With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, it is a great time to consider cooking some traditional Irish foods, but with a modern twist. Potatoes have experienced a surge in popularity over the last few years as we realise their health benefits and their potential as a starting point for so many delicious recipes from around the world.
Potatoes are a must-have in every kitchen as they are fantastic flavour carriers. Not only are they incredibly versatile and tasty, they are also fat-free and jam-packed with dietary fibre and important nutrients to fuel our bodies and our minds.
It might come as a surprise to some that potatoes are also a good source of Vitamins B and C, and when compared to bananas, have three times the amount of potassium – making them quite the nutritional powerhouse.
As you prepare for the week ahead here are three tasty potato ideas for brunch, lunch and as a delicious sharing dish – prepare to be surprised.
Potato cooking hacks
- Slice or dice them into smaller pieces and they cook really quickly
- Leave skins on for a quicker and more nutritious meal
- Save any leftovers in your fridge as the starting point for your next meal
Potato pancake with smashed avocado and smoked salmon
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients for 4
- 2 floury potatoes (e.g. Rooster)
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 75g plain flour
- 1 teasp. baking powder
- 100-150ml whole milk
- 1 lemon, zest only (reserve lemon for juice)
- ½ tablesp. rapeseed or olive oil to cook
- 1 avocado, lightly mashed
- Handful watercress (optional), to serve (or rocket, if preferred)
- 150g smoked salmon
- 1 egg (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Make mash by dicing, boiling and draining the potatoes (or use leftover mash). Whilst still hot, mash the potatoes then allow to cool before adding in the scallions and seasoning. Lightly whisk the flour and baking powder with the milk (100ml at first) and lemon zest and whisk into the mash
- Check the seasoning and consistency (add a little extra milk if the mix is too stiff, but it should still be thick)
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. When hot, pour in the batter and use a spatula to spread the mix out as it's quite thick. When the pancake has puffed up and browned underneath (about 2 minutes). Carefully flip over to cook the other side.
To serve
- Place a pancake on each plate, top with the mashed avocado (seasoned with salt, pepper and lemon juice), a handful of watercress and the smoked salmon
- If you are adding a poached egg, place this on top of the salmon. Squeeze extra lemon juice and drizzle oil over everything.
Potato, bacon, onion and chive soup
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients for 4
- 400 g floury potatoes (such as Rooster)
- 25 g butter
- 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tsp freshly chopped parsley
- 2 tsp freshly chopped chives
- 750 ml hot vegetable stock
- 200 ml full-fat milk
- 1 handful bacon pieces
Method
- Peel the potatoes and dice them
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, add the onion and potatoes and cook for about 5 minutes
- Now add the parsley, half the chives and the stock
- Bring to a steady simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are soft
- Add the milk and then blend the soup until smooth and season
- Serve the soup with the bacon pieces and garnish with the remaining chives.
Tex-Mex spicy beef with melted cheese on potato wedges
Cooking time: 30 Minutes
Ingredients for 4
- 6 large potatoes, cut into wedges (e.g. Rooster potatoes)
- 5 tbsp tomato relish
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 lime, chopped into wedges
- 1 tbsp jalapenos (optional)
- 8 cherry tomatoes (optional)
- 120 g grated mature cheddar cheese
- 400 g minced beef
- 1 stick celery, diced
- 1 red onion, diced
- 4 tbsp coriander, chopped
- 30 g butter
Method
- Preheat your oven to 220°C (Gas 7)
- Place the potato wedges on a tray. Drizzle with oil and roast for 20-25 minutes until golden brown
- Heat a pan with butter and put the minced beef in it. Crush with a fork and allow to brown
- Mix the mayonnaise, tomato relish, cumin, paprika, celery, 2 tablespoons of coriander and half the red onion together in a bowl. Fold in the cooked minced beef
- When the potato wedges are cooked through, cover them as evenly as possible with the beef mixture. Top with grated mature cheddar cheese and cherry tomatoes
- Once the cheese has melted, top with the remaining red onion and diced jalapenos
- To serve, season with the remaining coriander and serve with wedges of lime. Dig in.
‘Potatoes, Prepare to be Surprised’ is a European campaign funded by the EU which aims to encourage millennials to enjoy exciting and surprising potato recipes. The joint-initiative, organised by Bord Bia (Ireland), CNIPT (France), VLAM (Flanders, Belgium) and Europatat (European Potato Trade Association) highlights the versatility and convenience of potatoes for busy lifestyles.
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