From Apr/May '99
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Recipes:
MASHED POTATOES
Mashed potatoes are my (Mary’s) comfort food. For those of us raised in the Midwest this is the starchy vegetable that we looked forward to eating and that has left us feeling satisfied, but never uncomfortably over stuffed -- thus a comfort food. The average American eats 50.7 pounds of fresh potatoes a year. I have been eating and loving mashed potatoes since I was a little girl. In my family, my dad always mashed the potatoes, and we had them every Sunday. He used a hand-held electric beater. I learned from my parents--so that's the way I mash potatoes. But there are other ways to make smooth and creamy mashed potatoes.
Potatoes must first be cooked properly in order for them to mash smoothly. Undercooked, cold, or microwaved potatoes tend to be gluey when mashed--the lumps never seem to smooth out. Never try to mash your potatoes in a food processor because you'll have a starchy paste within seconds. Many people make mashed potatoes with a hand potato masher with perfect results. However, a hand masher can result in lumpy potatoes. A hand-held electric beater is the easiest and surest way to smooth mashed potatoes. An electric tabletop mixer with a paddle attachment will also work. and result in smooth and creamy mashed potatoes.
My personal trainer, Jack Dixon, came to me with a camping trip cooking problem. He wanted to make mashed potatoes. How could he make creamy mashed potatoes without electricity. I told him to buy a potato ricer. It worked so well he says he'll never make mashed potatoes any other way.
An inexpensive simple potato ricer for less than $20.00 can be found in all cookware stores. The one we used when I was a kid consisted of a funnel-shaped bowl with hundreds of holes, and a wooden plunger. The modern variety is a cylindrical bowel made of stainless steel with several hundred holes attached to a plier-like handle that forces the stainless plunger into the bowl. The cooked potatoes are placed in the ricer and pushed through tiny holes producing light fluffy particles that look like tiny grains of rice. After "ricing" you can add small amounts of soy or rice milk, and mix well to make smooth and creamy mashed potatoes. Potato ricers come in various shapes and sizes.
There are many sauces, gravies, and vegetable mixes you can serve over your potatoes. For simplicity try a favorite barbecue sauce, spaghetti sauce, low-fat salad dressing, or steak sauce (like Lea and Perrins) straight from the bottle. Make a brown or mushroom gravy and serve with cooked corn kernels or peas. Almost any soup or stew can be poured over your mashed potatoes to make a colorful and flavorful meal. (Recipes for sauces, gravies, soups, and stews are found in the McDougall Books--see back page).
Mashed potatoes as the centerpiece of your meal will make the whole family happy and healthy. They contain no cholesterol, are only 1% fat, and are high in fiber and complex carbohydrates and low sodium. They are also rich in protein (11% of their calories)--more than enough to supply the needs of a body builder. If you are trying to lose weight they are the ideal food, with a large potato providing only 150 calories. An average sedentary woman would have to eat 10 large potatoes a day to get in her 1500 calories. Potatoes are so nutritionally complete that a man and woman in the 1920s were fed potatoes as their sole source of nutrients for 6 months and at the end of the experiment they were declared in excellent health (Biochemical J 22:258, 1928). So eat, enjoy, and become healthier.
MASHED POTATOES
6-8 servings:
3 pounds russet, Yukon gold, Yellow Finn, or long white potatoes
� to 1 � cups heated soy milk
� teaspoon salt
� teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Peal potatoes and cut into chunks. Cook potatoes in a pot with water to cover and simmer over low heat until tender, usually 20-25 minutes. Test them with a fork for doneness. Drain immediately, then mash while still hot.
1) Place the hot, cooked potatoes in a large bowl. Mash with a hand -held electric beater, gradually adding the soy milk. Continue to beat until smooth and creamy. Stir in salt and pepper. Serve at once.
2) Place the hot, cooked potatoes through a ricer. Add soy milk and salt and pepper. Stir until smooth and creamy. Serve at once.
3) Place the hot, cooked potatoes in the bowl of the electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until most of the lumps are gone. Reduce speed to low and gradually add soy milk until smooth and creamy. Add salt and pepper and serve at once.
Variations on basic mashed potatoes:
1) For garlic mashed potatoes, cook 2-3 cloves of garlic with the potatoes.
2) For roasted garlic mashed potatoes, cut the top off 1 head of garlic, drizzle 1 tablespoon vegetable broth over cut portion, wrap in parchment paper, then tightly wrap in aluminum foil. Bake at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes. Cool. Remove from wrapping, invert over bowl, and squeeze garlic out of the cloves. Add to potatoes while mashing.
3) For colorful mashed potatoes, add cooked vegetables to the potatoes while mashing. Try carrots, sweet potatoes, turnips, kale or spinach (well drained), broccoli, or celery root.
4) For herbed mashed potatoes, add fresh chopped herbs to potatoes after they are mashed. Try parsley, dill, chives, cilantro, basil, or another of your favorites.
POTATO TIPS
Don’t buy soft, cracked, bruised, discolored, or decayed potatoes.
Store in a cool dark place. 50 degrees is ideal. Do not refrigerate.
Cook in skin to preserve nutrients.
Save the cooking water for moistening potatoes and making gravy.
Baked potatoes are done when fork slips easily in and out.
