Chip On My Shoulder

January 28, 2008

Good news, fact fans.

Here's how the news was broken, News At Ten style, in our newsroom this very morn:

From: "Alice Ridley"
Sent: Monday, January 28, 2008 8:55 AM
Subject: Make the most of your spuds on National Potato Day

JANUARY 28, 2008 - For immediate release
Make the most of your spuds on National Potato Day

The humble potato has formed part of our staple diet for hundreds of years.

And with the average Britton eating a whopping 103kg a year ­ that¹s about
500 medium sized potatoes ­ we certainly love our spuds.

So what better way to celebrate our favourite vegetable, than with National
Potato Day (03/02/08)?

Nathalie Winn, World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) nutritionist, said: "Potatoes are a great source of vitamin C and fibre. Because the main nutrient they contain is the carbohydrate starch, potatoes are considered a Ostarchy¹ food, like bread, pasta and rice. So whilst potatoes don¹t count towards your five-a-day, they do contribute towards a balanced diet. For
cancer prevention WCRF recommends eating plenty of plant foods, including a variety of fruits, vegetables and wholegrains.

"Another great thing about potatoes is their versatility. There's so much more to the potato than chips and National Potato Day is the perfect opportunity to try a few new things and really make the most of your spuds."

Nathalie¹s hot potato tips:

* Give your peeler the day off and leave the skins on potatoes when you cook them. The skin of the potato is packed full of fibre which helps keep your digestive system healthy and can help protect against bowel cancer.

* How you cook your potatoes is important too. Opt for boiled or baked instead of chipped or roasted to cut out the need for added oils and fats.

* Why not try sweet potatoes as a tasty, nutrient-packed alternative to ordinary potatoes? They contain heaps of beta-carotene, which is an antioxidant and a component of vitamin A. Beta-carotene can help protect against cancer of the oesophagus and gives sweet potatoes their orange colour.

To celebrate National Potato Day WCRF has four tasty recipes for those tatties.

Potato and Cauliflower curry
Ingredients (serves 2)
2 teaspoons olive or rapeseed oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
200g/7oz canned chopped tomatoes
pinch ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 or 2 green chillies, deseeded and chopped (optional)
200g/7oz new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into bite sized pieces
100-150ml/3-5fl oz hot water
1 small cauliflower, cut into florets
Handful of fresh coriander leaves and stems, chopped
Method
Heat the oil in a non-stick pan with a tight-fitting lid. Add the chopped onions and garlic and fry over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the tomatoes, spices and chilli (if using). Cover and cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the potatoes with 100ml/3fl oz of hot water. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir in the cauliflower and cook in the covered pan for 10 minutes or until tender. Add another 50ml/2fl oz of hot water if the curry is sticking to the bottom of the pan. Stir in the chopped coriander and serve hot. Calories per serving: 237 Fat per serving: 6.7g

Fish On chips with a twist
Ingredients (Serves two)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunky chip shapes
2 pieces of skinless haddock fillet or similar white fish (150g / 6oz each)
Knob of butter (15g / 1/2oz), melted
2 tablespoons fine wholemeal breadcrumbs
1 lemon, cut into wedges
1 teaspoon mixed herbs
160g / 6oz frozen peas
4 tomatoes, washed and sliced
Heat the oven to 200ºC / 400ºF / Gas Mark 6 and preheat a baking sheet inside. Measure the vegetable oil into a plastic bag and add the sweet potato chips. Shake so that the potatoes get coated in a thin layer of oil. Spread the chips over the sheet and cook for around 20 mins, turning at least once. Meanwhile place the two fish fillets onto a sheet of lightly
oiled aluminium foil on a baking tray. In a bowl mix the melted butter, breadcrumbs, juice from half the lemon and herbs, and press the mixture on top of the fish fillets. Place in the oven beneath the chips and cook for 10-12 mins, depending on the thickness of the fillet, until the fish is opaque and flaky. Cook the peas for a couple of minutes in a small amount of
boiling water. Serve the fish and chips immediately with the sliced tomatoes and peas on a warm plate, with a wedge of lemon on the side.
Calories per serving: 476 Fat per serving: 14.7g

Leek and potato omelette
Ingredients (Serves one)
100g (4oz) potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 small leek, trimmed, washed and chopped
2 eggs
2 tablespoons semi-skimmed milk
1 teaspoon chopped chives
1 tablespoon olive oil
freshly milled black pepper

Method
1) Boil the potato cubes in a pan of water for 5 minutes, then add the leek and cook for a further 3 minutes, until just tender. Drain well.
2) Beat together the eggs, milk and chives.
3) Heat the oil in a 20cm (8 inch) non-stick frying-pan and arrange the leek and potato over the base. Pour the egg mixture over the top and cook over a medium heat until the edges of the egg mixture start to set.
4) Pre-heat the grill to a medium heat. Place the pan under the grill to set and finish cooking the top of the omelette.
5) Remove from under the grill and leave to stand for a minute before carefully turning out on to a warmed serving plate and cutting into wedges to serve.
N.B. If possible use a pan with a metal handle, but remember this will get hot under the grill! If you don¹t have a metal handled pan, wrap the pan handle with several layers of tin foil. Don¹t forget to use an oven glove! Calories per omelette: 300 Fat per omelette: 15 g

Sweet potato pancakes
Ingredients (Serves four)
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and grated
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, grated
juice of half a lemon
3 tablesppons cornflour
2 eggs, beaten
pinch black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
In a large bowl mix the sweet potatoes, onion, carrots, lemon juice, cornflour and eggs. Add black pepper to season. Warm 2 teaspoons of oil in a non-stick pan. Pour a large tablespoon of the sweet potato mixture into the middle of the pan and make a thin pancake about 5cm in diameter. Fit as many pancakes as possible in the pan (without them touching). Cook for about 2 minutes on each side until cooked throughout and slightly browned. Ideal served with fish and vegetables or a mixed salad. Calories per serving: 250 Fat per serving: 6 g

ENDS

Notes to editors

National Potato Day is an annual event and this year takes place on February
3 2008.

And to think: Rowtheboat People get paid to write this shit.