by If the bowl of pasta you had for dinner last night left you feeling bloated and lethargic, it might be time to rethink how you serve some of your favorite dishes.
In the latest series on Channel 4, Secrets Of Your Big Shop, Dr. Michael Mosley suggests that for those who have problems with pasta, it is more delicious to swap the spaghetti potatoes in spaghetti bolognese for baked potatoes. “For people who have trouble digesting wheat and gluten, or who may have digestive issues,” this is a happy solution, advises Natasha Evans, nutritionist on the show.
But potatoes are a welcome alternative to refined wheat pasta (whose milling process removes the bran and germ from the wheat for a silky-smooth texture, but which results in a lack of fibre, along with a naturally high gluten content. , can cause tummy troubles even for those of us without intolerance).
As well as being completely unprocessed, “potatoes are a healthy form of starchy carbohydrates and are a great source of energy,” explains The Telegraph‘s nutrition expert Sam Rice, which makes the tubers a better choice than many carb-based foods, including white rice and bread – especially when served up in the form of a classic baked spud.
“Most of the nutrition lies in the [potato] skins,” says Rice. “One medium potato contains 5g of fiber and half our daily requirement of vitamin C, so it’s best to keep the skins on nutritionally. Because smaller potatoes have a greater skin-to-starch ratio, mini roast potatoes and new potatoes are great options, and baking rather than boiling retains more of the vitamins.”
Whether you choose a white, buttermilk or orange sweet potato specimen is purely a matter of taste. “The prevailing ‘superfoods’ narrative would be that sweet potatoes are better for you than regular potatoes, but they actually have very similar nutritional profiles,” says Rice.
“White potatoes are slightly higher in potassium, but sweet potatoes have more vitamin A. Sweet potatoes have a slightly lower GI (a measure of how quickly a certain food raises your blood sugar) but this varies greatly depending on the variety of sweet potato. and the cooking method. In fact when baked, sweet potatoes and regular potatoes have a very similar GI.”
The good news is that there are plenty of delicious ways to swap out a simple potato without missing out on your favorite dishes.
Pasta alla Norma → Potatoes alla Norma
A tomato-based indulgence traditionally served over pasta can be just as enjoyable when tucked into a fluffy baked potato. Open up a crisp-skinned baked potato by gently poking it with a rolling pin, then ladle over the sauce so it can soak into the meat. Finish with plenty of grated Parmesan and a good grind of black pepper.
As Mosley points out, Bolognese is also great in a jacket, with a salad on the side.
To transform Angela Hartnett’s recipe for pasta alla Norma into a potato dish:
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Sprinkle 2 eggplants cut into 2cm cubes with salt and leave in a colander for 30 minutes.
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Meanwhile saute 3 minced garlic cloves and a pinch of chilli flakes in 2 tbsp oil.
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Add a 400g tin of plum tomatoes and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until they start to form a thick sauce, then add 1 tsp drained capers and a splash of white wine vinegar.
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In another pan, heat 2 tbsp oil and cook the eggplant in batches until golden brown and cooked though. Add a little more oil each time you add more aubergine. Take them out as they are drained on kitchen paper.
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When all the aubergine is cooked, add it to the tomatoes and cook together for five minutes.
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Skip the traditional spaghetti accompaniment and serve instead over baked potatoes, with torn basil leaves.
Coconut prawn curry → Coconut prawn jacket
If your curry side dish is white rice and you don’t want to swap it for more nutritious brown, pairing it with potassium-rich potatoes with skin on is a good way to increase your fiber intake. A simple jacket spud is the perfect vehicle for a hearty and full-flavored option, such as a simple prawn curry or a classic lamb madras.
Similarly, stir fries like teriyaki chicken or sweet chilli pork are great served with potatoes, rather than noodles.
To transform this coconut prawn curry:
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Cook 3 chopped onions in 6 tbsp oil until soft and lightly colored (at least 15 minutes).
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Meanwhile crush or blitz together 10 peeled garlic cloves and half a thumb-sized piece of peeled.