Never bake in Aluminum foil. It steams potatoes pasty, instead of dry and fluffy.
Open a baked potato by poking with a fork then pushing ends so it blossoms.
CONFETTI PEPE SALAD
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 10-12 minutes
Chilling Time: 2 hours
Servings: 4-6
1 1/3 cups uncooked Acini de Pepe pasta
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
� cup finely chopped green onions
� cup finely chopped red pepper
� cup finely chopped yellow pepper
� cup finely chopped fresh parsley
� cup fat free Italian dressing
1 teaspoon soy sauce
freshly ground black pepper to taste
dash Tabasco sauce
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, prepare vegetables and place in mixing bowl. Combine dressing and soy sauce and set aside.
Combine cooked pasta with vegetables. Pour dressing over and mix well. Season with pepper and Tabasco. Chill before serving.
Hint: Acini de pepe is a very small pasta that looks like a large couscous. It can be found in most supermarkets. This is one of my favorite salads. I very often double the recipe because it keeps well in the refrigerator. The fat free dressing may be varied according to your own tastes.
POLENTA WITH BLACK BEANS AND MANGO SALSA
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6-8
1 24 ounce package San Gennaro precooked polenta
� cup water
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 orange or yellow bell pepper, chopped
� teaspoon bottled minced garlic
2 15 ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 4 ounce can chopped green chilies
1 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
dash or two Tabasco sauce
freshly ground pepper to taste
� cup chopped fresh cilantro
1-2 cups Mango salsa (recipe follows)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Slice polenta � inch thick. Place on a nonstick baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the water, onion, bell peppers and garlic in a large saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, except cilantro, and cook an additional 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro and remove from heat.
Serve over the polenta and top with some Mango salsa.
MANGO SALSA
2 cups peeled, chopped, ripe mango
� cup finely chopped onion
� cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 whole, fresh jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
� teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon warm water
several twists freshly ground black pepper
dash salt
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Cover and chill at least 1 hour before serving, if possible.
Hint: There are many kinds and flavors of precooked polenta on the market. They will all work in this recipe. Bottled Mango salsa is also available in some markets and will cut down on the preparation time. If you make your own, be sure to wear rubber gloves while seeding and chopping the jalapeno.
CALIFORNIA BACKYARD CHARD SOUP
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 8
8 � cups vegetable broth
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 leek, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
� teaspoon bottled minced garlic
2 medium potatoes, peeled and chunked
1 � cups green beans, cut in 1 inch pieces
2 small zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced
8 cups chopped Swiss chard leaves
1 � cups uncooked medium pasta, such as shells, bow-ties or fusilli
1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen green peas
� cup soy parmesan cheese
� cup fresh chopped basil
freshly ground pepper to taste
Place � cup of the vegetable broth in a large soup pot. Add onion, celery, and leeks. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, until softened. Add garlic, potato and green beans. Mix well, then add the remaining 8 cups of vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook, covered, for about 15 minutes. Add zucchini and cook an additional 15 minutes. Add chard and pasta and cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Add beans and peas and cook for another 5 minutes. Mix in cheese, basil and pepper. Serve at once.
Hint: This was invented last summer when I had a lot of fresh garden vegetables. My chard is still going strong, and it is almost time to replant the rest of the vegetables. I have made this delicious soup throughout the winter using vegetables from the natural food store. This may be varied by omitting the green beans and/or the zucchini, by using different kinds of canned beans or by using different leafy greens.
SPICY SWEET POTATO BISQUE
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 60 minutes
Servings: 6-8
1/3 cup water
1 onion, chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
3 cups peeled and chunked sweet potatoes
3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup soy milk
1 tablespoon brown sugar
dash cayenne (optional)
Place the water in a medium pot. Add onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add jalapenos and basil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add potatoes, carrots and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 45 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Process in batches in a blender until smooth. Return to pan. Add soy milk, brown sugar and cayenne, if desired. Heat gently for about 10 minutes. Serve at once.
SCHEZUAN VEGETABLE NOODLE SOUP
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Resting Time: 2 minutes
Servings: 8
1 14 ounce package fresh udon noodles
4 cups water
4 cups vegetable broth
� cup soy sauce
� cup rice vinegar
1 � teaspoons bottled minced fresh ginger
� teaspoon bottled minced garlic
� teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
dash sesame oil
1 sweet onion, cut in half, then thinly sliced
1 � cups sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cups thinly sliced bok choy
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup sliced red bell pepper
� cup fresh snow peas
1 12.3 ounce package extra firm lite silken tofu, cubed
6 green onions, sliced in 1 inch pieces
� cup cornstarch mixed in � cup cold water
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Place a large pot of water on to boil. When boiling, drop in udon noodles and cook until tender according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, place the vegetable broth and water in another large soup pot. Add next 8 ingredients (through sesame oil) and bring to a boil. Add onion, mushrooms, bok choy, broccoli, bell pepper and snow peas. Cook over medium heat for 12 minutes. Add tofu and green onions. Cook for 3 minutes. Mix in cornstarch mixture while stirring. Cook and stir until thickened slightly. Stir in hot cooked udon and cilantro. Let rest 2 minutes before serving.
From Apr/May '99
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Back Issues of Newsletter