Healthier Potato Salad

Happy New Year! I am so excited to begin a new year full of new possibilities! We had a great 2017. I got married, transitioned my career from software sales into food and wine (it's so much more fun!), we made countless updates to our home, and we travelled to see several of our old friends tie the knot. 

Over the holiday, I ended up catching a stomach bug that put me out for a few days. I went to the doctor to get some medicine and discovered that I have high blood pressure! I couldn't understand why at my young age, I would have high blood pressure. It was a huge reality check. I went home and started researching what causes high blood pressure and discovered a diet high in salt can contribute. Bingo....I have been eating salty food like it's going out of style over the last few months. After our wedding, I said, to heck with my diet! I'm going to eat what I want! Well, that was a terrible idea and has led me to needing a stricter diet to lower my blood pressure. I started writing down foods that I love to eat and tried to come up with healthier versions of them, which led me to creating this recipe. While it still has mayonnaise like the original recipe, I've traded a large portion of mayo for greek yogurt for added protein and less fat. 

I'm going to be working on lowering my fat and salt intake, and share those recipes with you! No matter what your goals are for 2018, I'm sure getting healthier and being more active is on everyone's list. This potato salad has been our go-to side for lunch and makes the transition to eating ultra healthy feel a little more indulgent. I used mustard, dill, onion, and lemon juice to add lots of flavor to this recipe so that salt wouldn't be as needed. Once we made this recipe, I decided to add some boiled eggs to add texture, and really loved how it tasted! 

Let me know what other recipes you'd like to see a healthier version of in the comments!

Healthier Potato Salad

Preparation:  15 min Cook Time: 20 min Total Time: 35 min

Ingredients

        

          5 medium/large red potatoes

          1/2-1 cup chopped red onion (based on your personal onion preference)

          3 tbsp chopped fresh dill, no stems

          1/4 cup yellow mustard

          1 tsp onion powder
          1 tsp garlic powder
          (2) 5.3 oz plain greek yogurt containers
          1 tbsp vinegar
          1 tsp lemon juice
          1/2-1 cup olive oil mayonnaise (based on how creamy you like it)
          Salt & pepper to taste
          (Optional: boil 6 eggs and add chopped whites into the potato salad)

Instructions

          1) Begin by adding your potatoes to a large stock pot full of water. Bring the water to a boil, and then 

               lower to medium heat.

          

          2) Allow the potatoes to soften, cooking for about 20-25 minutes. You want to be able to 

               put a fork through them, but for them to still be somewhat firm. (firmer than you would 

               prepare for mashed potatoes)

          3) Once you've reached the desired softness, drain the water and allow the potatoes to cool.

          4) Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, begin cutting them into small chunks and add them to 

                a large bowl.

          5) Add in all of the other ingredients and blend well. Refrigerate and serve.

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Casserole

There are some classics that never get old, like this sweet potato casserole. I grew up in a family that made southern dishes. If you've ever had southern food, you know butter is used like a spice....the more butter added, the better the recipe. We can all agree that butter makes things taste better. This casserole is one of my favorites! It's so decadent, you'd swear you were on the dessert course. 

I've had sweet potato casserole from a few places, and it is always too sweet. It almost seemed as though the sweet potato was the secondary ingredient and sugar was the primary. This casserole is well-rounded. Without adding too much sugar and including a small amount of heavy whipping cream, this recipe is light and fluffy, has a great mouth-feel without delivering tooth-aching sweetness.

This casserole is great to serve with a holiday roast or with a classic southern meal as a side. 

Sweet Potato Casserole

Preparation:  10 min

                  Cook Time: 65 min  Total Time: 75 min                       

Ingredients

        

          5 cups mashed sweet potatoes

          1 stick unsalted butter

          1/3 cup whipped cream

          1 2/3 cup light brown sugar

          1 tbsp cinnamon
          1 bag of marshmallows

Instructions

          1) Begin by peeling the sweet potatoes and putting them in a large stock pot, covering them with water.

          2) Let the potatoes come to a rolling boil and cook until you can stick a fork all the way through. 

               About 30-45 minutes.

          3) Transfer your potatoes to a mixing bowl. Add the stick of butter and blend. Once the butter is mixed 

                in, add the sugar, cream, and cinnamon to your mixture and blend all the way through. 

          4) Pour the mixture into a casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. 

           5) After 30 minutes, dump the marshmallows evenly over the top and put it back into the oven until the 

                marshmallows are golden brown (about 3-5 minutes).

Cauliflower Casserole

Cauliflower Casserole

We recently had my little nephew in town, who is just the most darling thing! He just turned one and learned to walk two weeks before coming to our house. He has baby blue eyes and blonde hair and smile that melts your heart. I've been feeling baby fever since he left.

Isn't he the cutest?!?

Garrett (my husband) and I are newlyweds and are not quite ready to have a child yet - despite my new day dreams of a sweet baby of our own. We are both entrepreneurs and dedicate a ton of time to our businesses. A baby right now just doesn't seem viable for our life - especially because I'm knee deep in my sommelier studies. 

Having a child in town - I realized how difficult it is for some mothers to get their children to eat healthy food. My other nephew seems to only want chicken nuggets or something sweet. Honestly, I've been burned out on veggies too. I've loved watching other food bloggers come up with fun ideas for various vegetables so that your healthy meal feels indulgent. 

I personally love all vegetables, but I've been serving them up very plain. I have been craving salty foods - macaroni and cheese, twice baked potatoes...all the foods I know I don't need. 

After searching our cabinets and refrigerator, my cauliflower casserole was born! My husband came home and saw the cheesy, decadent, bacon-topped creation and immediately wanted a spoon. 

"What are these? Grits?" 

