Replacing Potatoes…

With the plethora of varieties of combinations of flavors, colors and textures, one might see how easy it really is to follow the Paleo Diet.  The focus is on what we DO eat, and how much we enjoy the many options!

However, once in a while, when I'm paleo-izing a recipe for myself or my client, I'll come across something that they've not yet found a substitute for- the good old, white potato, which indeed, is neither  a grain nor a legume but still not part of the Paleo Diet.

Very high in starch and on the glycemic index, and with very high level of the anti nutrients, saponins, in its skin, white potatoes do not have  a place in a paleo lifestyle, athlete or not.

So, then, what might one use to thicken a soup (like potato leek soup) or to place underneath a rare, grass fed filet, if one misses the visual aesthetic of 'meat and potatoes'?

Two things come to mind:  

Sunchokes- (also called Jerusalem Artichokes)- if you're missing that 'crunch' that you used to get from potato chips, or potato hash with breakfast, you can use Sunchokes.  Don't fry them, but a quick saute in some olive oil and garlic, or an oven roasted prep would both be lovely additions to a meal.

Cauliflower= We had this, in lieu of mashed potato, under the filet we served at our wedding.  Also great pureed, mixed in with those roasted leeks and mixed into a new, paleo variety of potato leek soup.

Just as easy to skip it all together- your choice- as long as the outcome has got plenty of fresh veggies with it!