Po-tay-to, Po-tah-to…
Did you know how healthy potatoes are? I’m not talking about diced, shredded and fried (although undeniably Delicious). I’m referring to the low-cal (about 110 calories in 1 medium) naturally gluten-free vegetable with more potassium than a banana, 45% of your daily intake of vitamin C, 10% of vitamin B6, zero fat, zero cholesterol that contains essential minerals like magnesium and zinc to mention a few. We all know the story: eat your potato while drinking a glass of milk and live forever! Or at least avoid scurvy. But seriously, with necessary blood aids like iron and much needed digestive assistance from fiber (of which sadly our diets are greatly deprived), it just might be what the doctor ordered. That is of course baked- to maintain the most nutrients. (Save the sticks of butter and cups of cream for special occasions 😉 ) And if I may, please make sure you buy organic- not crazy hi-bred weird GMO who knows what they are potatoes, because I can’t vouch for those.
Serves 4-6
2 1/2 pounds -about 10-12 medium Potatoes (Russet, Idaho, Golden, Red…)
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1-2 Tbsp Course Kosher salt
Preheat the oven to 375°. Wash, scrub and rinse the potatoes. Remove any eyes or blemishes that you don’t want to eat. Dry the potatoes completely with a towel. Brush on the olive oil (a little goes a long way) or get messy and use your hands to cover the skins. Generously sprinkle the potatoes with the course salt. (Do not be afraid of this- the Kosher course salt is not as “salty” as fine salt. If you are using regular table salt, go easier obviously… I trust your judgement.)
Place potatoes on a baking sheet. I like to cover the sheet with Silpat or parchment paper for easier clean-up. Bake for an hour (sometimes 15-20 minutes more if using large potatoes) until skin is crispy and inside of potato is tender. Eat just like this, or with a pat of butter and a little salt and pepper, or with a dollop of sour cream (or plain yogurt if you’re eating clean) or crumbled bacon if you’re feeling wild. I’ll stop. You know what you like.
For more information on the healthiness of potatoes along with recipe ideas check out potatogoodness.com or an interesting article on the health benefits at livescience.com.
It is really interesting to lead about cultural variances related to food. I have never once in my life, heard of eating a potato with milk to avoid to scurvy! Fascinating. I grew up eating raw potatoes with my Dad. Yes, raw. He would wash them, peel them, and slice them. Then he would eat them out of bowl of icy water, sprinkling them with a dash of salt before popping them into his mouth. The first time my husband (who is Ecuadorian) saw me eat a raw potato, he asked me if I was going to get sick. I laughed to hard, I nearly cried! We love potatoes..especially the dig-up-out-the-ground-yourself kind 🙂
That’s great! I’ve never tried eating a potato raw. Full of great nutrients I’m sure! The only thing I’ve ever been warned of is eating green potatoes or the leaves/stems (which can be toxic). I can eat a raw onion like an apple (almost offensive to most people I know, lol). I’ll try the sliced, iced and salted potato soon! Thank you 🙂
Oh yes..we know all about the toxic potato flower and plant! We always thought that green potatoes were just sun burnt..but, who knows?! Enjoy!
All hale the humble spud (as we call them in England) …. Every which way they are delicious and untampered with they are indeed a health food!
I ❤️ spuds! Thank you Fiona 🙂
Thank you for sharing the wonderful benefits of Baked Potatoes. Loved your easy and delicious recipe 🙂
Sometimes simple is best! Thank you Shamira ?
Can’t go wrong with potatoes and the recipes you can make with them are so versatile! Not to mention that they are cheap! ??????
They are just winners for dinners ? Thank you Natascha!
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We eat potatoes in our house all the time! I never heard of the milk and potato tidbit, who knew?
One of those little trivial facts I remember from a social studies class I middle school about a ship full of people that almost all died from scurvy but would have most likely survived if they would have had potatoes or a cow on board… lol, I can’t remember which one they were lacking!Potatoes I think ?
I thought that was limes that prevented scurvy!
I think technically it’s the vitamin C, which potatoes are also high in. But I’ve heard/read on more than one occasion that potato & milk are just a well rounded combination.
Interesting article KR, looks like if the boaters would have had milk, potatoes and oatmeal they could have set sail for quite some time. http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2828/could-i-survive-on-nothing-but-potatoes-and-milk
Wow thanks Sadie! As they say, you can learn something new every day!
Great post Sadie! Potatoes really have gotten a bad rap, even though they are so good for you. Your potatoes look amazing!
Thanks Antonia 🙂 It’s like the saying “everything in moderation.”
I love this! Potatoes get such a bad rap!
Thank you Jasmine 🙂 It’s true, they kind of get tossed in that bad carb-no value category… But au contraire!
Good post! The lowly potato needs a champion. Russian prisoners in Siberia ate the bark off trees to avoid scurvy. Talk about fiber…
Yikes! I guess survival is key. Thanks Pops!