Posted by Sue Landsman on Dec.18, 2009

ⓒ iStockPhoto - kcline

Winter is here, and there’s nothing like a good heaping of starch to stave off the blues. Here’s four fun ways too cook potatoes: no need to stick with boring old baked!

Hasselback Potatoes: The Swedish know how to make a good potato. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Put your potato on a chopping board, on place in a large wooden spoon. Starting at one end of the potato, slice almost all the way through in intervals about 3 to 4 mm apart. Thinly slice a few cloves of garlic, and once the potatoes are in a baking dish slide the garlic in between the slits. Drizzle the potatoes with melted butter and olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for about 40 minutes until the outsides are crispy.

Crash Hot Potates: This is courtesy of the Pioneer Woman Cooks website. You’ll need 12-15 baby red potatoes, a tablespoon of olive oil, and sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Boil the potatoes for about 15 minutes until they are tender, then put them on a greased cookie sheet or baking pan. Gently smash each potato with a potato masher, then drizzle with the oil, salt, and pepper, as well as with any other herbs you would like. Bake for about 20 minutes until crisp and brown. Serve will sour cream and scallions.

Crispy Oven Fries: Sometimes you just want a french fry. It’s not much work to cut them yourself, but it’s just not the same when they come out soggy from the oven. The trick for making crispy fries is to boil the potato strips before you put them in the oven. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. While the oven is preheating, put the potatoes into water and bring to a boil. Ad salt and then cook about 4 minutes until the potatoes are mostly cooked but still underdone. Strain them and halt the cooking by running them under cold water. Pat them dry, then gently toss with olive oil and salt. Place in a single layer on a greased cookie sheet and cook for about half an hour, turning once. Broil for a few minutes to make them really crispy.

Indian Style Potato Cutlets: Most people think meat when you say cutlet, but potato cutlets are yummy, kind of like mashed potato with a crispy shell. Boil and mash a few large potatoes, then stir in a little salt and pepper. If you want a spicier version, you can add some cumin and coriander powder, and some garam masala. These cutlets are also especially good with a little bit of cooked mixed vegetables (from a bag!) stirred in. Roll in bread crumbs, and fry in oil until hot and crisp. These are great to serve with chutney, or even with ketchup for the younger set. They also go great with hot lentil soup.

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Posted under Food, Nutrition & Recipes, Healthy Recipes, Salads and Sides.