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When the onions are ready, add the garlic and ginger, along with ½ a drop of coriander stems (chopped) and fry for a few minutes until fragrant.
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Add 2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp turmeric and 2 tsp medium chilli powder along with 50g creamed coconut, breaking it up as you stir.
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Add 2-3 tbsp fish sauce and 600g raw prawns and cook until cooked through.
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Serve over baked potatoes, garnished with coriander leaves.
Welsh Paste → Cheesy Welsh Spuds
If bread is often the starting point for your meals and snacks, shake up the habit by swapping the white sliced supermarket for vitamin-C and potassium-rich baked potatoes. Pile your favorite lunchtime egg mayonnaise sarnie, crown chicken or tuna and sweetcorn into a hot potato, or leave out the pitta next time you’re picking up a kebab and sub in the spiced lamb cubes and salad instead in spud jackets.
Alternatively, try the ultimate warming comfort of a British rarebit, with a jacket potato instead of a loaf of bread:
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To serve four, mix a splash of Stout into 1 tsp corn flour.
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Heat 100ml broth to just below boiling, then stir in 400g grated cheese.
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Stir in the corn flour mixture, 300ml double cream, 2 cups English mustard and 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce.
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Let it cool slightly and then beat in 3 large egg yolks.
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Ditch the bread base and instead halve 2-4 baked potatoes, removing the flesh to leave a 1cm shell of skin.
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Mix the flesh with the rarebit mixture then spoon back into the skins and return to the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden.
Chicken and leek pie → Creamy chicken and baked potato cheeks
Due to the saturated fats and refined white flour used to make pastries, not to mention the emulsions, palm oils and preservatives that go into many store-bought varieties, it’s best left to for eating from time to time. You don’t have to miss out on your favorite fillings, though, because most pies work great on top of a hot potato.
Try it with your usual number of steak and ale, with spinach and ricotta, or with creamed chicken and leeks. Make sure the filling is fully cooked and piping hot before loading it into your spud.
To make the filling for Angela Hartnett’s chicken, lemon and tarragon pie:
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Cook 1 chopped onion, 1 crushed garlic clove and 2 sliced leeks in 2 tbsp oil until soft but not coloured.
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Add 600g raw chicken, cut into strips and cover with 200ml chicken stock. Simmer and reduce the liquid by half, then add 100ml double cream.
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Bring to the boil and then simmer again to reduce by half, to a thick sauce, or until the chicken pieces are cooked through, then stir in 2 tbsp chopped tarragon.
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Season well and serve over baked potatoes with a green salad.
Chilli nachos → Baked wedges with chilli
Spuds make a satisfying substitute for corn tortilla chips in a batch of Mexican-style chili nachos, replacing the refined corn, fats and salt in the triangular crisps with the fiber-rich properties of baked potato wedges.
Save time by microwaving the potatoes twice at a time on full power for 10 minutes until soft, then bake for 15 minutes or so to soften the skin a bit, before carefully cutting them into wedges. Spread out on a baking tray, spoon over your hot chilli, grated cheese and any other favorite nacho toppings, then return to the oven for 10 minutes until melted.
To make smoked ox cheek and chilli for your spuds:
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Dust ox cheeks with 900g brown flour in 1-2 tbsp oil in a heavy based pan. Remove from the pan and set aside.
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Fry 1 diced onion and 3 crushed garlic cloves in the pan for 3-4 minutes and then add 1 tsp each of smoked paprika, ground cumin, ground cinnamon and dried oregano, as well as ½ tsp chilli powder, and cook for another minute.
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Add 1 tbsp tomato purée and cook for a minute then pour in 500ml beef stock and bring to a simmer.
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Return the meat to the pan, cover tightly with a lid and cook in the oven at 160C/140C fan/gas mark 3 for at least four hours.
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Chop the meat, stir it through the sauce, and serve it on a mound of tortilla chips only on baked potato wedges, topped with grated cheese, salsa, pickled jalapenos and sour cream.
