Potato Salad

This potato salad is a healthier version of the classic picnic salad we all grew up with.  Quite a few years ago I was at a friend’s house for a backyard cookout where this potato salad was served.  It was an immediate hit with me!  In fact, I like this salad so much, that I have never gone back my own family’s traditional potato salad recipe.  The key ingredient in this potato salad is fresh chopped parsley.   The parsley adds such bright fresh flavor to this salad – without it, it would just be a plain-old potato salad.  For that traditional crunch and flavor, I add celery, green bell pepper and green onions.  To make it healthier than a classic salad, I use light mayonnaise (and less of it, so as not to overwhelm the salad), only two eggs (which are optional), and no added sugar. 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

Potato Salad

10 – 12 Servings (½ cup servings)

2 ½ Pounds Red skin potatoes, whole and unpeeled

1 ¼ Cup Chopped celery, ¼ inch chop
½ Cup Chopped green bell pepper, ¼ inch chop
1/3 Cup Sliced green onions (scallions), thinly sliced, both the white and green parts
2 Eggs, hard boiled and chopped
¾ Cup Light Mayonnaise (I use the Hellmann’s brand)
1 Cup Fresh parsley leaves, chopped
1 or 2 Dashes of Garlic powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
Sweet Paprika for dusting (optional)

Place your potatoes (select potatoes that are similar in size) in a 6-quart pot and cover them with cold water.  Cook the potatoes over medium-high heat until just fork tender.  Remove the potatoes to a strainer and immediately rinse under cold water.  Once the potatoes are cooled enough to where you can handle them, gently remove any of the loose skin that has begun to peel off, or if you wish, peel them completely.  Dice the potatoes into ¾ inch size chunks and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the next 7 ingredients, eggs included if you are adding them; stir to combine.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Once your potatoes have cooled to room temperature, add them to the mayonnaise mixture.  Stir gently to combine.  Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

When you are ready to serve, transfer to a serving bowl and dust the top lightly with paprika.

Stuffed Peppers with Whole Wheat Orzo

Just the other night I made a huge pot of marinara sauce.  I used some for one meal, froze two containers, and still had leftover sauce.  Also, I had some leftover orzo pasta.  This recipe for stuffed peppers is a result of my leftover ingredients.  You can use your favorite jarred marinara sauce, or make your own, either will work. 

In the past, I made my stuffed peppers with ground sirloin, but keeping with a healthier diet I used ground turkey this time. Trying to keep with a low fat diet, I find that my main go-to protein is ground turkey.  I don’t know about you, but I feel it can be challenging to come up with recipes for ground turkey. Turkey has such a unique flavor profile that, at times, it is hard to change up.   And, the texture is much tenderer than other types of ground meat so you cannot mix it too much.  I try to change it up and boost the flavor by adding different seasonings and ingredients.  In this recipe, I toasted dry fennel seeds and dried rosemary; the ground turkey took on a sausage like flavor.

 Enjoy!

Stuffed Peppers with Whole Wheat Orzo

Serves 3-6 people (1 – 1 ½ pepper per person - these are quite filling)

1 ½ cup Cooked whole wheat orzo pasta that has been prepared al dente and cooled

1 ½ Tsp.  Dried fennel seeds
1 Tsp. Dried rosemary
3 Medium bell peppers; all green or all red, or a combination of both
1 Lb. Ground turkey
1 Tsp. Garlic powder
Tsp. Dried basil
1 ½ Tsp. Worchester sauce
1 egg slightly beaten
3 cups Marinara sauce; your favorite low fat and lower sodium variety (or homemade); divided use
½ Cup Shredded mozzarella cheese, low moisture, part-skim variety

 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

In a small skillet, add the fennel seeds and rosemary; place skillet over medium heat.  Toast the dried herbs just until you begin to smell them.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

Remove the stems from the peppers and cut them in half lengthwise.  Gently clean out the seeds and membrane from the inside of each half. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, toasted herbs, garlic powder, basil Worchester sauce, ½ cup marinara sauce,  and egg; mix to combine.  Add the orzo and mix until all is thoroughly incorporated.  In the mixing bowl, divide the meat mixture into six equal portions. 

Place ½ cup marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.  With a tablespoon, fill each pepper with the meat mixture and place each cut side up in the bottom of the baking dish.  Once all peppers are filled, spoon one cup of marinara sauce over the top of each pepper.  Place the baking dish in the preheated oven, and cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes.  After 45 minutes, take the dish out of the oven, spoon some marinara sauce from the bottom of the baking dish over each pepper.  Lightly cover the dish with foil and return it to the oven.  Cook for another 30 minutes. 

Remove the dish from the oven, take off the foil, and top each pepper with the shredded mozzarella.  Return the uncovered dish to the oven for about 5 minutes, just long enough to melt the cheese.

Serve the last one cup of marinara sauce in a serving dish on the table.

Orzo Pasta with Broccoli

This is a tasty side dish to serve alongside just about any poultry, pork, beef or grilled fish (just about any protein). In this dish, I use organic whole wheat orzo pasta.  Be sure to look at the list of ingredients when buying whole grain wheat pasta. The first ingredient listed should be whole grain wheat. Better yet, look on the package for the Whole Grain Council's symbol (see earlier blog). If the pasta is truly made with whole grain wheat, the 100% Whole Grain will be displayed on the symbol. I used frozen organic broccoli florets that I thawed and roasted in the oven.  In addition, I used good quality aged balsamic vinegar.    
Enjoy!

