Purple potatoes are a simple and extremely nutritious meal that our whole family enjoy! We made these for Thanksgiving dinner, and they were the first thing to go!
In addition to being so delicious, purple potatoes pack a powerful punch against cancer cells. In this amazing study out of Penn State, they found purple potatoes to suppress the spread of colon cancer stem cells while actually increasing their deaths! This is a remarkable finding, as stem cells are one reason cancer is so hard to treat. But these purple potatoes actually uproot them!
There are several substances in purple potatoes that work simultaneously on multiple pathways to help kill the colon cancer stem cells, including anthocyanins, chlorogenic acid, and resistant starch, which feed the gut microbiome. “Indeed, we have seen that the animals that consumed purple potatoes are healthier compared to animals that received drug treatment,” said Vanamala.
Purple potatoes could be potentially used in both primary and secondary prevention strategies for cancer, Vanamala suggested. Amazing!
Read this fascinating study here:
https://news.psu.edu/story/367072/2015/08/26/research/colorful-potatoes-may-pack-powerful-cancer-prevention-punch
Jeff’s Purple Potato Pop ‘Em’s
Ingredients:
- 1 pound small purple potatoes, washed (1-1 ½” diameter)
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Rosemary
- *1-2 tsp olive oil (optional)
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions:
- Boil potatoes in pot for about 15-20 minutes, until soft (fork-tender)
- Drain water from pot, leaving potatoes in pot.
- Add spices and toss well to coat.
- And watch them disappear!!
Rustic Oven – Baked Purple Potatoes
Ingredients:
- 1 pound medium purple potatoes. Cut into quarters
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Rosemary
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- *Cooking spray or 2-3 teaspoons olive oil
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- Place potatoes in large bowl, and lightly spray with cooking spray or toss with olive oil.
- Add spices and toss well, coating all of potatoes
- Place potatoes on baking pan lined with parchment paper
- Bake at 400°F for 30 minutes, or until
Purple Potatoes and Salsa
Ingredients:
- 1 pound small or medium purple potatoes
- Salsa (We used green salsa above)
Instructions:
Boil potatoes in pot, about 10-15 minutes (20 minutes at altitude) until fork tender
Put in bowl. Squash with fork.
Pour salsa over and enjoy
What’s the best way to cook purple potatoes to retain their cancer fighting anthocyanins?
Thanks for your question! I would recommend boiling or baking at low temperatures. You can also mash them. But really, any way you would eat regular potatoes these would be a good substitute.