Loaded Poor Man’s Potatoes (Patatas a lo Pobre)

These Loaded Poor Man’s Potatoes are great as a side dish but are loaded with extras as to make them more than enough for a main. Packed with flavour they are a quick and comforting bowl of yum. 

WHAT IS POOR MAN’S POTATOES? 

Patatas a lo Pobre, Poor Man’s Potatoes, is a traditional Spanish dish that can be found on many a tapas menu. Originating in medieval Spain, the dish is made up of inexpensive ingredients – potatoes, onions and peppers – making it affordable for the poorer masses. Thus the name, “poor man’s potatoes”.  Variations of it can probably be found in Irish, Greek and Italian tavernas too. The potato is the great equaliser isn’t it? Most can afford it, many can cook it and everyone loves it.

SPEAKING OF TRADITION…A HOUSE UPDATE

We are currently camped at the husband’s work site while our builders work on the floor at our house. Having lived through most of the renovation it doesn’t take the all-seeing powers of Cassandra to know a doofus Great Dane, a two-year old and curing floors spells disaster. We live in a late 1800s guest house, one of the first built in our area, and have been gently peeling back the layers for four years now. Gentle is a relative term and I could gently kick some of the previous owners for their design decisions.

Rule of thumb, if you have to bend to go down the stairs, they might not go there. The lady-house has endured a lot and getting her back to her roots has taken some doing. And because Midas isn’t camped out in our front yard we’ve done a lot of the work ourselves. So there is pride mixed with exhaustion, joy with frustration but hey, we’ve almost finished the top floor. Four years people.

So it is with a little sense of luxury that I sit here away from the smell of newly lacquered floors, feeling toasty warm, happily noshing a bowl of Loaded Poor Man’s Potatoes. Check the segue on this girl.

WHY EVERYONE SHOULD MAKE POOR MAN’S POTATOES 

If you love simple, honest, fuss-free food, you’ll love Patatas a lo Pobre. They are all simple but so much more – they are familiar and comforting in the way only potatoes can be. Delicious served warm, this potato dish is just as wonderful served at room temperature as a salad. Forget the sandwiches, this is easy picnic food too. Invite me and I’ll bring my mushroom fennel ceviche. Yay. 

I call this Loaded Poor Man’s Potato because the traditional recipe is potato, onion and sometimes pepper. This recipe introduces the added flavours and textures of artichoke and salty olives. I also cook the dish in a small amount of stock to bring it all together and add depth. Goodness me, I am eating the stuff and still salivating.

The beauty of this dish, besides its complete deliciousness, is that almost all ingredients are from the pantry if you keep your potatoes and onions in the pantry, which I do. I bought a small tub of mixed olives from the deli and a fresh bunch of curly green parsley but that’s it, the rest we already had. Who doesn’t love that?

If you like the simplicity of my spicy chickpea couscous bowls or the essence of the wholemeal pissaladiére, you’ll love this.

I haven’t included it in this recipe, but I often finely slice baby spinach or kale and add it towards the end of the cook for the Elf’s benefit. What she doesn’t know won’t kill her and I know the addition will make her stronger. Enjoy.

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5 from 1 vote

Loaded Poor Man's Potatoes

With artichokes, olives and roast peppers these Loaded Poor Man's Potatoes are a flavoursome spin on a traditional Spanish dish.

Course Mains, Sides and Condiments

Cuisine Spanish

Keyword Poor Man's Potatoes

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 282.45kcal

Ingredients

• 1/2 kilogram baby potatoes I chose Baby Red and Baby Creams
• 1 red onion finely chopped
• 1/4 cup roasted red peppers from a jar preferably in oil
• 1/2 cup artichoke hearts sliced  
• 1/3 cup black olives
• 1/4 cup vegetable stock or vegan chicken-style stock
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 cup good quality olive oil
• sea salt
• black pepper
• parsley finely chopped

Instructions

• Put a large pot of water on a medium heat. 
• Cut the potatoes in to halves. 
• Cook the potatoes for 10 minutes and strain. 
• In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat the olive oil on low. 
• Add the onion and cook for 1 minute. 
• Add the paprika and oregano and stir. 
• Place the potatoes, cut side down, in the pan. 
• Season the potatoes with sea salt and black pepper 
• Sprinkle the sliced peppers over the potato and then the artichoke hearts. 
• Add the olives. 
• Pour in the stock and continue to cook on low for 20 minutes. 
• The dish is ready when the potatoes can be pierced with a fork but still hold their shape.  Sprinkle with fresh parsley to serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 282.45kcal | Carbohydrates: 28.61g | Protein: 3.27g | Fat: 17.67g | Saturated Fat: 2.4g | Sodium: 406.03mg | Potassium: 566.4mg | Fiber: 4.39g | Sugar: 3.24g | Vitamin A: 696.13IU | Vitamin C: 46.76mg | Calcium: 40.16mg | Iron: 2.02mg