded cheese on occasion, I find that grating my own blocks isn't just cheaper, but better for most cooking purposes. It melts easier and tastes better, since you don't get the anti-caking grit endemic to bags of the pre-shredded stuff.

Readers, how 'bout choo? I'm thinking this is right in your (cheese)wheelhouse. Does shopping at bulk stores make a difference? Do you combine a pricey cheese with thriftier ones to beef it up? Do tell.

Want to ask the interweb a question? Post one in the comment section, or write to Cheaphealthygood@gmail.com. Then, tune in next Tuesday for an answer/several answers from the good people of the World Wide Net.

Roasted Red Potatoes - The Easiest Recipe of Them All

Every now and then, we get a question from someone just learning to cook, asking which dishes we would suggest for beginners. My first answer is usually Lobster Thermidor a Crevette with a mornay sauce, served in a Provencale manner with shallots and aubergines garnished with truffle pate, brandy and with fried egg on top and spam guacamole. Always edible and frequently divine, it’s tough to mess up, being a no-cook dish with four or five key ingredients. Plus, people love people who make guacamole. If the last census is to be believed, guac is responsible for 30% of all pregnancies, second only to playing Barry White albums on repeat.

But this post isn’t about guacamole. (Fooled you!) It’s about other stuff, starting with the rest of the easy recipe list. After guac, it goes like this: refried beans, eggs, salsa, banana ice cream, chili, soup, and finally, the reason we’re all here today, roasted potatoes.

Practically effortless and more reliable than even a good bra (trust me, guys), roasted potatoes are an all-natural alternative to frozen fries, tots, and various ephemera. The high temperature and longer cooking time produces soft and tender insides with a crisp outer skin, just like nature and the cavemen who invented fire intended. Children and non-children alike love roasted potatoes, and the spuds are suitable for, really, any kind of meal. Serve them for breakfast, second breakfast, brunch, lunch, dunch, dinner, or as a midnight snack, making sure you turn the oven off before you hop into bed with your bounty.

For everyday roasting, I dig red potatoes, though russets (Idaho) and Yukon golds are also quite nice. But reds - velvety with a skin that caramelizes ever-so-slightly - reds are a treat on par with good magazines at the dentist’s office, or your professor canceling a final because his kid got a carrot stuck up his nose. (Note: This actually happened.)

This recipe for Roasted Red Potatoes is about as basic as it gets. You can add some chili powder, cayenne, or minced herbs for effect (rosemary is suggested here), but there’s no real need unless you’re feeling inspired. Though I’ve never had any leftovers, I presume they’d hold up when reheated, and could provide an excellent base for home fries.

To sum: easy, tasty, versatile, healthy, and cheap (which: forgot to mention). Maybe they should be #1 on that Beginners list.

~~~

If these look like you’d have a bunch, then complete your easy meal with:

• Chicken and Mushroom Marsala
• Golden Shredded Brussels Sprouts
• Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

~~~

Roasted Red Potatoes
Serves 4

2 pounds (about 4 medium) red potatoes, scrubbed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary (optional)

1) Set rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and spray with cooking spray.

2) Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Cut each half in lengthwise again. Cut each quarter into slices, from 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch in width.

3) In a medium bowl, combine potatoes, olive oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary if using. Stir thoroughly to combine. Pour on to baking sheet in a single layer, making sure to spread potatoes out so they roast and don’t steam.

4) Cook 20 minutes. Stir potatoes. Cook an additional 15-20 minutes, until sides are browned. Remove and serve hot.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price Per Serving
223 calories, 7 g fat, 3.9 g fiber, 4.3 g protein, $0.54

Calculations
2 pounds (about 4 medium) red potatoes: 653 calories, 0.9 g fat, 15.4 g fiber, 17.1 g protein, $1.94
2 tablespoons olive oil: 239 calories, 27 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.21
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $0.01
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $0.01
TOTAL: 892 calories, 27.9 g fat, 15.4 g fiber, 17.1 g protein, $2.17
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): 223 calories, 7 g fat, 3.9 g fiber, 4.3 g protein, $0.54

Saturday Throwback: Last-Minute Little Dinners for One - Tips, Ideas, and 25 Recipes

Every Saturday, we post a piece from the CHG archives. Today's comes from March 2009, right after St. Patrick's Day.

