A recent study revealed that 49 per cent of people in Scotland are putting pressure on themselves to be healthier this January, either by eating more
healthily or being more active. Yet, almost one third (30 per cent) have tried and failed healthy eating plans time and again each New Year.
So how can we stick to our New Year’s resolutions for 12 months? We asked the Potatoes: More Than A Bit On The Side team to create six new delicious meals for us using potatoes, which are all under 300 calories and can be ready in as little as 20 minutes, from boiling the pan to eating off your plate
Serves four
Total time (prep & cooking) 20 minutes
Ingredients:
• 400g potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm dice
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1tbsp olive oil
• 100g sweetcorn
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 green chili, sliced
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 4 medium eggs
• Fresh coriander
Method:
By pan:
Boil the potatoes for 6-7 minutes and drain.
In a large frying pan gently cook the onion in the olive oil until softened, add the potatoes and continue cooking until the potatoes just start to crisp a little.
Add the paprika, garlic, sweetcorn and chili and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes. Pour in the tinned tomatoes and bring to a steady simmer. When the potatoes feel tender, season with salt
and milled pepper. Make 4 well’s in the potato mixture and crack in the eggs. Making sure each egg is surrounded by the lovely potato mixture. Continue cooking until the egg is cooked but yet the yolk is soft, sprinkle with fresh coriander and serve straight from the pan.
Delish served with crisp bread or corn chips.
By Microwave:
Place the potatoes into a bowl with about 100ml of water and cook for about 8 minutes, until they feel tender, drain. Add the olive oil, paprika, onion, garlic and chilli to the potatoes and cook for a further 3 minutes.
Take a medium sized microwavable flat dish and tip the potatoes into it, Mix in the tinned tomatoes and sweetcorn and microwave again for 3-4 minutes. Now make 4 wells in the mix and crack an egg into each well. Cover and cook again for 2-3 minutes until the egg is cooked to your liking. Serve with chopped fresh coriander, crisp bread, pitta of corn chips.
Serves four
Total time (prep & cooking) 20 minutes
Ingredients:
• 600g potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 onions, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 20g butter (remove if using the microwavable recipe)
• 350ml beef stock (fresh stock works best but a stock cube is fine)
• 1tsp thyme leaves
• 200g leftover roast beef
Method:
By pan and grill:
The easiest way to slice your potatoes thinly is by way of a mandolin. Alternatively take your time and use a sharp knife making sure your potatoes are of similar size.
Take a medium/large frying pan and melt the butter and once fizzing add the onions and garlic, cook until soft. Remove from the pan.
So to the pan add a layer of potatoes, followed by 1/3 of the beef, 1/3 of the onions and 1/3 of the thyme. Repeat twice building up the layers finishing with a layer of potato.
Pour in the beef stock and pop a lid on and simmer away for about 15 minutes.
As the potatoes are nearer the end of their cooking turn your grill onto high.
Pop the pan under the grill to crisp up the top of the dish and serve.
Twist; if you fancy, replace the beef stock with chicken stock and the leftover beef with left over chicken and cook in the same way.
By microwave:
The easiest way to slice your potatoes thinly is by way of a mandolin. Alternatively take your time and use a sharp knife making sure your potatoes are of similar size.
Place a layer of the potatoes into a medium sized microwavable dish. Add 1/3 of the onions, 1/3 of the beef, 1/3 of the thyme, season with a little salt and milled pepper then repeat the layers twice more finishing with a layer of potatoes.
Pour in the beef stock, cover the dish with either cling film of parchment paper and microwave for 10 minutes. Rest the dish for 5 minutes then microwave again for 5 minutes and serve.
Serves four
Total time (prep & cooking) 25 minutes
Ingredients:
• 300g potatoes, peeled
• 1 large courgette
• 1 large onion
• 1 red chili, finely chopped
• 1 medium egg
• 1tsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 2tbsp olive oil
• Great served with Grilled steak and sautéed curly kale
Method:
On the coarsest side of your grater, grate the potato, courgette and onion into a clean t-towel and squeeze all the excess water out of the vegetables.
