Food for Thought: Benefits of Holiday Foods
The Potato Edition
The holidays are fast approaching, and many of us can’t wait to have our favorite meals of the year. One of the most versatile and yet underrated editions to most people’s holiday tables is the potato. Though potatoes are not considered the most nutritious of vegetables, that is simply not the case. The potato itself is low in sodium, fat, and is cholesterol free. They are native to the America’s, and are in the nightshade family and packed with vitamins and minerals. They also come in lots of varieties; about 4,000 actually.
Knowing which potato to use for the kind of dish you are preparing is important—with so many to choose from it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Let’s explore the 6 common types we find in our local grocers and how best to use them.
My personal favorite: the sweet potato! They tend to be larger, heavier, and starchier than most potatoes and, as the name suggests, a bit on the sweeter side. They can range in coloring from orange to yellow to purple or even beige. Because they contain more starch and sugar, they are versatile in the ways they can be prepared such as blended into soups, steamed, roasted, or pureed.
Russet potatoes which happen to be northern Maine’s primary agricultural product are actually a family of potatoes that share the russet-colored skin. They are of the starchy variety and are great baked but also as mashed potatoes and French fries! They do best when peeled.
The Yukon Gold potato is buttery, smooth, slightly sweet potato with a waxy texture. They are best for boiling, baking, pan frying, roasting, and grilling. Perhaps one of the most versatile varieties.
Red potatoes tend to be small to medium sized. They are waxy in texture and have a mild buttery/earthy flavor. They are great for soups, stews and salads because they hold their shape during cooking.
Fingerling potatoes are small, stubby, and you guessed it finger-shaped. Fingerlings come in a variety of colors including yellow-skinned, pink-skinned, and purple skinned. They usually have an earthy or nutty flavor and are great for roasting or grilling. Most common uses are in salads.
Lastly, Adirondack Blue which can range in color from a light lavender to a dark blue almost black. They have a dense texture making them wonderful for mashing or roasting. Try pairing next to a dark green vegetable like broccoli and you have a colorful plate!
A common debate in households around the big holiday meals is sweet potato vs. the Yam. Yam’s are entirely different root vegetables and are rather difficult to find in most local grocers. They have a tough and bumpy brown skin that is starchy and the flesh isn’t sweet. It more closely resembles a yucca (we can go into those later). Yam’s actually are more comparable to russet potatoes with similar textures and a more neutral flavor. Sweet potatoes are lower in calories and contain more vitamin C. However, Yams have more potassium and both contain B vitamins.
If you are looking for some different ways to use potatoes this season give these recipes a try!
Horseradish Mashed Potatoes
3-4 russet potatoes (more for larger groups), peeled and chopped
1 stick of butter
½ cup of milk
1 cup of sour cream
3tbsp prepared horseradish
Salt & pepper
In a large pot, fill with cold water and salt. Add chopped & peeled potatoes and bring to boil. Cook potatoes until tender and can be pierced with a fork (16-18 mins). While potatoes are cooking, melt butter in the milk. Strain. Mash potatoes (stand mixer works well here) add the warmed milk with butter until mixture is creamy. Then stir in sour cream, horseradish, salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chives.
Roasted Red Potatoes & Green Beans with Lemon Dijon Sauce
1-2lbs red potatoes
1-2lbs green beans
¼ cup olive oil
1/3 cup Dijon mustart
2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt & Pepper
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Half or quarter the potatoes depending on size. Place on a baking sheet. Whisk together olive oil, lemon, and Dijon mustard and pour half the mixture over the potatoes. Bake for 20 minutes. While potatoes are roasting toss the green beans in the remaining sauce and set to the side. After 20 minutes add the green beans to the sheet pan and cook for another 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Serve warm.
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes & Beets with Garlic
1-2lbs fingerling potatoes
1-2 fresh beets
8 cloves of garlic
Fresh thyme
1 cup favorite Italian dressing
Salt & Pepper
Pre-heat over to 400 degrees. Peel and chop beets to similar size as potatoes. Combine potatoes, beets, garlic, chopped fresh thyme, salt & pepper and Italian dressing in a bowl. Stir until all the vegetables are well coated. Spread on to a sheet pan and roast for 45 minutes or until beets and potatoes are tender. Serve warm.