***Recipe makeover***

It would never occur to me to eat mashed potatoes without garlic or roasted garlic.

In my world, the two go hand in hand.

If you don’t eat as much garlic as you should, mashed potatoes make the perfect dish to “hide” your garlic.

I always think that no one on the planet needs to be reminded of the incredible benefits of garlic, but then again if that were the case there would be no reason to remind people of the virtues of healthy eating.

If you don’t like garlic because it’s strong or it gives you bad breath, you can simply choose to eat garlic when you know you won’t be in contact with strangers.

That said, garlic is one of the most powerful anti-viral superfoods you’ll find. Garlic inhibits 72 distinct infectious agents, including those that cause the common cold. Garlic also protects against ulcers and a number of nutritionist have gone as far as to claim that the “stinky rose”, as Italians call it, may help eliminate metals such as lead from the body.

Garlic is easy to find and it’s extremely inexpensive. Garlic is good for you and it’s perfect to enhance the taste of any dish.

>>> Going low-fat and low-taste?

I think we all recognize that over doing it when it comes to saturated fats is one of the leading causes of obesity around the world for all those following the typical American diet, but the idea is awareness and changing your old eating habits.

When it comes to mashed potatoes, I always make mine using 18% cream. I’ve tried them with the 35% cream, but I’ve found that I was able to get a really delicious mashed potato using the 18% without altering the taste or texture too much.

I don’t add extra butter to my mashed potatoes because I consider 18% to be sufficient. Hence, the addition of garlic helps enhance the taste of your mashed potatoes and you won’t find the need to add more butter to enhance the taste.

I’ve tried making mashed potatoes with low fat milk in the past, but I really didn’t find the taste or texture to be the same and I had a feeling I was eating a low-fat meal and that was a big downer for me in the end.

I found two low-fat mashed potato recipes and I’ll tell you which one I’d choose to try if I was looking for a low-fat recipe.

I would personally prefer making my mashed potatoes with my 18% cream and a lot of garlic and I would simply make sure that eat a “normal” portion which would be the equivalent of a small computer mouse.

So here is my two cents on two garlic mashed potato recipes.

1) Smashed Potatoes with Garlic recipe from The World’s Healthiest Foods

I found a garlic mashed potato recipe on The World’s Healthiest Foods Web site and this is one rare case where I will do a recipe makeover where I’ll be adding fat content to a recipe. You’ll see some of my notes near some of the ingredients I would not personally add to the recipe.

Prep and Cook Time: 10 minutes

>>>INGREDIENTS<<<

2 potatoes

3 TBS extra virgin olive oil

Krizia’s recommendation: I think olive oil will add a taste that is too strong for the mashed potatoes and I would opt for grape seed oil or peanut oil. I usually cook with coconut oil these days and I’d never put them in the mashed potatoes because coconut oil has a strong flavour and scent.

3 medium cloves garlic, pressed

Krizia’s recommendation: I would put the whole garlic in the water instead of pressing it.

3 TBS low-fat milk or dairy-free milk beverage (such as soy or rice milk)

Krizia’s recommendation: I drink more rice milk in a week than I drink milk. I limit my intake of 1% organic milk to the preparation of my lattes and for a cup of English tea. I’ve used soy and rice milk for tea and recipes and I can assure you that it’s not the same. Alternate milk products like these change the taste and texture of food. I personally don’t try to make traditional recipes with either soy and rice milk because I’ve been disappointed. As for the low-fat milk, I’ve tried mashed potatoes with 1% milk and I found it was not very interesting at all. If you are lactose intolerant, I understand that you would have to use dairy-free milk and that will create a mashed potato recipe that is suitable for your eating needs.

Sea salt and pepper to taste
>>>PREPARATION<<<

Fill the bottom of the steamer with 2 inches of water.

1. While steam is building up in steamer, press garlic and let sit for at least 5 minutes to enhance its health-promoting properties.
2. Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes, leaving skin on.
3. Steam potatoes for 10 minutes.
4. Mash potatoes with olive oil, garlic, and milk. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 2

Krizia’s verdict: If you really want to avoid the cream and make this recipe “lower-fat” but still maintain some kind of resemblance to a real garlic mashed potato recipe, I’d buy a small carton (just enough for the recipe) of 2% or whole milk.

2) Garlic Mashed Potatoes recipe from Eating Well

I found this second recipe from Eating Well. There are a few things about this recipe that makes it more attractive: 1: chicken broth to add flavour 2) sour cream has a thicker consistency than low-fat milk and it’s surely doing to give you a mashed potato recipe that is closer to the real thing compared to making a mashed potato recipe with soy or rice milk.

>>>INGREDIENTS<<<

2 pounds all-purpose potatoes, preferably Yukon Gold (4-6 potatoes), peeled and cut into chunks

6 cloves garlic, peeled

1 teaspoon salt

1/2-3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, heated

2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

>>>PREPARATION<<<

1. Place potatoes and garlic in a large saucepan and cover with cold water.

2. Add salt and bring to a boil.

3. Cook, covered, over medium heat until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

4. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pan.

5. Shake the pan over low heat to dry the potatoes slightly.

6. Remove the pan from the heat.

7. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or an electric mixer (do not use a food processor).

8. Add enough hot broth to make a smooth puree.

9. Stir in sour cream and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

10. More cooling tips & notes

Make Ahead Tip: To keep the potatoes warm until serving time, set the pan or serving bowl in a larger pan of barely simmering water and place a piece of parchment or wax paper over the surface of the potatoes.

Krizia’s final note: If you really are looking for a low-fat mashed potato recipe, I’d go with the Eating Well recipe over the first recipe. That said, if you do decide to make your mashed potato recipe with cream, you can skip the butter and have a sensible portion and you can get away with eating your garlic mashed potatoes without feeling like you’ve put on 10 lbs.

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I don’t know about you, but sometimes, I actually have massive cravings for spaghetti Bolognese (aka spaghetti and meat sauce).

It’s true that I’ve had my homemade meat sauce with other pasta shapes, but for some reason, I prefer it with spaghetti.

I stumbled upon a pasta Bolognese recipe from Chef Joseph W. DiPerri of The Culinary Institute of America and I know I’m a former untrained personal chef who basically has to thank her ex-Parisian husband for teaching her how to cook (he even had to admit after our divorce that I had surpassed him as a cook), but I’m going to have to react violently to the recipe that was published on Epicurous.com.

It’s true that the only thing Italian about me is my first name and the love I have for my favourite place on the planet and it seems that Chef DiPerri has a more direct connection to the birthplace of La Dolce Vita, but I’m not going to be shy with my objections.

I was excited to learn a new way of making a Bolognese sauce and then I read the list of ingredients and could only think of one thing: heart attack on a plate.

I don’t believe in cutting out foods from your diet (other than junk foods and processed foods) and I do eat cream sauce, but this recipe is as far away from healthy eating as I’ve seen. Now, it’s true that you could make Chef DiPerri’s meat sauce recipe for a group of guests and therefore only end up eating a little bit and not have to deal with this high-calorie dish sitting in your fridge calling your name on days where you are over-stressed or feeling down about yourself.

I’m going to start this rant by giving you the list of ingredients of the recipe that made me gasp and then I will give you my own healthier version … now you might have to adjust the quantities because I’ll be adapting Chef DiPerri’s recipes and since I’m notorious for cooking with approximations rather than accurate measures – I’m the kind of cook who will say “I put a bit of this and a bit of that and you’ll look at me and beg for precisions.

Pasta Bolognese Recipe from Epicurious.com

>>>Ingredients<<<

2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes with juice or crushed tomatoes

3 tablespoons olive oil

6 ounces pancetta or 6 slices bacon, finely chopped

1/4 pound ground pork (not lean)

1/4 pound ground beef chuck (not lean)

1/4 pound ground veal

1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

1 carrot, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

1 cup dry red wine

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pound small pasta such as orecchiette or rotini

Garnish: Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

>>>Preparation<<<

If using whole tomatoes, in blender or food processor, purée tomatoes with juice. Set aside.

In large, heavy pot over moderate heat, heat oil until hot but not smoking. Add pancetta and sauté until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Add beef, pork, and veal and sauté, breaking up meat with back of spoon, until browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Add onion and carrot and sauté until vegetables are tender, 5 to 6 minutes.

Stir in red wine and simmer, scraping up browned bits stuck to bottom of pan, until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, cream, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to moderately low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened and brick-red in color, approximately 30 minutes.

In large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until almost tender. Drain well and toss with sauce. Serve with grated cheese.

>>>Krizia’s recipe to a leaner and healthier meat sauce:

First, I’ll list the ingredients I would remove or change from the recipe above:

6 ounces pancetta or 6 slices bacon, finely chopped

1/4 pound ground pork (not lean)

1/4 pound ground beef chuck (not lean)

1 cup heavy cream

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE pancetta a lot, but to add it with all that other meat AND cream sauce is quite heavy for a weeknight (or even weekend) meal.

I would also avoid non lean meat. Most grocery stores carry lean ground pork and lean ground beef so it’s not clear why Chef DiPerri didn’t use them in this recipe considering he has a nice dosage of fat from the pancetta and the heavy cream.

For the past 4 or 5 years, I’ve been making my meat sauces with grain fed ground veal. I know the traditional Italian way is to mix three different meats (pork, veal and beef), but for my home meals, I keep it simple by only using one meat and it’s been working well for me.

When I go to my favourite Italian restaurants or when I go back to Italy, I allow myself to indulge in these kinds of rich recipes like the one presented to us by Chef DiPerri.

The lazy approach is simply to take the recipes above and cut out these ingredients:

6 ounces pancetta or 6 slices bacon, finely chopped

1/4 pound ground pork (not lean)

1/4 pound ground beef chuck (not lean)

1 cup heavy cream

You’ll have to be comfortable in the kitchen enough to know off the top of your head how to adjust the liquids.

Since I wanted to make sure to give you a much healthier alternative to the one Epicurious.com featured, I found a list a leaner and healthier pasta sauce recipe from Food TV Canada – my own recipe varies a bit from the one listed below, but by not much:

Spaghetti with Lean Spicy Meat Sauce

>>>Ingredients<<<

6 l water

450 g extra lean ground beef

1 x onion finely chopped

1/2 green pepper finely chopped

10 x mushrooms sliced

2 x 750 ml Spicy Onion and Garlic Pasta sauce – 2 jars (750 ml each

350 g spaghetti pasta

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp basil (Optional)

>>>Preparation<<<

Fill large stove-top pot with water. Cover and bring to a boil

Brown meat at medium-high in large non-stick pot until meat is no longer red.

Add onion and green pepper to meat and mushrooms.

Add sauce to cooked meat and stir. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Place pasta in boiling water and stir. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes.

Rinse pasta in colander with hot water.

Return to pasta pot and toss with a little olive oil and basil.

Photo by Photo Mojo

Second photo from Food & Drink

Third photo by Shot_by_Cam

© All copyrights reserved to http://www.eatsmartagesmart.com in all countries.

>>>> If you’re viewing this healthy eating or healthy living tip as part of an aggregated content stream from different sites, or as a re-blogged post, please check out the content on the original Web site at www.EatSmartAgeSmart.com