My dinner plate was a splash of color: bright green broccoli from my farm box, stunning orange salmon with a sprinkling of red chipotle powder, and purple potatoes. All this on a yellow plate. A good reminder how beautiful healthy eating can be. It was a picture!
I actually tried to take a picture, and it gave me admiration for all the bloggers who post pictures of food regularly. There is an art to it, one I haven’t mastered yet. My husband response to my picture was yuk! Guess I need to think of it before I start eating.
Anyway, if you haven’t tried purple or blue potatoes, you are in for a treat. They actually taste pretty much like other potatoes. I like them even better, but it might because I’m so smitten by the color.
There are a number of different varieties ranging in colors from blue to purple to black. The Cooks Thesaurus says they have medium starch content and are better for color than flavor. Also that they get mushy if overcooked.
Well, I love them. The deep colors come from an antioxidant called anthocyanins, the same kind found in blueberries. This makes them both fun to eat and nutritious.
Last night we just barbequed them. I cooked them for about 3 minutes in the microwave, then finished them off on the barbeque. This is a quick way of ending up with something like baked potatoes: a soft inside withcrispy skin. This technique works for other forms of potatoes as well, also for yams and sweet potatoes.
My other favorite way of cooking purple potatoes is to roast them with other vegetables. They give the dish a splash of color and interest. They are good mashed, but I don’t mash potatoes often because it is too easy to eat extra that way.
If you need more incentive or information:
The Perufood blog has beautiful pictures of Peruvian purple potatoes.
Recipe tips has info on how to select and store them.
Enjoy!
Find more nutrition information on my website: http://healthyhabitscoach.com .
Thanks so much for mentioning my blog!