Cooking with kids - Potatoes

Published on Friday 22 May 2009 12:36

POTATOES are packed full of vitamins and minerals. It is only when we fry them in oil that they lose their health benefits.

The new potato season begins this month, with Jersey royals that need to be eaten very soon after purchase for optimum flavour. They are delicious in their skins, so simply scrub them gently to remove dirt and any loose skin before cooking.

Make sure you drain them as soon as you have finished cooking so that vital nutrients aren't lost in the water.

Hot new potato and tuna salad

Serves four

200g salad leaves

600g small new potatoes, scrubbed

2 cans tuna (130g drained)

garlic dressing

8 halved cherry tomatoes (room temperature)

Wash and scrub the potatoes – an old nail or toothbrush is ideal for this job. Then cut any bigger ones in half.

Boil the potatoes in water

until they are just soft (about

ten minutes depending on their size). Drain through a colander.

Wash the salad leaves and dry off as much of the water as you can. Drain the oil or brine from the tuna.

Put 2 tbsp of garlic dressing into a large salad bowl. Add the leaves, drained potatoes, washed tomatoes and tuna. Use clean hands to carefully mix the salad together.

Garlic vinaigrette

small lemon

1 garlic clove

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground pepper

Pinch sugar

Squeeze out the lemon juice

and crush the garlic clove. Put the lemon juice, garlic, oil, pepper and sugar in a clean, screw-top jam jar.

Secure the lid and shake well. And remember to always have a grown-up in the kitchen when you cook.

Fi Bird (www.stirrinstuff.org)