Creamy Mashed Potatoes With Basil (Vegetarian)

Member Name: 85fudge

Product:	Vegetarian
Date:	06/12/05 (1117 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Quick & easy - Tasty - Vegetarian

Disadvantages: None

~ INGREDIENTS ~

2 large Potatoes
4 tablespoons of Milk
1 table spoon Crème Fraiche
1 teaspoon Butter
Half a teaspoon Dijon Mustard
Black Pepper
Basil
Pinenuts

(These amounts are for 2 people)

~ UTENSILS ~

Potato peeler
Saucepan
Potato Masher
Mixing spoon/spatula
Teaspoon
Tablespoon

~ PREPARATION TIME ~
Approx. 30 minutes (including cooking time).

~ METHOD ~

1. First, wash and peel the potatoes. Chop into pieces and boil for about 20 minutes. Once cooked, they should be slightly crumbly and look fluffy. If you’re not sure if they’re cooked, try to insert a knife into a potato – it should feel soft.

2. Next, take the potato masher and mash the potato roughly.

3. Add the butter and pour in about 4 tablespoons of milk (or more, or less, depending on how thick you like it). Thoroughly mix with the spoon and continue to mash until quite smooth.

4. Mix in the crème fraiche and mustard with the spoon. If there are any lumps, then continue to mash.

5. Finally, season with some freshly ground black pepper and basil. If you use fresh basil, then chop finely. If you use dried basil then only add about a quarter of a teaspoon because the taste can be quite strong.

6. Divide the mixture onto two plates, and add a sprinkling of pinenuts. Serve with broccoli, green beans or another vegetable of your choice.

~ TASTE AND TEXTURE ~

When I was a child I would hate eating mashed potato because it was so thick and didn’t taste of much. But as I’ve got older and have experimented with cooking, I’ve discovered that mashed potato can be tasty - all it needs is a bit of seasoning and flavouring. The combination of the milk and crème fraiche makes the mashed potato very creamy and rich. Crème fraiche has a slightly tangy and nutty flavour, and adds an interesting taste to the potato. The butter also adds to the richness and creaminess of the recipe. For me, the mustard is the most important component: without it, it’s just not the same. It adds another level to the taste and works so well mixed with the crème fraiche. It also adds a slight yellow colour to the potato, and makes it look even more delicious. Lastly, the basil: the combination of the green colour, and the fantastic taste really finish of the recipe. If you continue to lightly heat the potato mixture when mixing the ingredients, I find the taste of the mustard and basil really come alive. You can experiment with the texture: if you prefer it quite thick, then add less milk and don’t mash it quite as much.

~ SERVING SUGGESTIONS ~

My favourite way to eat mashed potato is with a sprinkling of pinenuts, because I love the nutty taste. If you prefer, you can add cheese. Mashed potato is quite versatile: you can eat it simply with vegetables. My favourites are broccoli, french beans and spinach, because I like the combination of colours together – the green vegetables and yellow mashed potato. However, it can be very tasty when eaten with carrots. The mashed potato is also nice eaten with a vegetable pie or tarte. The possibilities are endless.

~ QUICK AND EASY ~

This recipe is one of my favourites, because it is quick and easy to make, and it can be eaten with anything. The total preparation time is 30 minutes, and this includes the cooking time of the potatoes, which is really quite quick. It is so easy to make, and you can alter the amount of the ingredients to achieve a different consistency and taste. I often add more mustard than I put in the ingredients listing, because I like a strong flavour, and if you don’t like mustard you can leave it out completely.

~ NUTRITION ~

I feel that this recipe is quite nutritious, as it has milk and crème fraiche which are good sources of calcium, potatoes are good for carbohydrate. However, for people who would rather not eat the crème fraiche (because it does have quite a high fat content) then you could leave it out and just add a little more milk.

~ WINTER WARMER ~

I love eating mashed potato in the winter as it really warms me up, and makes me feel so cosy. It would be perfect for children (leave out the mustard if you prefer) as it is nutritious and filling.

Summary: Add flavouring and seasoning to your mashed potatoes - you won't believe the difference!