Potatoes. We either love them, hate them or love to hate them.
We eat nothing but baked potatoes because we're on a diet.
We won't touch potatoes because we're on a diet.
We live on potatoes because they're so good for us.
We won't touch potatoes because they're wasted calories.
What's a poor spud to do?
Here's the truth of this much-maligned tuber: it's good for us. It's loaded with vitamins C and B6, potassium, copper, manganese and dietary fiber. It offers cardiovascular protection, has a potential for lowering blood pressure and has a variety of phytonutrients with antioxidant activity.
We're the ones that add all of the fat and calories to it with the oil, salt, butter, cheese and sour cream.
When I was growing up boiled potatoes were a part of almost every meal. After leaving my mother's kitchen I followed the fads and switched to brown rice and pasta. Now that I'm almost grown-up the potato has returned to my table.
It started with our year in Ireland. It's true: the Irish eat a lot of potatoes. "Jacket Potato" or baked potato was standard on every menu and not just as a side dish. We saw lots of people have lunch of a salad and jacket potato. Not a 'stuffed twice-baked potato smothered in cheese' like you would see in the U.S. but a plain, old baked potato with, just maybe, one small pat of butter and a bit of salt and pepper.
Okay, I also saw a couple set aside the rice at a Chinese restaurant and scoop their chow mein over a huge platter of French Fries (chips) but I did say they liked potatoes in ALL forms.
But, you say, diabetics aren't supposed to eat potatoes. Wrong.
It's extremely important for a diabetic (as well as non-diabetics) to eat a balanced, varied diet.
Many diabetics need to lose weight... so French Fries would not be an optimum choice on a regular basis.
V doesn't need to lose weight, but, like all diabetics, he does need to control his carbs. So, a burger and fries is not a good choice. The bun or the fries; but not both.
We like potatoes - especially new potatoes. Along with the rice, quinoa, barley and pasta, it fits our diet.
I still don't have a working oven - so here are 2 cook top recipes:
Braised New Potatoes
10 - 12 small new potatoes
1 onion
1 bay leaf (laurel)
1 tbs olive oil
1 cup chicken stock
1 tbs white Balsamic vinegar or white wine tarragon
Chop onion. Heat oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add oil and onion and sauté until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Leave potatoes whole (should be golf ball size or smaller). If using larger potatoes, cut into quarters. Add bay leaf, potatoes, stock and vinegar. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are just tender, about 20 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until stock has reduced to a thick, syrupy glaze, about 15 minutes.
Skillet Roasted New Potatoes
10 - 12 small new potatoes
1 tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
Scrub the new potatoes but leave whole. Heat oil in a medium, nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add new potatoes and sauté 5 minutes, shaking and rolling them about. Reduce heat to low, cover partially and cook for 25 minutes, or until very tender. Sprinkle with salt and serve.
6 - 7 new potatoes will be, roughly, (5oz) 150gr, app. 30gr carbohydrates, or an appropriate amount for the diabetic meal.
