#ewew cooks Mashed Potatoes 5 Ways

Potatoes are probably my no. 1 carb-essential food that I love, love, love.  As much as I try to eat less carbs, I can't resist eating potatoes.  I'll eat them deep-fried, baked, stir-fried, pan-fried, grilled, braised, boiled, steamed (ok, maybe not steamed-lah :P)....and mashed.  In other words, I eat them almost any way!  Is there any other way to eat them?  Hehe! ;)

And one of the ways I like to eat them is mashed.  That's because it's at least a healthier option but, more importantly, it's relatively easy to make at home with the littlest mess and clean up to do.

One of the easiest mashed potatoes recipe I always make is Mashed Potatoes with Fried Garlic.  I think this is a rather odd recipe in that I've not seen it online.  The ones online are usually garlic mashed potatoes where the garlic is roasted till soft and mashed together with the potatoes.  

I don't know what made me decide to combine these two ingredients together...but I did (maybe I saw it on TV in one of the food shows before, I can't remember)....and the result was very pleasurable.

With any mashed potatoes recipe, you start with boiling peeled potato chunks in salted boiling water for 10 - 15 minutes (depending on the type of potatoes used as some are sturdier and need a longer time).  You don't have to bother with the timing so much coz you can test if your potatoes are done with a prick of the fork. When the fork easily goes through the centre of the potato, they're soft enough.

Then mash your potatoes, season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper, and add a drizzle of olive oil or butter and cream for a healthy vs a creamier not-so-healthy version (your pick) and that's basically the foundation of any mashed potato recipe.

Just know that this is a home-made version of mashed potatoes, so it'll probably be a rustic version that's more chunky than fine unlike the silky smooth mashed potatoes we order at restaurants coz those would involve a ricer (which I don't have) or passing it through a sieve (which I won't bother to do at home).  So, I don't mind a chunkier version when eating a home-made version as long as I get to eat one! ^_~

Freshly fried minced garlic is a staple in any Chinese household as we use them a lot in our dishes, especially in steamed fish and over oyster sauce vegetables.  So, whenever you're making a fresh batch, you can make Mashed Potatoes with Fried Garlic too.

Top with more fried garlic (for better presentation) + you want to know that you're eating Mashed Potatoes with Fried Garlic.  The fried garlic in the mashed potatoes will give you that garlicky flavour but the fried garlic topping will give you the crunch and even more garlic flavour, of course.

Whenever I'm eating out at Japanese restaurants, I like to order my favourite Japanese Potato Salad.  So, obviously, I'd make Mashed Potatoes with Cucumber & Carrot at home.

For this, all you have to do is to shave very thin slices of cucumber and carrot using a vegetable peeler.  And then julienne them finely.....as fine as your knife skills will allow...okay? ;)

You can opt to add in Japanese Kewpie mayo to bind everything together to give it a creamier feel (but I usually choose to omit that when making a home version) even though it won't be as smooth.

This easy-to-make healthier version of Mashed Potatoes with Cucumber & Carrot (if you leave out the mayo) is certainly a worthwhile addition to your list of homemade mashed potatoes.

My next mashed potatoes recipe is inspired by one I ate at 28 Fireplace where their mashed potatoes had sliced oyster mushrooms in it.  So, here's my tweaked recipe of Mashed Potatoes with Button Mushrooms instead.

You start off with fresh mushrooms...any kind will do like white button, brown button, oyster or shimeji mushrooms.  You'll need to chop them up and saute them first in some olive oil (or butter).  Don't forget to season.

Once they're cooked through, add them to your seasoned mashed potatoes with some chopped fresh herbs (like coriander, parsley or dill), if you have (I didn't).  Do not mash at this point, otherwise the mushrooms will release water.  Drizzle a bit more olive oil and mix everything together.

Although butter and milk (or cream) are critical to making great mashed potatoes, I never add them in when making them at home coz 1) it's the only time I get to make a healthier version and 2) I never have milk or cream in my fridge since I don't buy them.  I get to eat the unhealthy buttery and creamier version when I'm dining out...and that should be sufficient enough.

This is the first time I've made Mashed Potatoes with Button Mushrooms and I have to say I found it very pleasant indeed.  Biting into the small chunks of fresh button mushrooms and the resulting release of its juices was rather gratifying.

I've also seen mashed potatoes done with spinach in some western recipes.  If that can work, I suppose some other kind of green leafy vegetables should work too.  So I made my version of Mashed Potatoes with Chinese Spinach.  I chose Chinese spinach as I know this green leafy vegetable can and will soften immensely when cooked + it's also easily available at our markets.

Just cut them into half-inch lengths and saute in a little oil until well softened.  Add some minced garlic (optional) and season with salt and pepper.  This is probably the healthiest version of any mashed potato recipe.  Perhaps this is one way you can get your kids to eat green leafy vegetables...by disguising (and burying) them in mashed potatoes (although I went a bit overboard with the vegetables)! :P

Top with a sunny side up egg and this Mashed Potatoes with Chinese Spinach can be a replacement for a meatless main meal.

Last, but not least, who can forget the classic pairing of Mashed Potatoes with Crispy Bacon.  For this, all you have to do is fry your diced bacon in a little olive oil till crispy.  What a beauty!

Fold in the crispy bacon bits into your seasoned mashed potatoes and sprinkle even more bacon on top for better presentation.

Don't forget to drizzle a bit of that bacon drippings (aka liquid gold) left behind from frying the bacon bits on your potatoes, making this your least healthy version. ^_*

Add some finely chopped chives for that fresh onion-y flavour (it goes very well with this Mashed Potatoes with Crispy Bacon).  I had to do without the chives since I didn't have any in my fridge.

Mashed potatoes are so versatile, you can have it as a main or a side.  I have it as a main with a side salad (on days when I want to eat something simple).  It's always good as a side to any main dish too.  And, most importantly, it's easy to whip up on days when I'm too lazy to cook but yet fulfills my criteria of a good meal.

So, which is your favourite?  I can't choose a favourite....I love them all...as long as there are potatoes, I'm happy! ;D