A few months ago, our own Jaime posted a piece called Little Meals for One. It was a brief, well thought-out article all about simple, small-scale home cooking. I loved it, as did many readers who were looking for both inspiration and validation. (A spoonful of peanut butter IS TOO a meal, dangit.)

Because sometimes? You just want food in your mouthhole. You want it in a single portion, and you want it a.s.a.p. Why? Well, maybe you’re late coming home from the office. Maybe it’s a lazy Sunday afternoon in August, and you have no great urge to further heat your already-sweltering apartment with a 450ºF oven. Maybe you’re just really hungry, and whipping up a whole lasagna for one person seems totally freaking insane.

Unfortunately, quick, single-portion recipes are hard to come by, probably because it’s difficult to prepare most gourmet meals in smaller serving sizes. So, how do you do it? How do you make a convenient, speedy meal without resorting to A) expensive and unhealthy processed food, B) takeout, or C) licking crumbs off your kitchen floor?

Well, first, it’s good to keep tricks these in mind:

1. Keep your refrigerator, pantry, and freezer stocked with food easily portioned into small servings: eggs, cheese, pasta, etc.
2. When you buy bigger packages of food (meat, veggies, etc.), portion them off in smaller grab-and-go bags as soon as you arrive home from the supermarket.
3. Look for recipes where you broil, grill, steam, sauté, boil, and microwave. Avoid recipes where you roast, braise, soak, brine, or marinate.
4. Keep low-cost, high-impact condiments and ingredients handy. Stuff like soy sauce, capers, olives, roasted red peppers, parmesan, curry powder/sauce, Dijon mustard, and horseradish can lend big flavor to tiny dishes in a hurry.
5. Don’t limit yourself to traditional dinner cuisine. Breakfast and lunch foods taste just as good at 7pm.
6. Don’t limit yourself to traditional American cuisine. Soups, curries, and stir fries are healthier and just as fast as burgers and hot dogs.
7. Consider raw fruits and vegetables for side dishes. They’re healthy as all get out, and take zero time to prepare.
8. Load up your freezer to your heart’s content. Frozen meats and produce can be defrosted quickly and cooked even faster. Consider canned versions of certain foods, as well, but be discerning when it comes to both sodium content and taste.
   
9. Before you do anything, scan your fridge for ideas and ingredients. Bits and pieces can become ingredients in larger, more delicious meals.
10. Speaking of bits and pieces, consider using many smaller foods to create one large meal. Eggs, a piece of fruit, and a side of refried beans never killed anyone.
11. Most of all, K.I.S.S. (Keep it Simple, Sistah)
    

After that, it’s always a good idea to refer to the basics: a.k.a. Dinners You Learned to Make When You Were 12. Often, these are the easiest options because you already have the ingredients on hand AND you're familiar with the foods. Like:

• Bagels (with low-fat cream cheese, lox, butter, PB&J, etc.)
• Baked potatoes
• Breads (with dips, cheese, veggies, or quick soups)
• Chicken or turkey sausages
  
• Cottage cheese
• Couscous mixed with anything (chopped vegetables, beans, etc.)
• Crackers with toppings of your choice
• Eggs (omelets, scrambled, sandwiches, baked, etc.)
• Fruit
• Grilled or broiled chicken or pork tenders
• Mashed black, pinto, or cannellini beans
• Oatmeal (sweet or savory, a la Mark Bittman)
• Pasta (with sauce, vegetables, cheese, etc.)
• Pierogies (boiled/steamed)
• Pizza bagels/English Muffin pizzas
• Portobello mushrooms
  
• Raw vegetables with simple dips (hummus, baba ghanouj, etc.)
• Rice mixed with vegetables and/or salsa
• Salads (vegetables, fruit, bean, or otherwise)
• Sandwiches (hummus, PB&J, grilled cheese)
• Shish kabobs (meat, veggies, or fruit broiled on a stick)
• Smoothies
• Steamed or sautéed veggies
• Stir fry
• Turkey burgers
• Wraps and/or soft tacos
  
• Yogurt
  

If those fail to float your boat, you might want to do a quick search for some recipes around the web, using the terms "Meals for one," "single serving," or "15 minutes or less." Here are some fast, simple, cheap, healthy suggestions from CHG. All of them can easily be rescaled to feed one person.

