Potato

Potatoes were introduced to us by our Mayan brothers about 300 years ago. They were grown for food among other uses. Potatoes are full of starch and carbohydrates to fuel a hard day in the field as it was with the early days of this country.

The Various Types of Potatoes

There is more than one type of potato. We have white potatoes, Russet potatoes, red-skinned potatoes, yellow potatoes, and even blue potatoes. Potatoes are mainly prepared in one of four ways: baked, fried, boiled, or mashed.

Boiled potatoes can be mashed or placed into stews and soups. Fried potatoes are eaten for breakfast in some places and lunch all over. The popular French fries are the way most people prefer their potato even though it is not the healthiest of foods.

Picking the Right Potato

Potatoes grow in the dirt. When choosing a good one, look for any types of spots, blemishes, or nicks. Spots or blemishes indicate that there may be a problem with the potato. Nicks can introduce bacteria and bugs into the flesh of the vegetable.

Potatoes are harvested year round. Be sure to wash them good before eating as dirt can stick to them. A vegetable peeler removes the skin with the least amount of vegetable attached. I’ve sliced a potato with a knife before and cut away half the potato. It wasn’t a pretty sight. You can eat them raw but it’ll taste really gritty.

Potatoes & Carbs

Potatoes are often shunned these days by all the people using diet programs. According to the glycemic index, a way to determine good and bad carbohydrates; potatoes rank high on the list. That means they are not good for the blood sugar. Eating too much starch can fatten you up sooner than you think.

Storing Your Potatoes

Potatoes can be placed in a vegetable bin in your home. But, don’t forget about them. If you do, they will begin to sprout long thin extensions called “eyes.” Potatoes sitting long enough to sprout are going bad. Next they will shrivel up unto they are completely unusable.

Potatoes add weight to your cooking dishes. For instance, a breakfast casserole with potatoes, eggs, and cheese is more filling than a meal with eggs alone. Potatoes that have been cooked or used as an ingredient for another recipe are easier to freeze without any problems.

You may prepare your potato any way you want, but it is still good. They are great additions to any meat dish, soup, or breakfast casserole. A potato provides protein, vitamin C, calcium, and iron.

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Tomato: Fruit or Veggie - It Doesn’t Matter!

The tomato is a popular vegetable. Even though technically it is a fruit because of the seeds, it has been officially classified as a vegetable to avoid confusion with import duties on those coming from other countries. So, whether you’re on the fruit or vegetable side of the fence, one thing remains the same; for those who love tomatoes, it doesn’t matter how you classify it. Instead, the only thing of importance is how you eat tomatoes.

Tomatoes have been around for centuries but only eaten in this country for less than two. People were once afraid of them, thinking they were poisonous. When they overcame that, tomatoes were not just grown to add color to the garden but for consumption.

Where to Find Tomatoes
These red veggies are found at farmer’s markets, grocery stores, farms, and at roadside stands. You can find a tomato almost anywhere if you look. Climates on both coasts of the United States are favorable for growing tomatoes all year round.

In the South, tomatoes are used as a sandwich topper or as the sandwich. I’ve never been much for soggy bread or the things that make them soggy, so I won’t be eating a tomato sandwich any time soon, but I know plenty of people that do especially in the summer when tomatoes are at their peak. They don’t seem to mind that the bread turns to mush as they bite and chew.

Keeping Your Tomatoes Fresh
Tomato consumption has risen mostly due to the sources of use for them. When you purchase fresh vegetables, preparing them as soon as possible keeps them from spoiling and you from wasting money. Tomatoes ripen best on the counter. Putting them in the fridge is a no-no because they won’t ripen and the taste is not as good.

Preserving Tomatoes
If you have more tomatoes than you can eat, there are several ways to preserve them for later use. Speaking of preserves, canning tomatoes is one option. There was a time when all people did in the summer on the farm was can fruits and vegetables for the winter months. You don’t see that much if at all anymore but with the rising price of crude oil, it may be back in fashion real soon.

While you’re at it can some tomato sauce for Italian dishes like spaghetti and lasagna. Tomatoes are great for salads especially the grape, cherry, and Roma tomatoes. The primary dish for tomatoes is salsa. Salsa is great for chips, dip, and as a sauce for chicken and fish.

However you enjoy tomatoes, they are a documented source of antioxidants. They fight the aging process which is great news for us thirty and forty-something folks.

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Ready to learn more about making dinner easier and getting meals for your family on the table faster? The secret solution is meal planning and you can learn more about it with the free meal planning basics guide.

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Onion

They can make you cry if you let them, but they really are not bad. In some settings they can be stinky beyond belief, but are a fine complement to steaks. Onions come in many varieties, some sweet, some tangy, but all are good for the body and good as an ingredient in main dishes.

Just where did onions come from? It is believed to have originated somewhere in the Middle East. Onions come in three colors: white, yellow, and red. Each onion has a papery outer skin that protects the inner softer layers. An onion has several layers that get smaller as you get closer to the middle. It is a veggie that reminds me of a flower. The narcissus is a relative of the onion.

Bulb onions (most varieties) are okay eaten raw. They are thick sliced to be put on burgers and other sandwiches. Onions are also found on tops of salads. Green onions are an ingredient in vegetable dips and on salads. White onions are common in Mexican cuisine. Onions are chopped up for Pico de Gallo and salsa.

Onions can be purchased at all times of the year. If you can’t find them at your local farmer’s market, they can be found in grocery stores who buy onions from other countries. The most useful onion is the red onion. It can be diced up for use in salads like macaroni or pasta salad. This onion can also be grilled and friend.

Onions are cut into chunks and skewered for shish kebabs. They are sautéed with steaks and used in sauces. Yellow onions are caramelized to be used in French onion soup. Some people even dare to eat onions raw like an apple. Sweet Vidalia onions are supposed to be just that good that they can do that.

Onions can be flowered and deep fried to produce the blooming onion so popular in restaurants today. Before the blooming variety became so popular, people ate tons of onion rings.

Besides the tangy taste that onions add to all the dishes they flavor, they are quite good for a person’s health. They are fat and cholesterol free and contain lots of other nutrients that protect against various forms of cancer, high blood pressure, stomach ulcers, and heart disease.

For extra onions you have on hand, store them before they become soft and mushy. Cut them up and blanch them. The onion chunks are frozen on a flat cookie sheet and then placed in a freezer bag or container.

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Ready to learn more about making dinner easier and getting meals for your family on the table faster? The secret solution is meal planning and you can learn more about it with the free meal planning basics guide.

Find Out How To Cut Your Grocery Budget In Half