Tip of the week

Frenchy’s “Potatoes salad”

Potato salad

Hello Foodies,

Today’s recipe is about the Humble “potato salad”. They are so many ways to make a good potato salad. Depending of the variety of potato you choose, the ingredients you add to your salad and the dressing you use to bind all the flavours together. Ideal as a side dish anytime of the year but more so popular in summer with you BBQ.

The German are claiming the origin of the potato salad. “why not? I say”.  The origin of the potato is from South America and I read it was used more than 10 000 years ago… Hard to believe? “I agree” how do we know that? The “Spud”, the potato comes in 4000 varieties across the globe. It has become a staple food for many European country and if you do not know that, this is how Vodka used to be made of too.

According to me, the best potato salad I have ever encountered was made of “Kipfler” potatoes. You can also use “Desiree, Nadine, King Edward, Dutch cream, Sebago or the purple potato”. Or, you could just make it with the in vogue “Sweet potato”.

Click on the link Below to be directed to the full printable and adjustable recipe for your number of guests.

Potato and Potato skin

Is potato good for us ?? should I peel or eat the skin?

Worldwide the government of health recommends that adults consume between 2 and 3 cups of vegetables daily. This total intake should include a variety of vegetables, mostly greens but also ranging from fibrous leafy greens to starchier vegetables like potatoes (a good carbohydrate if cooked properly, I mean in a healthy way).

Can t be bother peeling your potatoes???

Well don’t then….

Potato skins contribute to your vegetable intake for the day and offer a number of health benefits, especially when prepared using healthy cooking methods such as boiling, steaming or even roasting (as long as you do not use to much fat, but a bit of olive oil is fine).One of the benefits of eating potato skins is increased potassium intake.

So, whats Potassium does to your body?

 This mineral helps your body carry out chemical reactions, including reactions used to fuel your metabolism and help your cells generate useable energy from the food you eat. Potassium also plays a role in the electrical impulses transmitted by your nervous system and helps your muscles contract to facilitate movement. among other things, Potassium helps muscles contract, helps regulate fluid and mineral balance in and out of body cells, and helps maintain normal blood pressure by limiting the effect of sodium. Potassium also may reduce the risk of recurrent kidney stones and bone loss as we age.

Potato skins also provide a source of iron, another essential mineral. Iron’s primary function involves supporting red blood cell function. These cells contain large amounts of haemoglobin, a protein that binds to oxygen from the air you breathe, then carries that oxygen throughout your body. This is essential for providing energy for daily life.

Eating potato skins benefits your health by providing a source of niacin, also called vitamin B-3. Like potassium, niacin helps your cells break down nutrients into useable fuel. It also plays a role in cell communication and new cell development and helps your cells recover from physiological stress.  Besides providing energy to the cells from the entire body, niacin is also responsible for the integrity of these cells. Niacin have been shown to Lowers Cholesterol Levels.

However,….

Despite the nutrient content of potato skins, many restaurant versions of potato skin dishes can wreak havoc on your diet and your health. Avoid potato skins that has been deep fried or loaded with high-fat and high-sodium ingredients, like mayonnaise, tartare sauce, cheese and bacon.

Instead, prepare healthy potato skins at home by filling the skins with chopped steamed broccoli, fresh herbs (parsley, chives, dill, thyme, rosemary) and natural Greek yogurt or even a nice pesto or salsa Verde or cruda. Avoid cooking methods that require the addition of oils, such as deep-frying and shallow frying. Instead, simply bake your potato skins in the oven without the use of oil just on a bed of rock salt.

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