I agreed until he finished his plate and then broke the news to him that they were not grits, and in fact, they were a veggie he hates - cauliflower! As I paused waiting for him to be disgusted from eating a plate full, he smiled and said "Why haven't you ever cooked cauliflower like this before?".

Trick your kiddos or husband with this awesome recipe! It's a great quick fix for supper.

Cauliflower Casserole

Preparation: 15 min

                  Cook Time: 20 min  Total Time: 35 min                       

Ingredients

        

          1 crown of cauliflower

          8 oz of plain greek yogurt or sour cream

          1-2 tbsp of garlic powder

          1/2 tsp of onion powder

          1/2 tbsp chopped green onion

          1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

          Chopped bacon for garnish

          Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions

        

          Preheat your oven to 375.

          Begin by removing the florets from the stock of the cauliflower crown. Add the florets to a 

          microwavable bowl and add 3 tbsp of water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 7-10 

          minutes or until tender. Remove from microwave and and drain. Allow to stand for 2 minutes (this 

          makes the cauliflower more fluffy). Pulse the cauliflower in a blender or food processor until it had a   

          smooth, grit-like texture. Place the cauliflower back in the bowl and mix in your spices, 

          greek yogurt/sour cream, and green onions. Bake the mixture in a hollow dish for 30 minutes, adding  

          the cheese for the last 3 minutes. While the cauliflower is baking, cook your bacon on low-medium heat

          until crunchy. Chop your bacon and garnish the top of the dish when finished.

Healthy & Savory Mashed Potatoes

A big influence on my cooking and recipes has come from being raised in the south. Southern grits, coastal favorites and buttermilk biscuits are all a staple of my cuisine. If any of you have visited a restaurant that creates such heavenly soul foods as these, you'll know that unfastening your belt is just as traditional as the recipes handed down.

I love southern cuisine...the only thing I can't deal with is the giant calorie count that comes with it. I've made it a personal goal to create savory and filling meals with the same flavors momma used to make but with the calories cut in half.

Mashed potatoes were always served along some type of meat in my household as a child. That's how God intended it. My mother would use half a stick of butter, whole milk or heavy cream, lots of salt and pepper...I'm not going to lie, they were heavenly...but if I'm going to look halfway decent in a swimsuit this summer, that recipe just won't fly.

In steps olive oil and greek yogurt, you lovely creatures I adore. If you don't follow my instagram account (@littlehouseofchic and shame on you!) then you missed my spiel on olive oil and weight watching.

Olive oil is awesome (in moderation)! Dr. Oz has been preachin' olive oil for so many things...heck he even thinks we should put it on our cereal (umm.. yuck).  But the one thing most of us ladies don't realize is how using olive oil can pack on extra calories too. 1 tbsp (about the size of the pool of you hand shaped like a cup) is equivalent to 119 calories! and while yes, it has the "good" fat packed in, too much of a good thing can be bad thing. In steps olive oil spray. I love this stuff. It's healthier than traditional Pam and you still get all the benefits of olive oil without the high calorie count. When most people cook in their kitchen, they can coat everything in olive oil (this was me)... 2 tbsp on this veggie, 3 tbsp as a marinade, maybe half a cup to cook with on the grill...but what I didn't know was that I was unknowingly adding almost 600 calories to our meals...yikes! This spray has been a life-saver on watching how much we add to our food. Plus it's much more efficient to coat food and veggies.

So let's start with the basics: red potatoes contain less starch than other potatoes. When choosing which to use for your mashed dish, I'd go with red or russet potatoes. For this dish, I prefer to keep some of the skin on because it adds good texture and also looks very pretty when serving.

Before I boil them, I always dice them into large cubes. Many people boil them whole, but as a time saver I prefer them to be pre-cut.

Next, I cut the shallots. No need for a small dice, here ladies and gentlemen. These babies will cook down with the potatoes and have a very soft consistency so you won't get that awkward hard crunch when eating them. 

Add a bundle of thyme laced together by some cooking twine, your shallots and your potatoes to a pot of water. Bring to a boil. Cover your pot and turn the heat to medium-high and continue to cook until your potatoes are tender (about 10-15 minutes).

Follow by draining the water and removing the thyme bundle. 

Hint: I do not use a colander on this step...why? you'l lose a decent amount of your onion/shallot. Instead, using a oven mitt, drain the water with the lid of your pot and hold it over the sink until it's pretty-well drained.

Add your 8 oz greek yogurt, garlic, spray a squirt or two of olive oil, and add more thyme if you like. If you have an immersion blender, use it to blend the potatoes. Otherwise an electric hand mixer works, too. I try to keep my potatoes a little chunky to add texture, so I'll halfway blend a section here and there.

And you're done! Easy, simple, delicious and healthy...win!

This recipe made 4-6 portions. Prep time: 5 minutes. Cook time: 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

3 red potatoes

1 tbsp minced garlic

8 oz plain greek yogurt

Bertolli's spray olive oil

1/2 cup shallots or red onion

Bundle of fresh thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Peel potatoes living some skin exposed. Chop the potatoes into large cubes. Set aside. Take 2 shallots and chop them, not worrying to have the dice too small. Add potatoes, shallots and a bundle of thyme (strung using kitchen twine) into a large pot and cover the potatoes with water. Bring them to a boil for 1-2 minutes. Once boiling for 2 minutes, reduce the heat to medium-high heat and cover with a lid, leaving a small opening for some air. Cook potatoes until tender (about 10-15 minutes). Once the potatoes are soft (using a fork to test), drain the water using the lid of your pot and dispose of the thyme. Add greek yogurt, garlic, additional thyme (if you like), and olive oil to the mixture. Blend the potatoes with a hand mixer, leaving some spots a little chunky. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.