Potato
The veggie of the week this time is the humble but delicious potato! This kitchen staple is common all over the world, but anything but boring. Whether it’s to be the main star or complement another ingredient, potatoes can fill just about any role in a dish.
Despite many folk stories about the origins of the potato, scientists have managed to trace the roots of the veggie to a single species that grew where Peru is now. It’s there when humans first domesticated the potato, and they proceeded to spread as Spanish visitors to the Americas brought them back home, introducing them to the rest of Europe as well. Fast forward to now, and potatoes are the fourth most cultivated vegetable globally, and make up a huge part of our food supply.
Nowadays, there’s over 5000 unique species of potatoes. For example, the Yukon Gold variety is great for making mash with, while Russet potatoes are the perfect potatoes for baking. What they all share is an abundance of nutrients such as vitamin C, so definitely work them into your diet! With, for example, this crispy potato green shakshuka recipe from Taste.com!
Crispy potato green shakshuka
Ingredients (serves 4 to 6)
- 500g microwave baby potatoes, halved
- 60ml (1⁄4 cup) olive oil, plus extra, to drizzle
- 1 head (about 350g) broccoli, cut into small florets
- 1 large (about 225g) zucchini, shredded
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground paprika, plus extra, to serve
- 150g packet kale and spinach mix
- 3 green shallots, thinly sliced, plus extra, thinly sliced, to serve
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 4 eggs
- Greek-style yogurt or vegan yogurt to serve
Recipe from thekitchn.com
Instructions:
- Place the potato on a large microwave-safe plate. Cover completely with damp paper towel. Microwave on High for 6 minutes or until tender. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add potato and cook, turning, for 5 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a plate.
- Heat the remaining oil in the pan over medium heat. Add broccoli, zucchini, garlic, cumin and paprika. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the kale, spinach and shallot. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until kale and spinach are just wilted. Season. Drizzle over the lemon juice and 2 tbsp water.
- Return potato to pan. Use the back of a spoon to make 4 indents in mixture. Crack an egg into each indent. Cook, covered, for 3-4 minutes or until egg is cooked to your liking. Top with yogurt, and extra oil, paprika and shallot.