Crispy Hash Brown Cups
The New England Journal of Medicine recently published a study of 120K average men and women over a 13 year period. They found there was an average gain of 3 pounds over four years. When they listed the foods that contributed the most to weight gain potatoes came in 1st and 2nd! The best of the worst foods were potato chips, potatoes, sugar-sweetened beverages and red meat. Not every form of potato is bad. A fried potato increases levels of blood sugar quicker than an equal amount of pure table sugar, and that is without all the sour cream, bacon bits and accessories.
However, potatoes are recognized for their protein, multiple vitamins and minerals. The question for concerned chefs or the preparer of the family dinner is how to maximize potato power while minimizing the unhealthy aspects. The simplest way is baking rather than frying and using small amounts of potato with healthy accessories.
A great idea is crispy hash brown cups. These are used with shredded potatoes put in mini muffin tins. to be exact, you will need:
3 ounces light or tofu cream cheese
black pepper
2 medium russet potatoes
4 tablespoons melted butter
2 ounces black or red caviar, generally beluga caviar is recommended
If you can prepare the night before, its best to half-cook the potatoes, make sure they are cool, wrap them and refrigerate until morning. Take them out and put the potatoes in a medium saucepan. Fill with water and bring to a boil. Cook them until you are able to insert a knife, but not easily. Remove them from the water and let them cool. Peel and coarsely grate the potatoes. Toss the shredded potatoes to evenly distribute cooked/uncooked shreds.
Gently brush the inside of the muffin tin cups with the melted butter. Line the inside of each cup with shredded potatoes, patting into place. If you want a nice lace effect, you can have a few of the shreds to lay over the edge
Bake for about 25 minutes in a preheated 450° oven. The potato shreds should be a golden brown. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes and gently sprinkle the pepper.
Get a blunt table knife and remove the potato from the tins to a serving platter. Put on a dollop of the tofu or light cream cheese then top with a dollop of beluga caviar. These make fantastic, health-conscience appetizers that are sure to be the hit of the party!