Galilee Green – Israeli Spicy Roast Potatoes

Who doesn’t love potatoes? Mashed, baked, french fried, or roasted.

Potatoes are a comfort food and for a long time they’ve been on the NO EAT LIST for people battling the bulge or trying to manage their diabetes.

However, potatoes are a very good source of vitamin B6, and a good source of potassium, copper, vitamin C, manganese, phosphorus, niacin, and dietary fiber. The real problem is not in the potato, but all the fixings we add to them, like sour cream, butter, and loads of ketchup.

A single baked potato has over 3 grams of fiber, but remember the fiber in potatoes is mostly in their skin.

So, if you want the cholesterol-lowering, colon-cancer preventing and bowel-supportive effects of fiber, be sure to eat the potato’s yummy skin as well as its creamy center.

In Israel, potatoes are grown in the Negev in the south and in the Hula Valley in North. Israel is a major exporter of winter potatoes to Europe.

Here is a Good Heart Healthy way to prepare potatoes Israeli style. We Israelis love things spicy, so this recipe includes a lot of coarse black pepper and hot paprika.

Ingredients:

• 8 large potatoes, peeled, cut into large wedges (about 6-7 wedges per potato)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced (more garlic is a good thing, less garlic is a no-no for this recipe)
• ½ cup Galilee Green Olive Oil
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 lemon, juiced
• generous amounts of sea salt, fresh coarse ground black pepper, sweet and hot paprika

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 420°F or 225°C
• Put all the ingredients into a baking pan
• Add a generous amount of sea salt, black pepper, sweet and hot paprika
• Toss and bake for 40 minutes.
• When a nice golden-brown crust has formed on the potatoes, give them a stir to bring the white underside up
• Add more seasonings
• Add more water if you feel you need more liquid
• Place them back into oven to brown the other side of the potatoes for another 40 minutes

Don’t worry about overcooking the potatoes — they’ll be absolutely delicious. ENJOY!!

Hat tip to Trisha Clover. I adapted this from a recipe she liked.