• Autumn Apple Salad
• Baked Eggs
• Black-Eyed Pea Salad
• Bodega Beans
• Broiled Eggplant Japonaise
• Creamy Parmesan Orzo
• Egg Drop Soup
• Egg McMuffins
• Eggplant Mini Pizzas
• Garlicky Broccoli Rabe
• Grape and Feta Salad with Rosemary
• Hummus
• Light Chinese Chicken and Broccoli
• Light Garlic Bread
• Miso Soup
• Moroccan Beet Green Omelet
• North African Style Chickpea Salad
• Pancakes (Buttermilkand Whole Wheat Buttermilk)
• Parmesan-crusted Portobello Mushrooms
• Pea Soup
• Polenta
• Refried Beans
• Roasted Asparagus with Poached Egg and Parmesan
• Shaksouka (Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce)
• Stuffed Peppers

Sweet readers, how about you? What do you eat when you need something small, fast, and nutritionally sound? Do tell. Let's make this the biggest single meal list, ever.

Top Ten Links of the Week: 3/4/11 - 3/10/11

Many thoughts and well-wishes going out to Japan today. To my knowledge, the Red Cross is not taking donations yet (11am EST), but are staying abreast of the situation. Check their updates here.

And with that, the links.

1) The Awl: How to Split a Check at a Restaurant
This one was all over the interwebs this week, since writer Neel Shah offered up somewhat controversial advice on footing a dining bill. He says if you’re under 25, you pay for what you ate. If you’re over 25, you split the check equally. Naturally, this isn’t fair to non-drinkers, but there’s an alluring simplicity to having everyone cough up the same amount of dough. Opinions?

2) Food Politics: The perils of food nutrition and resesarch
Marion Nestle explains how she discerns good food research from bad food research, and maybe, how we should, too. She mentions three criteria: biological plausibility, factoring for other influences, and the study’s sponsor.

Wiki Commons my100cans

3) USA Today: Is it healthy to drink diet soft drinks? The answer is fizzy.
That study Nestle was specifically referring to? Is this one. There's an observational link between diet soda and an increase in risk for strokes and heart attacks. Is it genuine? I'm not sure, but will tell you after I finish this lovely Diet Pepsi.

4) New York Times: Creamy, Brothy, Earthy, Hearty
Mark Bittman gives up 12 vegetable soup recipes, that honestly, you can extrapolate into an infinite number of slightly different dishes with the mere addition or subtraction of a few select ingredients. Also, I wonder if he based the title on The Who’s Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy album. Also, derf.

5) Get Rich Slowly: The GRS Garden Project – February 2011
JD and his wife Kris are starting their yearly garden project up again. If you ever wanted to see how lucrative growing your own produce can be, both in a fiduciary and flava sense, this monthly series is a must-read

6) Walletpop: Top 10 Fruits With the Most Nutritional Bang for Your Buck
It’s a quick list, but as those things go, it’s a good one.

7) stonesoup: 3 uber-simple lunches you can make at work in less time than it takes to go out and buy something
Think you don’t have time to cook yourself a delicious meal? Not so fast, bucko.

8) Money Saving Mom: What do you do when you don’t feel like being frugal anymore?
Short, to-the-point three-step post about what to do when you feel like taking a break. Great advice within.

9) New York Times: In New Food Culture, a Young Generation of Farmers Emerges
(And they’re all really, really hot.) Agriculture is the new culture, period, as many independent croppers are youths in their ‘20s and ‘30s. The downside: money. As in, there ain’t none.

10) Village Voice: Is it Okay to Eat My Stinky Food in the Office?
Ack. No! Okay, maybe. But it depends on the stink. Don’t go cracking open a durian by my desk, or I will staple you to a manila folder.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Consumerist: Grow Your Own Everlasting Salad
Gardening tips, great title.

New York Magazine: Best of Food Issue
And the winner is: all of us.

Time Magazine: A Food Fight in the Budget Debate
More on the budget cuts, and how they could affect federal food departments.

AND ALSO

Paula Deen Riding Things
Scratch that. The winner is the internet. If you haven't seen this site yet ... Paula herself approves.

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