My potato does what?

Potatoes get a bad rap but so long as you don't drown them in sauces and butter and fatty things, they are quite good for you. They are one of the most versatile vegetables available to you at the market. Aside from eating them raw, they can be baked, roasted, fried, chipped, sliced, mashed, boiled, and everything in between. I could rave about potatoes all day.

Did you know that they can also be used to thicken soups, stews, and sauces?

• I recently tested a tip from Joy of Cooking regarding potatoes and it works! If your soup or stew is having trouble thickening up, shred a raw potato into the dish and give it 15 minutes or so to cook and it thickens up your dish.
  
• If you have Instant Mashed Potatoes on hand, they work great as well! Keep in mind they also have powdered milk, flavours, and salt as well so be mindful of this when seasoning.