Potatoes: the forgotten vegetable

Potatoes are a vegetable!? I never really think of them as a vegetable because they are so starchy.  I treat them like other starches - noodles, rice, bread - and limit them to small amounts as a side to other, more nutritious foods. Potatoes are nutritionally quite similar to noodles and bread.  Potatoes have vitamin C, fibre, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B1 (thiamin), magnesium, iron and even some folate.

 

Yes, it should be forgotten as a vegetable but not forgotten all together. Potatoes are a nutritious source of starch (carbohydrates). Don't forget to have some vegetables with it and some meat or alternative (beans, nuts, lentils, poultry, soy) too!  Here is a great recipe that includes potatoes:

Curry Vegetable Stew

INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 large onion
2 tbsp curry paste (Madras)
28 fl oz can of diced or whole tomatoes, including liquid
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 head cauliflower, chopped

2 cups butternut or acorn squash, cubed

2 cups potatoes (yellow or other variety), cubed

1/2 cup water

19 oz can of lentils, drained and rinsed
19 oz can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed

DIRECTIONS:

Chop cauliflower and squash into chunks. Coarsely chop onion. Add vegetable oil to large pot and set over medium heat.

When hot, add onion and saute for 3 minutes. Add curry paste, cook 1 minute. Add canned tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, cauliflower, squash, potatoes and water.

 

Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stir occasionally. Add garbanzo beans and lentils, cook for another 10 minutes.

 

Serve with naan bread and a dollop of plain yogurt.