Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way, Christmas is coming soon and I am looking forward to welcome joyful seasonal cheers. It has been a challenging year with Covid-19 pandemic, while most of us are not planning to attend major Christmas parties like before, the bright side is this is indeed a good time for us to appreciate the opportunity to be able to stay home, just sit down and enjoy healthy and nutritious meals with family and friends during this festive holidays.
When deciding a versatile yet nutritious food which is generally easy to prepare and many of us would love it, potato is certainly the first choice for me. While searching through internet for the dishes for some inspiration to prepare for Christmas, I came across the wonderful U.S. Potato-inspired festive dishes! U.S. Potatoes are not only nutritious and healthy, they are versatile that fit perfectly for my preparation. We can concoct a wide repertoire of recipes for the holidays ranging from soup, appetisers, hot dishes to even desserts!
Have Yourself a Healthy Merry Christmas!
According to dietitian Indra Balaratnam, Christmas time could be a stressful and over-eating experience. "Yes, meals should look appealing but never ignore the healthy attributes aspects of your festive dishes." Dishes can be both delicious and nutritious. A good way to add beneficial nutrients to your holiday meal is to include U.S. Potatoes.
U.S. Potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C (30% of the DV), which plays a key role in supporting the body's immune system. It is always good to have natural vitamin C even during the festive season, and all year.
U.S. Potato gives you 15% of your daily potassium serving, and that is more than what a medium banana provides. Potassium is a mineral that is an electrolyte for muscles to function well. It gets lost when you sweat, so it needs to be replenished to keep your performance optimal.
A medium U.S. Potato with the skin on also provides 2 grams of fiber. One of the fiber's benefits is it helps us to feel comfortably full for longer, thus to avoid over-eating and unnecessary weight gain during the festive holidays.
One medium U.S. Potato provides 110 calories of easy-to-digest calories, making it a good choice of food to fuel the demands of our active routines during the festive season. In addition, it has zero fat, therefore it is great for a 'less fat' Christmas feasting!
U.S. Potatoes provide the complex carbohydrates, potassium, fiber and vitamin C that is perfect for those who are planning to have a more active lifestyle in the coming new year.
Indra shares two healthy and nutritious recipes for Christmas holidays. Check these out below and all of you are welcome to try the recipes for this coming festive celebrations.
U.S. RUSSET POTATOES MUSHROOM CHEESE CASSEROLE
Nutrition packed U.S. Russet Potatoes ~ make this luscious dish a stand-out on your festive table this year for the whole family!
Nutrition packed U.S. Russet Potatoes ~ make this luscious dish a stand-out on your festive table this year for the whole family!
Watch this Indra's recipe cooking video
Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 medium size Russet U.S. Potatoes (approximately 450 grams), thinly sliced
Ingredients:
2 medium size Russet U.S. Potatoes (approximately 450 grams), thinly sliced
200 grams white button mushrooms
100 grams yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon (15 grams) butter
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon wheat flour
1 cup (250 ml) non-fat milk (skim milk)
120 grams low-fat cheese (6 cheese slices)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
English parsley, chopped (to garnish)
Method:
◾ Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
◾ Line the thinly sliced U.S. Potatoes into a lightly buttered baking dish
◾ Melt butter in a small pot over low-medium heat
◾ Add in onion and mushroom, cook, stir occasionally until tender (about 5 minutes)
◾ Stir in flour, then slowly add in the skim milk and stir till well combined, bring to a slight simmer
◾ Stir in 120 grams low-fat cheese, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper
◾ Pour mixture into prepared baking dish, spread out to coat the thinly sliced potatoes
◾ Bake in the oven uncovered for 45 minutes
◾ After 45 minutes cooking time, cover with foil and continue to bake for another 10 minutes
◾ Garnish with finely chopped English parsley
Nutrition Analysis (per serving for 1 pax)
Calories: 160
Protein: 8g
Total Fat: 5g
Saturated Fat: 3g
Carbohydrates: 22g
Fiber: 2g
Cholesterol: 17mg
Sodium: 372mg
Vitamin A: 404 IU
Vitamin C: 7mg
Calcium: 177mg
Potassium: 591mg
Iron: 1mg
HONEY MUSTARD GLAZED HASSELBACK U.S. POTATOES
Watch this Indra's recipe cooking video
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
1 kg U.S. Potatoes (mix of U.S. Russets, U.S. Red Potatoes or U.S. Blue-Purple Potatoes)
2 teaspoons olive oil
To make the Honey Mustard Glaze:
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
4 teaspoons honey
4 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons mustard
Pinch of salt and crushed black pepper
Method:
◾ Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius
◾ Wash and pat dry the U.S. Potatoes
◾ Slice the U.S. Potatoes thinly Hasselback-style and arrange on a baking tray lined with baking paper
◾ Lightly brush the U.S. Potatoes with a little olive oil and bake for 30 minutes
◾ Mix all the ingredients for the honey mustard glaze into a small bowl
◾ After 30 minutes, remove the potatoes from oven, brush with half the honey mustard glaze over the U.S. Potatoes, return to bake for 10 minutes
◾ After 10 minutes, brush with some more of the lemon honey glaze and bake for another 10 minutes till cooked
◾ Remove from oven, garnish with a dash of salt, black pepper, finely chopped
Nutrition Analysis (per serving for 1 pax)
Calories: 195
Protein: 4g
Total Fat: 6g
Saturated Fat: 3g
Carbohydrates: 34g
Fiber: 2g
Cholesterol: 10mg
Sodium: 58mg
Vitamin A: 122 IU
Vitamin C: 11mg
Calcium: 24mg
Potassium: 705mg
Iron: 1mg
Vitamin B6: 1mg
Wishing all have a Merry Christmas 🎄 and Happy New Year 🎉
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