This recipe is based on a dish created by Steve Black, executive chef at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina. Cooking the potatoes in broth rather than water and then allowing the potatoes to absorb all of it greatly enhances the flavor.
The combination of russet potatoes, which have a low moisture and high starch content, and red potatoes, which contain less starch and more moisture, is perfect for making creamy mashed potatoes with very little fat. Also, leaving the red-skin potatoes unpeeled provides an interesting texture as well as a touch of color, and the caraway seeds add their distinctive flavor.
Caraway seeds come from an herb in the parsley family and have a slightly aniselike taste often used in rye breads for added flavor and texture. They are popular in Alsatian, Austrian, German and Hungarian cooking and are often added to vegetables, stews, meats, cheeses, breads and cakes. Caraway seeds also are used to make the liqueur called kummel.
Leftover potatoes are delicious served cold as potato salad, or reheated along with poultry or meat.
CARAWAY MASHED POTATOES
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Yield: 8 half-cup servings
1 3/4 cups fat-free chicken broth
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled, diced
1 pound red-skin potatoes, diced
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup non-fat milk, heated
1/2 teaspoon each: seasoned salt, caraway seeds
1/4 cup chopped chives
1. Combine chicken broth and potatoes in a large saucepan; heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, uncovered, 10 minutes. Turn the heat back to high and boil until almost dry and the potatoes can easily be pierced with a fork, about 10 more minutes.
2. Place the cooked potatoes in a large bowl. Add butter, milk, seasoned salt and caraway seeds and mash well. Stir in chives.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ……. 115 Fat …………. 2 g Cholesterol .. 4 mg
Sodium …… 305 mg Carbohydrates .. 22 g Protein ……. 4 g
Q. My low-fat substitutions for this recipe were a disaster. My fat-free shredded Cheddar did not melt. Thanks for your help!
Lee Mitchell, Lancaster, Pa.
SPINACH CHEESE SQUARES
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Yield: 8 entree servings
4 tablespoons margarine
3 eggs
1 cup each: flour, milk
1 teaspoon each: salt, baking powder
1 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well-drained
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place margarine in a 13- by 9-inch baking pan; place pan in the oven until margarine has melted, about 2 minutes.
2. Whisk together eggs, flour, milk, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Stir in cheese and spinach. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
3. Bake 35 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool 10 minutes before cutting into squares.
Note: Can be prepared ahead. Freeze squares in a plastic bag. To serve, heat on cookie sheet at 350 degrees 15 minutes. Also can be cut into smaller squares for appetizers.
Nutrition information per entree serving:
Calories ……. 400 Fat ………… 28 g Cholesterol .. 145 mg
Sodium …… 890 mg Carbohydrates .. 17 g Protein …….. 21 g
A. I have found that a combination of low-fat and non-fat cheese gets better results, texture-wise, in baking. Also, you may want to try another brand of non-fat cheese if the one you have been using doesn’t melt satisfactorily. Each brand has its own characteristics. I used less margarine and cheese, and non-fat milk and egg substitute to reduce the fat and lower the calories and cholesterol.
REDUCED-FAT SPINACH CHEESE SQUARES
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Yield: 8 entree servings, 96 appetizer servings
2 tablespoons corn-oil margarine
3/4 cup non-fat egg substitute
1 cup each: unbleached all-purpose flour, non-fat milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces non-fat sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
4 ounces low-fat sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well-drained
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt margarine in a 13- by 9-inch baking pan in oven about 2 minutes. Whisk together egg substitute, flour, milk, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Stir in cheeses and spinach; pour into prepared pan.
2. Bake 35 minutes; remove from oven. Let cool 10 minutes before cutting into squares.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ……. 215 Fat …………. 8 g Cholesterol .. 16 mg
Sodium …… 645 mg Carbohydrates .. 17 g Protein ……. 19 g
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