Eat like the Irish

The spud
The good: potatoes have gotten a bad nutritional rap lately -- not surprising, since we tend to load them up with fats by frying them or adding butter and sour cream. But the potato itself is a source of carbohydrates, minerals such as potassium and iron, and vitamin C (when potatoes are new; after 9 months of storage the amount of vitamin C is reduced). The trick is to prepare the potato without a lot of added fats and salt -- and to keep the skins on. So break out the scrubber and go ahead and indulge.

And although the traditional colcannon is not precisely the healthiest way to eat potatoes -- it contains fat in the form of butter and the potatoes are peeled -- it adds nutritional punch by including kale, a leafy green which contains high levels of antioxidants and is rich in beta-carotene, iron and potassium (cabbage may be substituted instead). Here's a recipe to enjoy:

1 1/4 pounds (about 2 large) russet (baking) potatoes
2 cups chopped kale
1 onion, diced
1/2 cup milk, scalded
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits and softened
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper

Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces; place in saucepan. Cover with salted water and simmer until tender (15 minutes). Mash with milk and butter. While the potatoes are simmering, steam kale for 10 minutes, or until it is tender, and sauté onion in olive oil. Once potatoes are mashed, stir in kale and onion; season to taste. For an extra-decadent treat, fry up leftover colcannon the next day in two tablespoons olive oil.