As the author of Winnie the Pooh, A. A. Milne, once said: “If a man really likes potatoes, he must be a pretty decent sort of fellow.”

I quite agree! Be it ever so humble, one of the world’s most widely used vegetables is a real superfood. Potatoes contain fibre, minerals, potassium, B-vitamins and up to half our daily requirement of vitamin C.

Most of these goodies are just under the skin, so the most nutritious way to eat potatoes is to bake them in their jackets or peel them very thinly.

Potatoes don’t count as one of your five-a-day vegetables because they are starchy, which is why they have also suffered from the label ‘fattening’. But it’s not the potato that’s the problem. It’s the stuff that we put on them or cook them in that does the damage – like most of my recipes today.

I do love rich and creamy dauphinoise potatoes, but they are calorie-laden, so when I’m feeling virtuous and want to lighten them, I use some crème fraiche mixed with vegetable stock instead of cream and milk. But when it comes to my cheese and potato cake, I’m not at all virtuous – and it’s worth every single creamy, cheesy calorie.

Crème fraiche goes particularly well with potatoes as it’s virtually the same as sour cream, so beloved by our American cousins. Mix it into cold mashed potato together with some flour, milk and chopped chives to make a quick, thick batter for potato pancakes. Topped with scrambled eggs and a slice of smoked salmon, they make the best Sunday morning breakfast or brunch ever.

Cream cheese also goes well in a sauce poured over potato gnocchi. Mix in a big handful of torn spinach leaves and serve with just about anything or sprinkle with Parmesan and serve on its own.

I’m afraid none of these three recipes will do much for your waistline, so to redress the balance a bit, my sweet chilli potatoes, which are spicy and not too hot, are what you might call lean cuisine. And how’s this for a piece of useless potato trivia?

Apparently, washing your face every day with potato juice can reduce blemishes, but unfortunately as juicing potatoes is not high on my to-do list, that’s one beauty treatment I’m not about to try.

Potato pancakes with scrambled eggs and smoked salmon

(Serves 6)

250g cold mashed potatoes
75 g plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
8 eggs
60ml crème fraiche
60ml milk
1 tbsp snipped chives or finely chopped spring onion, plus extra to serve
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Butter
6 slices smoked salmon

Put the mashed potatoes into a bowl, sift over the flour and baking powder, then beat in two of the eggs, the crème fraiche and milk to make a thick batter. Stir in the chives and season well with salt and pepper.

Heat a little drizzle of oil and a small knob of butter in a frying pan and when it’s hot, drop in four tablespoons of the batter, one for each pancake. Cook until they are set and brown underneath, then flip them over and brown the other side. Transfer to a plate and keep them warm in a low oven while you cook more pancakes, adding extra oil and butter as necessary.

Beat the remaining six eggs and season with salt and pepper. Melt 50g butter in a pan and when foaming, pour in the eggs and scramble, stirring constantly until they are done to your liking.

Divide the pancakes between six warm plates and spoon over the scrambled eggs. Top with slices of smoked salmon and sprinkle with the rest of the chives.

Cheese and potato cake

(Serves 6)

1kg potatoes
120g grated Emmental cheese
Salt and white pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
250ml cream
100ml milk
2 eggs, beaten
2 heaped tbsps grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp chopped parsley

Peel and thinly slice the potatoes. Boil them in salted water for two minutes, then tip them into a colander to drain and cool slightly.

Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Generously butter a 20cm deep baking dish or cake tin that’s leak-proof and line the bottom with baking paper. Layer in the potatoes, sprinkling each layer with the cheese, salt and pepper and garlic, and finish with a layer of potatoes.

Heat the cream and milk together until hot but not boiling, pour them on to the beaten eggs and whisk well. Season with salt and pepper, then pour the mixture over the potatoes, shaking the dish gently so that it all seeps through.

Bake for about an hour until the top is golden, the potatoes are tender when tested with the point of a knife, and the liquid has been absorbed. Let it stand for 10 minutes.

Preheat the grill and run a knife round the edge of the dish. Invert a heatproof plate on top, then holding them together with a cloth to protect your hands, turn them over, give them a shake and turn out the cake. Peel off the paper.

Mix the Parmesan and parsley together, sprinkle it over the cake and put it under the hot grill for a few minutes until lightly browned. Serve cut into wedges.

Potato gnocchi with cream cheese and spinach

(Serves 4)

2 tbsps olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic
4 tbsps garlic and herb cream cheese
150ml chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and pepper
100g fresh spinach
500g pack potato gnocchi

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion gently until soft but not coloured. Add the garlic and fry for a minute more. Stir in the cream cheese, then gradually add the stock, stirring until well blended. Simmer for two minutes, then season with salt and pepper.

Pull the stems off the spinach and roughly tear the leaves. Rinse and drain them thoroughly, then add to the pan and cook until the leaves are just wilted.

Cook the gnocchi according to the instructions on the pack, then add them to the sauce and toss it all together lightly. Transfer to a warm bowl and serve.

Sweet chilli potatoes

(Serves 4)

800g small new potatoes
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 red pepper, cored and cut into thin strips
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
2 tbsps soy sauce
2 tbsps honey
150g bottle sweet chilli sauce
Toasted sesame seeds

Halve the potatoes and cook them in boiling salted water until just tender, then drain.

Heat the oil in a deep frying pan or wok and fry the onion until soft. Add the garlic and fry for a minute more, then stir in the pepper and fry gently until it starts to soften. Stir in the spring onions, soy sauce, honey and chilli sauce and bring to the boil. Add the potatoes and toss until well coated with the sauce.

Tip into a warm serving bowl, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and serve. These are good with some slices of pork fillet or chicken breast dusted with Chinese five-spice powder and quickly fried.