 Orzo Pasta with Broccoli

2 Cups Frozen organic broccoli florets, thawed
4 Tbls. Extra virgin olive oil, divided use
1 Tsp. Mrs. Dash, Garlic & Herb - Seasoning Blend
2 ½  Cups Chicken broth, low sodium and fat free
1 ½  Cups Organic whole wheat orzo pasta, uncooked
½  Cup Sweet onion, diced into 1/4 inch pieces
½  Cup Sweet red bell pepper, diced into 1/4 inch pieces
3 Tbls. Aged balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place broccoli in a large mixing bowl, add Mrs. Dash and two tablespoons olive oil. Stir to coat. Transfer coated broccoli to a baking sheet pan and place in the preheated oven. Roast for about 20 minutes, or until broccoli begins to brown slightly. Remove from the oven, cover and set aside.

Add broth to a 3 quart pot and bring to a boil. Once the broth boils, turn the heat down to a simmer and add the pasta. Cover, leaving slightly open to vent; simmer for about 8 - 9 minutes, or until al dente.  Once the orzo is done, remove 1/3 cup of the cooking liquid from the pot; reserve for later use. Then drain the pasta in a colander.

Meanwhile, heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a 12-inch skillet, over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for about 3 - 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the red peppers and sauté for an additional 3 minutes.

Add the 1/3 cup of reserved cooking liquid to the onion and pepper mixture. Add the balsamic vinegar to the mixture; heat until it begins to bubble. Turn off the heat and add the drained orzo and roasted broccoli. Toss and serve.

Green Beans and Red Peppers - Dotted with Sliced Almonds and Scented with Garlic

This green bean dish would accompany almost any meal very well.  I started with just the green beans and then noticed that I had a half of a red pepper so I decided to add it.  This produced a great contrast both in color and taste.  I used good quality frozen organic green beans, but it would work well with fresh beans.


Enjoy!



Green Beans and Red Peppers - Scented with Garlic

Serves about 5 people

3/4 to 1 Lb. Green beans, cooked until just crisp
1/4 Cup Sliced raw and natural almonds
1 Tbls. Extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbls. Vegetable oil spread, low-fat and low-sodium
2 Garlic cloves; crushed but kept in tact
1/2 Sweet red pepper; sliced in 1/4 inch slices (approximately the same size as the beans)

Cook the green beans; set aside.

Heat an 8 inch skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds in a single layer to the dry skillet.  Toast over medium heat in the skillet; careful not to burn.  Remove almonds when they are golden brown; set aside.

Add the oil and spread; melt and swirl to coat the bottom of the skillet.  Turn the heat down to low and add the garlic. Heat the garlic in the oil for about 5 - 7 minutes.  Remove the garlicn(keep the oil in skillet)  and discard.

Add the beans and red pepper strips to the skillet with the oil; mix to distribute the oils throughout.  Heat on (very)low heat for about 2 - 3 minutes.

Remove the beans and peppers to a serving dish and toss in the almonds.

Cheesy Hash Brown Potato Casserole

-This is a real crowd pleaser!

For a holiday gathering at our house my daughter in-law offered to make her family favorite Swellers, a hash brown potato casserole.  Of course I said yes, but requested that she convert it into a healthier version. This dish has been served at many a family gathering both at her house and ours, so we were anxious to taste and compare this version. The casserole turned out perfect, creamy and delicious. The substitutions would not have been detected if we were not told.  It was an amazing copy-cat!  

I thought this casserole would be a great side to serve at a Super Bowl party this coming weekend.   It will serve about 12 people. Also, it would pair well with my Italian Style Turkey Sausage sandwiches.  No matter which team you are rooting for, no matter what team wins, you are guaranteed to be the winner when you serve these dishes!

Healthier Ingredients:

• Low fat sour cream
• 99% fat free cream of chicken soup
• Low fat cheddar cheese
• Special K Protein Plus Cereal

Healthy “Swellers”

Cheesy Hash Brown Potato Casserole

Serving size: 12 people

2 lbs. Frozen hash brown potatoes (cubed style), partially thawed

2 (10.75 oz.)  Cans Cream of Chicken Soup, 99% fat free
16 oz. Low-fat sour cream
1 tsp. Onion flakes
¼  tsp. Sea Salt
2 cups Low-fat cheddar cheese, grated
Nonstick cooking spray

Topping:

¼ cup  Smart Balance Light Buttery Spread, made with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, melted
2 cups Special K Protein Plus Cereal
 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees; lightly spray a 9 X 13 baking dish with a nonstick cooking spray, coating the bottom and sides.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the soup, sour cream, onion flakes, and salt; stir well.  Add the hash brown potatoes and cheddar cheese; mix to combine.  Pour mixture in the prepared baking dish, and spread evenly.

Prepare the topping in a medium bowl; combine cereal with the melted buttery spread. Top the potato casserole with the cereal mixture, spreading to cover completely.

Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 45 to 60 minutes, until bubbly and the topping is golden brown.