Herbed Potato Salad

This is an easy and classic potato salad made into a low calorie version. Because of the herbs and the yogurt/sour cream combination it is very tasty and makes a great side dish. And since I can't have french fries, I have to find a way to enjoy my potatoes in some way:)

I add cucumbers simply because I like the crunch and it doesn't add much to the calories. If you wanted to, you could add bell peppers for more crunch. You'd be adding about 10 calories per serving.

Enjoy....

HERBED POTATO SALAD

Ingredients:
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced

Directions:
Place potatoes in a saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes or until tender. Drain. Cool slightly and peel. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise; cut halves crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place potatoes in a large bowl; sprinkle with vinegar.

Combine yogurt and sour cream in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add oil; stir with a whisk. Add onion and remaining ingredients; stir with a whisk. Add yogurt mixture to potato mixture; toss gently to coat. Cover and chill 1 to 24 hours.

Makes 6 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)
Per serving:
Calories: 170
Fat: 4 g
Carbs: 30 g
Protein: 4 g
Fiber: 3 g

Creamy Potato Soup

This potato soup recipe is a great low cal variation and if you serve it before a salad, you'd have a wonderfully filling complete meal. A soup before any meal is actually a great idea because it fills you up before you eat the main meal so it helps you with portion control.

And it really is low in calories because it doesn't use any flour, or any type of broth. If you want to have a tastier soup use low sodium chicken broth mixed with water. It makes a big difference to taste.

I like adding onions to this soup. Saute them for about 3 minutes before adding them to the soup.

Enjoy:)

CREAMY POTATO SOUP

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups water
5 medium potatoes, peeled and cut up
1 medium celery stalk, sliced (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup water
1 cup milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions:
Heat 1 1/2 cups water to boiling in 3-quart saucepan. Add potatoes and celery. Cover and heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Drain liquid into blender. Remove 3 cups cooked vegetables from saucepan; place in blender with liquid. Add 1/4 cup water. Cover and blend about 1 minute until smooth.

Stir pureed vegetables back into saucepan. Stir in remaining ingredients; heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until hot.

Makes 6 servings (about 3/4 cup each):
Per serving:
Calories: 95
Fat: 1 g
Carbohydrates: 20 g
Protein: 3 g
Fiber: 1 g

Scalloped Potatoes with Shallots, Mushrooms, Roasted Garlic and Thyme

You are supposed to roast the garlic for this recipe, which already takes a long time to cook. So, I just skip it, but go ahead and prepare it by sauteing them. But keep in mind that the garlic becomes much more mellow when roasted, so you might need to use much less.

Preparing this dish doesn't take that long, but cooking it does so give yourself enough lead time with this recipe:) It makes no difference to me that it does take time because it is simply delicious. But be careful not to overdo the serving:)

Enjoy....

SCALLOPED POTATOES WITH SHALLOTS, MUSHROOMS, ROASTED GARLIC AND THYME

Ingredients:
4 whole garlic heads
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 1/3 cups minced shallots (about 15 medium)
3 cups chopped mushrooms (8 ounces)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced
Cooking spray
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Remove white papery skins from garlic heads (do not peel or separate cloves). Wrap each head separately in foil. Bake at 350° for 1 hour; cool 10 minutes. Separate cloves; squeeze to extract garlic pulp (you should have about 1/4 cup). Discard skins.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots; sauté 3 minutes or until softened. Add mushrooms; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar; cook 1 minute or until liquid almost evaporates. Remove from heat.

Place milk, garlic pulp, flour, thyme, salt, and pepper in a food processor; process until smooth.

Arrange one-third of potatoes in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread half of the shallot mixture over potatoes. Repeat procedure with remaining potato slices and shallot mixture, ending with potato slices. Pour milk mixture evenly over potatoes.

Cover with foil; bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake, uncovered, 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese; bake 15 minutes or until cheese is golden. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
Per serving:
Calories: 165
Fat: 5 g
Carbs: 22 g
Protein: 10 g
Fiber: 3.5 g

Florentine Frittata

This recipe from Cooking Light is like my guide recipe. I change the ingredients according to what I have in hand.

I don't use butter, and use butter substitute spray instead which works out just fine.

Serve it with a nice mesclun salad and you have a complete meal which is really satisfying. Enjoy:)

FLORENTINE FRITTATA

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (16-ounce) carton egg substitute
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
2 teaspoons butter
2 cups thinly sliced Vidalia or other sweet onion
2 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
1 (7-ounce) bottle roasted red bell peppers, drained and sliced
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Directions:
Combine the first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl; set aside.

Melt butter in a 10-inch cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes. Add potatoes; cook 9 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

Pour egg mixture over onion mixture. Arrange bell pepper slices on top of frittata. Cook 7 minutes or until set. Sprinkle with cheese.

Wrap handle of pan with foil. Preheat broiler. Broil 5 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned. Cut into 4 wedges.

Makes 4 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)
Per serving:
Calories: 265
Fat: 8 g
Carbs: 32 g
Protein: 20 g
Fiber: 6 g