Place the vegetables into a large mixing bowl and combine well with the egg, chili and thyme.
Season with salt and milled pepper.
Place a large frying pan over a medium-low heat and add 1 tbsp of the olive oil. When hot add the potato mixture, gently pressing to smooth over the top. Leave cooking away for about 7-8 minutes until golden and crisp. Now invert the potato onto a plate, so the crispy side is uppermost, return the pan to the heat. Add the last of the olive oil and when hot slide the potato back into the pan to crisp up the underside.
Whilst this is cooking grill some steak to your liking and steam some curly kale.
Slice the steak over the potato and pop the kale to one side and serve at the table from the pan.
This is also a great potato dish served with crispy bacon, roasted tomato and fried egg or sliced avocado, lime, coriander and sour cream. The choice is yours.
If you don’t have a courgette then try using, squash, beetroot, parsnip, or simply keep it as potato.
Serves four
Total time (prep & cooking) 25 minutes
Ingredients:
• 300g potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
• 3 chicken breasts, cut into chunks.
• 1tbsp olive oil
• 3 anchovy fillets
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 2 celery sticks, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 300ml chicken stock
• 1tsp fresh sage
• 1tbsp fresh chopped parley
Method:
In a large casserole pot add the olive oil, season the chicken and cook until nicely golden then remove from the pan. Add the anchovy, onion, carrot and celery to the pan and cook this until the vegetables are soft, stirring every so often. Next add the chicken back to the pan along with the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes.
Now add the tinned tomatoes, chicken stock and fresh sage and bring to the boil. Once boiling stir in the chopped potatoes turn down to a simmer, pop a lid on and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring every so often until the potatoes feel tender.
Just before serving sprinkle over the parsley and serve.
Serves four
Total time (prep & cooking) 30 minutes
Ingredients:
• 500g new potatoes
• 4 sprigs of rosemary
• 1 garlic bulb
• 1tbsp olive oil
• 1tsp sea salt flakes
• Fresh milled pepper
Method:
By oven:
Pre-heat your oven to 190*c / gas 4
Place the potatoes into a pan of boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes, drain and cool.
Now insert a skewer through the middle of the potato. Using a small knife make little cuts through the potato until you hit the skewer.
Place the potatoes into a small roasting dish, scatter over the rosemary, break the garlic up and scatter over the potatoes, season with the sea salt and milled pepper and finally drizzle over the olive oil and cook until crisp and golden. About 30 minutes.
Great served with all meats, salads or simply on their own.
Serves four
Total time (prep & cooking) 25 minutes
Ingredients:
• 400g Salad/Baby potatoes (such as Charlotte or Maris Peer), halved
• 2 medium courgettes
• 200g green beans
• 50g rocket leaves
• 2 small baby gem lettuces
• 5g fresh mint
• 20g toasted pine nuts
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 3tbsp olive oil
• 150g Feta cheese, crumbed
• Salt and milled pepper
Method:
For this recipe a griddle pan is suggested but a frying pan will work just as well.
Cook the potatoes for 15 minutes with a lid on until just cooked. Drain and leave until cool enough to handle. Keep the water and cook the green beans for 5 minutes and drain.
Place a griddle pan over a medium heat. Toast the pine nuts on the griddle pan while slicing the courgette into ½ cm pieces or if you have a mandolin slice into long strips and pop into a big bowl.
Add the sliced potatoes in the bowl with the courgettes. Add 1tbsp of the olive oil and toss everything together with a little salt and milled pepper. Place the potatoes onto the griddle pan and cook until nicely charred, do the same with the courgettes and keep warm.
This may be in 3 batches depending on the size of your pan.
In a large serving bowl, add the rocket, baby gem, green beans, mint and pine nuts.
Mix the lemon zest, juice and olive oil in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the potatoes and courgettes and mix well. Then toss the potatoes with the salad and serve with the feta cheese crumbled over.
• You can find more easy and nutritious potato recipes at www.lovepotatoes.co.uk / www.potato.ie.
