Potato Recipes

Potato Recipes collection

Overview

Potatoes contain many of the essential nutrients that the dietaryguidelines recommend Americans increase in their diet. Potatoes eaten with the skin provide nearly half of the Daily Value for vitamin C and are one of the best sources of potassium and fiber. One medium-sized potato has 100 calories and provides complex carbohydrates needed to fuel our brains and bodies, giving us the energy we need for a busy lifestyle. The challenge now lies in educating Americans about what foods are good sources of these vital vitamins and minerals. The good news is there are many simple and tasty ways to add these nutrients into the diet using potatoes.

Nutrients Low Enough to Be of Concern - And How to Get More of Them

Potassium	Make "smashed" potatoes - mashed in their jackets . Blend a smoothie with nonfat yogurt, a banana and orange juice
Fiber	Turn the family on to whole-grain cereals . Serve their favorite - baked potatoes eaten with the skin . Add beans to salsas and soups
Vitamin E	Serve up a snack of sunflower seeds or almonds . Mix in a little wheat germ when making oatmeal or baking
Calcium	Encourage 2-3 servings of non or low-fat dairy products daily
Magnesium	Offer whole-wheat breads and pastas . Smear peanut butter on celery sticks and apple wedges

It might surprise some to learn that potatoes top the list of the 20 top-selling fruits and vegetables, ranked by amount of potassium they contain according to AC Nielsen (see entire chart, following). One medium potato with skin contains 720 mg of potassium, followed by one medium stalk of broccoli at 540 mg and one medium banana at 400 mg. Foods that are a good source of potassium and low in sodium - such as potatoes - may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.

"High in potassium content is just one more smart reason to include potatoes with skins in a healthful diet," explains Katherine Beals, PhD, RD, FACSM, nutrition consultant for the United States Potato Board. "Potatoes are also an excellent source of vitamin C and bring important B vitamins and fiber. A 5.3-ounce potato has a mere 100 calories and contains no fat or sodium. What's even better is that people love them and want to eat them!"

Today, the potato is so common, plentiful and pervasive in the Western diet that it is taken for granted. We forget that it has only been with us for a few hundred years.

Safety

The potato is part of the nightshade family and as such does have some disagreeable traits. One should never eat anything green from a potato. The leaves and stem are poisonous. Potatoes should be stored in dark, but dry places. Light will cause the formation of solanine on the skin of the potato. Though not likely to cause serious harm, green skinned potatoes can taste bitter and may result in temporary digestive discomfort.

When confronted by green skin on a potato, simply peel it away. Keep as much of the rest of the skin as possible. For this is where most of the vitamins reside. Potatoes are one of the most nutritious staple crops discovered by man. With milk in the diet, it can be a sustaining and healthful source of energy, vitamins and minerals both in times of want and in times of plenty.

Potato Wine or Vodka Lite

Serving Size : 1 Gallon
Ingredients:
3 pounds potatoes
4 pounds sugar
4 ounces of Chopped green or light colored raisins
2 lemons
2 oranges
1 tablespoon yeast (wine yeast works best)
1 teaspoon yeast nutrient (if unavailable use 2 more lemons)

Wash and scrub potatoes remove eyes and black spots. However, do not peel the potatoes. Grate potatoes into large pot and add 3 quarts of water. Bring to a boil and simmer fro a bout 15 minutes. Remove any scum that may be floating on top as it contains impurities you do not want in your wine. Continue to simmer until scum ceases to come up. Place the raisins and sugar into a two gallon (or bigger) container that you can put a lid on. Strain the water onto the raisins. Juice the oranges and lemons. Add yeast nutrient and enough water to make the whole amount into one gallon. Let the juice (also called must) sit for about a week. Make sure it is loosely covered so that air gets out but not in. (The fermentation will ensure that the air pressure forces the air out of the container. Siphon the must into a one gallon container with an airlock. (A balloon with a big mouth can be used in place of the airlock.) Transfer the wine into another gallon jug after about ten days to get rid of the sediment that gathers at the bottom of the jug. Let the wine sit in the
second jug for about 6 months. The wine may then be bottled. Wait another 6 months to drink.

Potato wine can be used in the same way you would use vodka, only it has considerably less alcohol content.

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