As someone who’s always on the go, cooking on a daily basis sure is challenging. Since I’m trying to change our eating habits, I’ve been trying to encourage myself to prepare food every day and try new recipes that will also entice Zeeka to eat healthily.

Weekdays are usually the busiest. I had this bad habit before that I’ll munch on high-calorie snacks and sugary drinks to make me feel full and energized. Whatever’s fast and easy to purchase from the counter, that’s what I get.

I’m immensely grateful for the huge shift I made towards my impulse eating habits and decisions. In the beginning, it doesn’t seem to look like a big deal. But the bad effects happen at the end part, right?

Consuming more vegetables, fruits, and protein may seem to be a bit hard to commit every day, though the end results usually are the grand motivators.

Meal planning shouldn’t be complicated particularly for moms like me, who don’t have a lot of time to prepare and cook. I’ve learned that the best way to achieve the effective weight loss is to consume food that will make you feel full longer every day. One of the easiest and readily available in the market is the potato. US Potatoes are the freshest and the packed with vitamins! You can learn more about US Potatoes from this page: https://www.facebook.com/PotatoesUSAPhilippines/

This power crop has a lot of nutrients and vitamins that is enough to make you healthy and feel energized. It is rich in Vitamin C, immune-boosting and helps lower cholesterol. One medium potato with the skin contributes 2 grams of fiber or 8% of the daily value per serving.

Day 1: Bacon and Potato Wedge Omelette

Ingredients:
250g US frozen potato wedges
1 tbsp olive oil
4 rashers bacon, diced
4 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup of milk
1 cup of mozzarella cheese

1. Place the frozen US potato wedges in a pan of boiling water. Cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes until tender, then drain.

2. Heat the pan then add oil. Fry bacon for 4-5 minutes then add the potatoes. Fry for
another minute.

3. Beat the eggs then add milk, salt, pepper, and half the mozzarella cheese. Add the mixture to the pan and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the remaining mozzarella cheese and place under a preheated grill until golden. Serve with your desired sauce.

Day 2: Garlic Herbed Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients:
3 lbs. frozen US potatoes
1/2 cup olive oil
4 tbsp garlic
2 tbsp rosemary
2 tbsp thyme
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 200 °C.

2. Cut the frozen US potatoes in half or quarters then place in a bowl. Add olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, and garlic. Toss until the potatoes are coated.

3. Transfer the US potatoes to a sheet pan and spread out into 1 layer. Add the butter on top to
spruce up the flavor. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour until browned and crisp. (Flip
with a spatula during cooking to ensure even browning.)

4. Remove the potatoes from oven, sprinkle parsley. Season to taste.

Day 3: Garlic Potatoes, Green Beans, Shrimp And Cauliflower

Ingredients:
1/2kg prawns, peeled
1 lb. US fingerling potatoes
3 c. cauliflower florets
1 lb. green beans
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
5 clove garlic
1⁄2 tsp. paprika
1 tbsp red wine

1. In a large pot, cover the US fingerling potatoes with 2-3 inches of salted water. Boil over high
heat. Then, reduce the heat and cook for 8 minutes until the potatoes are almost tender.
2. Add the cauliflower florets and green beans to the pot. Simmer until tender for 5 minutes.
3. In a small skillet, heat the olive oil then add the garlic. Cook over low heat until golden brown. Add paprika, a large pinch of salt. Remove from heat.
4. Drain vegetables and transfer to serving bowl. Season with salt and drizzle with garlic oil. Sprinkle with red wine.

Day 4: Potato Lollipop Recipe

Ingredients:

2 medium US potatoes, boiled and peeled
1 medium carrot, boiled and peeled
3 bread slices
2-3 green chillies
1 small piece ginger
2 teaspoons cornflour
½ teaspoon cumin powder
Salt
Olive oil

1. Boil and peel the potatoes and carrots. Mash well. Crush peeled ginger and green chillies using a mortar and pestle.
2. Add crushed ginger-cilantro-green chillies paste,salt and cumin powder.
3. Soak the bread slices in water for 2-3 minutes,squeeze the water well and ad to the potato mixture. Add corn flour and mix well. Mix well to form a dough.
4. Shape into small lollipops from the dough and shallow fry from both sides till golden.
5. Let it cool for 5 minutes. Now insert lollipop sticks or snack pickers into each lollipop.

Day 5: Potato and Peppers Stew

Ingredients:

1 red onion, finely chopped
1 whole garlic, mashed
8 bell peppers (red, yellow, green), seeded and sliced in julienne
28 ounces canned tomatoes
1 lb. US potatoes, scrubbed well and cut into ½ inch cubes
250ml vegetable broth
1 handful of fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large pan, saute onion in 3 tablespoons olive oil and set on medium-high heat. When completely softened, before it starts browning, add the garlic. Sauté for an additional minute.

2. Add all peppers and lower heat to medium-low and stir well. Partially cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Add tomatoes and US potatoes. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste and keep stirring well over low heat and cook for 1 hour.

4. Add vegetable stock gradually using a ladle while cooking. Add the stock to reach attain desired consistency. Consistency should be thicker than a pasta sauce. Garnish with parsley on top.

I hope you enjoyed these recipes! Feel free to share these with friends so that all of us benefit from eating Potatoes!

Get more information about potato nutrition, recipes and general potato facts from Potatoes USA – Philippines Facebook Page here.