The Healthier Side of the Potato
I can't remember a time when I didn't love grilling potatoes in aluminum foil packets (although now I line the foil with parchment and nix the butter). I grew up crisping them up with onions, butter and salt. Since this is a simple, classic way to cook these wonderful comfort-giving tubers, you may have tried this very recipe. It may even be part of your regular grill-time magic. But if you've forgotten about this summer treat, or your dairy allergies have left these carmelized bits of Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, mangenese, copper, tryptophan and phytonutrients off the table, I'm here to remind you about them. You don't have to use butter. And potatoes are good for most of us, especially the phytonutrient-rich red and purple ones.
The Recipe
This recipe works really well with Old Beau Steaks. Yum!
Serves 3-4.
Get the grill cranking to about 425 degrees.
Cut 2 8x8 pieces of aluminum foil and 2 8x8 pieces of parchment paper. Put the parchment paper on top of the foil. I like smaller packets so that there is more carmelization on more of the potatoes.
Slice 4-6 red potatoes into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices, or 1 inch chunks. Place as many as you can comfortably fit onto the parchment paper evenly. You need to have enough foil/paper to fold all four ends into a tight little package. You can use any kind of potato for this. I like red or Yukon gold because of their taste and tenderness.
Slice 1-2 onions (any kind will do, but Vidalia are super tasty) into 1/4 inch slices - or chunks. Place with the potatoes on your parchment.
Drizzle lightly with olive oil.
Swirl a few pinches of sea salt onto the potatoes and onions to taste. (Sea salt has more nutrients than regular table salts, which have been stripped of nutrients).
On a gas grill, leave them on the hottest part of the grill, covered, for about 30-40 minutes and flip with tongs after 15-20. Open a packet or two (carefully; the steam is intense) and check to see that the potatoes next to the parchment are nicely charred brown and super tender when pierced with a fork. If they are, they are done. You can let them sit in the unopened packet while you cook your steaks, or you can put the steaks on after you flip the packets. Either way, they will stay hot in the packet for 15 min. For charcoal grills, put them over a spot on the grill where there is a high mound of coals.
I like them just like this - no frills. But once in a while I mix it up. You can add things like:
- minced garlic or shallots
- parsley, dill, sage, or rosemary
- black or red pepper flakes; or fresh hot peppers
- green, yellow, red, or purple bell peppers, sliced
- Marconi peppers
- mushrooms
- cooked bacon
- lemon slices
Health Note
Potatoes, as well as tomatoes, peppers (sweet and hot), eggplant and tomatillos, are nightshades and contain alkaloids. So your doctor might recommend that you not eat them if you have certain conditions.
I avoid placing my food in direct contact with aluminum whenever possible. Even though the most recent studies don't show a direct link between alzheimer's and aluminum, it has been studied as a cause and aluminum has been found to be toxic to the nervous system in high doses (how high is unclear). So I put parchment paper on the inside of the aluminum foil to reduce the chance of unnecessary heavy metal leakage. To me, let's just steer away from the risks we can and give our immune and nervous systems a break. And although the potato, the most plentiful crop on the planet, is usually fried, dipped or smothered in something, if you can eat it, give the potato a break, too. Eat its goodness and partake in its nutritiousness, not its calories. Although, I admit, the occasional mound of french fries is a thing of beauty, I dont' miss them when I eat this recipe.
For more information on potato varieties in the U.K.: http://www.lovepotatoes.co.uk/the-potato/potato-varieties/
In the U.S.: http://www.potatoesusa.com/products.php?sec=Table-Stock%20Potatoes
This post does not consitute as medical advice in any way, shape or form. As always, consult with your doctor if you have any medical conditions or nutritional restrictions.