Good For You with Foxy – Farmers’ Market Recipes

September 3, 2009

Root Vegetable Mash
This is a delicious and nutritious side dish, plus a great way to get the kids to eat their vegetables. Grill a pork tenderloin, chicken breast or your favorite steak and you will have a delicious dinner the entire family will like. Any assortment of root vegetables will work.

Here’s a good combination for you to start with. If there is an ingredient on the list you don’t like, leave it out and add more of what you like. The combinations are endless.

Ingredients:
4 small carrots or 2 large, peeled and cut into 1 1/2” chunks
2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1 1/2” chunks
1 small rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1 1/2” chunks
2 cloves garlic, peeled, left whole
3 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup milk
4 T. butter
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 T. chopped fresh chives

Place carrots, parsnips, rutabaga and garlic in a stockpot and cover with cold salted water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for about 30 minutes, add the potatoes and cook until all vegetables are tender. Approximately 20 additional minutes. Combine the milk, butter, salt and pepper. Microwave until the butter is melted and the milk is warm. Stir well.

Drain the hot vegetables. With the chop blade in place, put the vegetables in the bowl of the food processor, close the lid and add 1/2 of the milk mixture. Pulse to desired consistency. Add additional milk if desired. You may not need it all. Place in a serving bowl and stir in the chives.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Healthy Twice Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:
1 C. cauliflower puree*
1/2 C.water
8 small or 6 medium red potatoes
1/2 C. low-fat sour cream
2 T. butter, melted
1 tsp. salt, divided
1 tsp. pepper, divided
2 tsp. dried onion flakes
1/2 C. warm milk (may not need it all)
1 T. chives
3 slices bacon, fried and crumbled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
*Cauliflower puree: Cut florets from one head of cauliflower and discard core. Steam or boil for about 12 – 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain and place in the bowl of a food processor, add 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. With the chop blade in place, turn the machine on and puree. Add water as needed. Place in separate bowl and set aside. This will make approximately 3 cups, use the extra in other recipes or freeze for later.

Scrub the potatoes and prick them with a fork. Bake until tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours depending on the size of the potatoes. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, but not cold, cut the top fourth off and scoop out the pulp, leaving a thin shell. With the chop blade in place, put the potato pulp, cauliflower puree, sour cream, melted butter, salt, pepper and onion flakes in the bowl of your food processor. Add a little milk and turn the machine on until it reaches a thick consistency. The thicker the better. Add the warm milk as needed. Remove the cover and add the chives and reserved bacon, pulse 2 or 3 times to mix.

Spoon the mixture back into the potato shells. If you are serving right away, put the potatoes on a sheet pan and place under the broiler to brown a bit, about 3-5 minutes. If you are serving later, store in the refrigerator, uncovered. Just before serving, place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until hot, plus an additional 3-5 minutes under the broiler.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings