hungry poodle

Potatoes au gratin is a classic holiday side dish that, while delicious, is packed with heavy cream and grated cheese. (Of course it’s delicious. Why did I even have to say that?) In response to the low-fat diet craze that sprang up in the early 1990’s, Julia Child remarked that she would rather have one small scoop of real potatoes gratin than a whole plateful of the ersatz version made with skim milk, and I have to admit that I agree with her. Gratins made with skim milk have a thin, watery consistency that leaves you craving the richest ice cream immediately after dinner. Why bother?

Here, from Martha Rose Shulman’s column in the Health section of the New York Times, is a pretty great compromise: adding some butternut squash to the potato mixture and using low-fat milk instead of either cream or skim milk. It works. True, it’s not as creamy-rich as the original, but it hits the mark as a comfort-food-without-the-guilt.

1 garlic clove, cut in half
1 1/4 pounds russet potatoes*, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 1/4 pounds butternut squash*, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 t. fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 t. fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
1 tightly packed cup of grated Gruyere cheese (4 oz.)
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups low-fat milk

(*You can use Yukon Gold potatoes and/or any winter squash)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rub inside of a 2-quart gratin dish with the cut side of the garlic, and spray with nonstick spray. Chop the remaining garlic and layer with the potatoes, squash, thyme, rosemary, half the cheese and a generous amount of salt and pepper in an even layer in the gratin dish.

Pour the milk over the potatoes and squash and press the vegetables down into the milk. Bake for one hour. Every 20 minutes remove the dish and press the mixture into the milk with the back of a spoon. After one hour, sprinkle on the remaining cheese and bake for another 15 to 30 minutes, or until the top is golden and the sides look crusty. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves: 6
WW points per serving: 5

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I’ve been searching for a good chili recipe that doesn’t have the same old ingredients: beef and beanzzz. After plowing through more than 25 cookbooks (perhaps more, I lost count) I came across a recipe in the Bon Appetit cookbook that featured baked sweet potatoes topped with a vegetarian black bean chili.

This generous serving is only 6 WW points!

In Caribbean cooking, sweet potatoes are often paired with spicy chilis, so it makes sense to combine them with an American version of chili, albeit beef-free. The results are inspired, that is, if you’re willing to think outside the chili box.

This is what Weight Watchers calls a filling food. If you’re a bulk eater you’re going to be very happy–you get a lot more of this chili than the meaty kind, plus you get a whole sweet potato tossed in for practically free.

The best part is that it is delicious, regardless of whether you’re watching your calories, waistline or Top Chef on Bravo. The combination of sweet (potato), spicy (chili) and tangy (yogurt) makes for an unexpectedly refreshing dining experience. And let’s face it–on a weeknight, any dining experience other than frozen dinners or fast food can be deemed refreshing.

Don’t believe me? Go ahead and try it. You’ll get more to eat, and there could be less of you to love. Good outcome, I’d say.

4 medium sweet potatoes
1 T. olive oil
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. chili powder
2 t. ground cumin
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups zucchini or yellow squash (or a combination) diced

lime wedges
fat-free greek yogurt
chopped pickled jalapeno peppers
fresh cilantro, chopped (optional but good)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place a sheet of aluminum foil on oven rack and place sweet potatoes on foil. Bake for at least one hour, until tender.

Heat oil in a pot. Add red bell pepper and onion and cook until softened. Add garlic and cook about a minute, then add chili powder, cumin, tomatoes and beans. Reduce heat, cover and simmer about 20 minutes. Add zucchini and continue cooking until squash is tender, about 10 minutes.

Split sweet potatoes, mash the flesh a bit and then spoon chili into centers. If you’d like, squeeze some fresh lime juice over the chili, then top with 2 T. yogurt and freshly chopped cilantro.

Serves: 4
WW Points per serving (with 2 T. yogurt) 6

Are there only two of you? No problem. Leftovers, including the sweet potatoes, reheat in the microwave. Take some to work the next day for lunch.

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