All About Potatoes
Potatoes are a starchy vegetable and are widely available year-round across the country. In fact, potatoes are the most-eaten vegetable in the United States!
The way potatoes are prepared is important. Fried potatoes, like french fries, often contain lots of unhealthy fats and salt. Boiled potatoes can lose some of their nutrients as they cook. When boiling potatoes, leave the skin on until they are fully cooked to help preserve the most nutrients possible.
In addition to being easy to find, potatoes also contain several nutrients that our bodies need to keep working properly.
- Potatoes are a great source of potassium. They contain more potassium per serving than many other fruits and vegetables, including bananas! Potassium helps your nerves and muscles work properly and is important for a healthy heart.
- Potatoes are also full of fiber. Getting the right amount of fiber can help reduce your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, and helps you feel full for longer.
- Potatoes also contain vitamin C, which helps build our bones, teeth, cartilage, skin, and blood vessels. Vitamin C is also an important part of a healthy immune system.
There are many varieties of potatoes, and they all contain slightly different types and amounts of nutrients depending on their variety and where they were grown. Another difference between potato varieties is the type of cooking that works best for each!
- White potatoes are always a good choice if you aren’t sure what you plan to make yet. They taste good baked, boiled, and fried!
- Russet potatoes are great for baking, but not for soups and stews as they will fall apart in the liquid.
- Red-skinned potatoes are great boiled, roasted, or lightly fried.
- Yellow potatoes are great for boiling because they hold their shape, which means they’ll do well in potato salads, soups, and stews. Yellow potatoes are also great mashed as they are softer and lighter than russet and white potatoes.
- Blue or purple potatoes are best baked, so they don’t lose their cool colors!
Finally, sweet potatoes are plentiful in North Carolina and are a great source of Vitamin A. Try swapping regular potatoes for sweet potatoes in a recipe!
Corn, Tomato, Avocado & Arugula Salad with Salmon Patties
Enjoy some of summer’s major produce with the enhanced flavor of a two ingredient vinaigrette for a breezy meal. You can serve this salad with any grilled protein but this dish pairs well with these salmon patties.
Serves 4
Salmon Patty Ingredients:
- 1 12-14 oz can of salmon
- 2 slices whole wheat bread, hand torn
- 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Salad Ingredients:
- 2 ears of fresh corn on the cob
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 large tomatoes, quartered
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 bag of arugula (about 5 ounces)
Salmon Patty Directions:
1. In a medium sized bowl, add the hand torn bread and drain the salmon directly over the bread.
2. Add the chopped parsley, egg, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and Dijon mustard to the bowl.
3. Using a fork, combine all ingredients, making sure all the pieces of the salmon and bread are grounded together. The mixture should be dense.
4. Using your hands, form the mixture into balls.
5. Add the one tablespoon of olive oil to a large sauté pan and pan sear each patty for one minute per side.
6. While the salmon patties are cooking, ready a paper-towel lined plate.
7. When the patties are cooked to 160˚ F, remove from pan and set aside on paper-towel lined plate.
Salad Directions:
1. In a large pot bring 2 quarts of water to boil. Add the cobs of corn and cook for four minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, and pepper and whisk together.
3. Add the tomatoes and avocado. Gently toss so that they are coated with the vinaigrette.
4. Using tongs, remove the corn from the boiling water and allow them to cool for about five minutes. Use a sharp knife on a stable cutting board and cut the kernels off the corn. (You can freeze the corn husk to use for a vegetable stock.)
5. Add the corn kernels and the arugula to the salad. Toss to combine.
6. Serve immediately with salmon patties.
Peach Buckle
Makes 12 servings
Serving Size: 1 muffin
Ingredients
- Non-stick cooking spray
- 5-6 very ripe peaches
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 ̊F. Spray unlined muffin tin with cooking spray.
2. Peel, slice, and chop peaches. Reserve all juice from peaches.
3. In a small cup or bowl, whisk cornstarch into peach juice until thoroughly combined with no lumps. Pour juice mixture over peaches and stir. Let sit for 5 minutes.
4. Divide fruit and juice mixture among muffin cups.
5. In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients with a whisk or fork.
6. Add egg to dry ingredients and mix with a fork until mixture forms into large crumbles.
7. Spoon crumble mixture over peaches.
8. Drizzle melted butter evenly over crumble of each muffin (about 1 teaspoon) 9. Bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly and top is brown.
