Quick Roast Potatoes, what better words are there to put in a sentence?
I was raised on potatoes, it is the most common food eaten in Ireland. 70% of the carbohydrates in the Irish diet is supplied from the potato. While this is a lot in times past it was excess of 90%! Roast Potatoes are delicious but time consuming to make so try these Quick Roast Potatoes.
In the mid 1800s there was a famine in Ireland which was caused by the failure of the potato crop which formed the staple diet of most people. Over a million died and a million more left. While there were many more factors involved in causing the famine, it was the blight disease destroying the crops that left people starving. Blight is a fungal disease which still attacks potato crops in Ireland due to the damp weather but now there are treatments for it so it is not such a big problem.
Irish people still love their potatoes though we generally call them spuds! The gaelige or irish for potato is Prátaí which is pronounced pra-tee.
Is maith liom prátaí means I like potatoes!
Mostly they are boiled, peeled and mashed. This is delicious but I am a bit lazy about peeling them and it takes ages to make nice mash. Most of the time I buy small salad potatoes and this is how I cook them. Small potatoes have very thin skin so I never peel them.
Most of the nutrition in vegetables leaches out as you cook them so leaving the skin on helps to keep it in. Potatoes contain no fat, no cholesterol and no sodium making them a great addition to any healthy diet. They are high in vitamins C and B6 which help the immune system.
Roast potatoes are usually peeled and cooked in lots of oil which makes them delicious but not very healthy. These Quick Roast Potatoes are healthy and ready in twenty minutes, who wouldn`t like that?
The secret?
I use the microwave to cook the potatoes before I roast them as this reduces the cooking time vastly. Once they are tender I use either a spray oil or a teaspoon of vegetable oil to toss them. Salt and pepper are sprinkled on them along with a teaspoon of herbs. Toss again to coat and spread out on a baking tray. Bake in a hot oven for 15 – 20 minutes until crispy.
While I used herbs in this recipe there is really no limit on what flavouring you can add. Garlic, mexican seasoning, rosemary, curry powder, there is literally nothing you can not flavour them with depending on what meal you are eating them with. Quick Roast Potatoes is the most versatile recipe you will ever find so give it a try today. Let me know what combinations you come up with as I will be fascinated to see the results.
They are the perfect accompaniment to my Vegan Bean and Dumpling Casserole, the whole meal takes no length to make but everyone will think you spent hours over a hot stove!
Quick Roast Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1kg/ 2.5 pounds Small potatoes (halved)
- 1 Teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Mixed Herbs
- Salt and Black Pepper
Instructions
- Put the potatoes in a microwave proof dish with 1 tablespoon of water. Cover and vent.
- Microwave on high for 5 minutes until tender, drain.
- Toss in oil, herbs and seasoning. Place on baking tray.
- Bake at 200oC for 15 - 20 minutes until brown and crispy
Did you make this recipe? Take a pic and share it on Instagram with the hashtag #aveggiecooks__ and tag @aveggiecooks__. I would love to see it!
Other recipes to try:
Vegan Double Chocolate Brownies
