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Potato Soup from 'Better Homes and Gardens: The Ultimate Soups and Stews Book'

Potatoes can also relieve stress.

By Iria Vasquez-PaezPublished 6 years ago 3 min read
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I made myself the baked potato soup from 'Better Homes and Gardens: The Ultimate Soups and Stews Book.' I got two russet potatoes and baked them in my oven to 425 degrees for 60 minutes. I had not known how to make a good baked potato before I tried this recipe. I cut the potatoes lengthwise. I left them in the fridge for a day, which resulted in black spots which I removed with a spoon. I smashed the potatoes with a fork, and threw out the potato skins. Then, I put the potatoes in my soup pot along with green onions and butter, to soften them.

I stirred in flour, dill and salt. Then, I added two cups of lactose-free milk (instead of four cups of lactose-free milk, in order to reduce the calories). Stirring took about 12 to 15 minutes to stir the milk. Then, the potato pulp went in, as well as half a cup of mozzarella. I put cheese on top, green onions and bacon. I even went so far as to add sour cream to this soup. It turned out great with the sour cream! I had at least two russet potatoes to work with.

Russet potatoes are called russets because they are a russet brown color. The skin can be chewed if cooked at the right temperature for the right length of time. Russets can be used to bake, fry, or mash, and even to roast. One russet has 110 calories. Russets have no cholesterol. Baking russets is the best way to make them because the result is fluffy mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes are fantastic, but I make lactose-free recipes. My goal is to try to find lactose-free cream, if possible, since I am a lactose-free cook.

Potatoes have fiber. They can be used in a variety of ways including for baked potatoes, potato chips, and more! Russets are harder to use for potato pancakes, unlike Yukon gold or red potatoes if only because they take 40 to 60 minutes to bake in the oven. I find it easier to use Yukon gold potatoes for dishes like potato pancakes, just because you can grate them faster. I didn’t know where to find American cheese in the cheese aisle at my grocery store, so I just used what I had, which was mozzarella. Fun fact: Russet potatoes are also called Idaho potatoes!

Russet potatoes can produce enough substance for French fries, give-or-take the length of the slices being cut up. A sweet potato is different from a russet in that a sweet potato comes out orange while some other varieties of sweet potato can be white. Purple Peruvian potatoes are an exception to how some potatoes are white because they are deep purple on the inside. Katahdin potatoes are also used for French fries. A new potato is a potato that is harvested early on in the season because it is not grown to full size. These potatoes are good for breakfast dishes.

The russet potato is very versatile, containing 24-percent vitamin C! You can use russets fresh, frozen or dehydrated. You cannot freeze raw russet potatoes or put them in the refrigerator. It is best to leave them out, room temperature. I made the mistake of putting my potatoes in the fridge. Potatoes work for a variety of side dishes or main dishes. An added benefit of potatoes is that they can beat stress. Potato chips can, therefore, be a serotonin booster! Lacking serotonin can cause bad moods, insomnia, aggression, anxiety, and depression. This is why potatoes in any form boost serotonin levels. I like getting mine in potato chips and French fries. Eating twenty-five to thirty grams of carbohydrates such as those found in Cheerios or potatoes can create a feeling of calm. Personally, I choose to eat potatoes when looking to mellow out. I'm due to buy some soon, depending how busy I get!

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About the Creator

Iria Vasquez-Paez

I have a B.A. in creative writing from San Francisco State. Can people please donate? I'm very low-income. I need to start an escape the Ferengi plan.

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