Recipe contributed by Rhonda Church, NC EFNEP Educator
Nutrition Information Per Serving: 103 Calories, Total Fat 5g, Saturated Fat 2g, Protein 2g, Total Carbohydrate 15g, Dietary Fiber 2g, Sodium 160mg. Excellent source of vitamin A.
Chicken Cutlet with Cucumber and Greens
Chicken cutlet is a year-round favorite and a simple way to get more bang for your buck. One boneless skinless chicken breast makes for two hefty cutlets when pounded thin. The surprising addition of crackers goes the distance by adding both crunch and flavor. When paired with a simple summer salad – one full of fresh cucumbers – this meal is sure to be on the summer-time menu plan.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- 10 whole-wheat ritz crackers or saltines, pounded to crumbs
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 lemon, zested, then juiced
- 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 bag mixed greens (about 5 ounces)
- 1 cucumber
Directions:
1. On a plate or shallow bowl combine the flour, half the salt, and half the pepper. Mix to combine.
2. One a separate plate, add the egg, and zest from one lemon. Mix until fairly beaten, without any streaks of white.
3. On a third plate, add the crushed crackers. (This is a three-step breading station.)
4. Slice the chicken breast in half horizontally and season with salt and pepper.
5. Cover with an ample layer of plastic wrap. Using a rolling pin or the back of the sauté pan (that will be used for pan-searing the chicken breast) pound the chicken until it looks like it has doubled in size, but not thickness. Repeat this process for the other half of the chicken breast. Place them on a cutting board
6. Place a large skillet on medium heat and add the olive oil.
7. Dredge one piece of the chicken in the flour, then egg, then crackers and place into the skillet. Repeat for the other chicken breast. Wash hands throughly after handling raw chicken.
8. Cook the chicken in a single layer, so that neither breast is touching. Cook for 5 minutes per side, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165˚ F. Once cooked, transfer the chicken onto a paper towel lined plate.
9. Cut the cucumber and add it to a large bowl. For added appeal, peel the cucumber alternately then cut it in half half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and then cut horizontally into crescent shapes.
10. Add the remaining salt, pepper, oil, and lemon juice and toss to combine.
11. Add the mixed greens to the bowl and toss to combine. Serve next to the chicken cutlets.
Cooking with Kids
Getting kids into the kitchen is an important way to help them learn about healthy foods, meal preparation, and food safety. Having your children help with meals when they are young will prepare them to choose and cook healthy foods for themselves when they are older. Cooking together is also a great way to get more time with your kids!
When cooking with kids, remember that they may need more instructions since they have less experience. It’s especially important to remind them to practice food safety, like washing their hands after touching raw foods, keeping different food groups separate, and cooking meats to the correct temperature.
An easy way to do this is to include food safety instructions in your recipe. On written recipes, make notes that remind you to wash your hands, sanitize your knife and cutting board after they touch raw foods, and note the correct cooking temperature for the food used in the recipe. If you are giving your child verbal instructions, make these steps part of the process instead of just telling them before starting.
You may also need to remind kids to clean their cooking space as they go. This includes throwing away fruit and vegetable peels and turning the heat down if things are cooking too quickly. Kids, especially young children, don’t always notice the same things as adults!
If your child is not a big fan of cooking, try some of these fun ideas to keep them interested and engaged:
- Make it a competition. If you have multiple children close to the same age, have them each make the same recipe and compare the results. Or, have the kids team up and compete against you.
- Let them be creative. Challenge your kids to do something surprising with the dish, like add food coloring or include a different seasoning. Kids are full of ideas and learn by trying, so let them get a little funky (with supervision, of course!)
- Give age-appropriate tasks. When kids help you in the kitchen, give them something interesting to do. Older kids can chop, peel, wash, and cook. Younger kids can stir, pour, measure, and mix. You can also ask elementary-age kids to read you the recipe. This lets them practice reading and helps them learn measurements.
- Choose a theme. Have older kids plan and cook a meal to fit a theme they choose. They could go with a favorite TV show, animal, color, or even a pop star or viral trend!
However you choose to involve your kids in cooking, the important part is that they are involved! Teaching your children how to navigate the kitchen and prepare food safely is a valuable lesson. With time, practice, and supervision, they will learn to be great chefs and helpers. Happy Culinary Arts Month!
-Bethany Helm, Student Employee
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