Baked Swedes Au Gratin

Swedes are still abundant in the stores, as the last of the winter vegetables are made available before the spring crop is harvested. Also known by their less appetizing name of rutabaga (or yellow turnip), they are an excellent substitute for potatoes in this creamy, cheesy side dish. When you swap out low-carb swedes for the high-carb potato, you gain a good source of fiber, vitamins C & B6, potassium, folate and calcium. The first time I made this recipe for my family, I tried half potato and half swede, hoping they would be more receptive to the idea of eating turnips. To my surprise, they loved the swede and requested that next time I leave out the potato! So, I did and they were a hit. The sauce is really a gravy made from chicken stock with grated cheese sprinkled throughout the vegetable layers. When baked, it's the gooey, yummy cheese that shines through to make it appear that the sauce is all cheese. If you like Au Gratin Potatoes and are looking for a lower carb alternative, try swedes. I think you'll be pleased, too.

Baked Swedes Au Gratin
(Makes six 1-cup servings)

3 tablespoons zero trans fat buttery spread light, such as Smart Balance
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock
1½ teaspoons dried rosemary
Black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 large swede (1 lb.11 oz.), thinly sliced (aka. rutabaga or yellow turnip)
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar (2% milk reduced fat)

1. Prepare the sauce by melting buttery spread in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir while cooking for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and slowly add chicken stock while whisking constantly. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat and add rosemary, parmesan cheese and pepper; stir until cheese is melted. Preheat oven to 400-degrees.

2. Spray a large casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Ladle a small amount of the sauce into dish and swirl until bottom is coated. Place 1/3 of the sliced turnip in a layer on the bottom of the dish, sprinkle with 1/3 of the onion and drizzle 1/3 of the remaining sauce over the vegetables. Repeat with another layer of turnips, half of the remaining onion and half of the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with ¼ cup cheddar cheese. Top with a final layer of turnip, the remaining onion, the remaining sauce and the remaining ¾ cup cheddar cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.

3. After 45 minutes, remove foil and continue baking for another 25-30 minutes until turnips are fork tender and cheese is golden brown. (If you notice that the cheese is browning too much, cover with foil for remaining cooking time.) Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information per serving: 184 calories, 15.7 g carbohydrate, 9 g total fat, 4.4 g saturated fat, 3.5 g fiber, 10.5 g protein.

Original recipe by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2010

How does this recipe compare with traditional Potatoes Au Gratin? This recipe has significantly less calories, carbs and fat (especially saturated fat). For comparison, the nutritional information per 1 cup of home-prepared potatoes au gratin made with margarine is 323 calories, 27.7 g carbohydrate, 18.6 g total fat, 8.6 g saturated fat, 4 g fiber, 12.2 g protein.

Buttery Mashed Potato Swedes

The humble swede is a root vegetable used in a variety of ways and very popular in England and Europe. Although it is a good source of vitamin C, folate and fiber, it is a vegetable often overlooked in the United States probably because it is known here by its less appetizing name of rutabaga or yellow turnip. (Really! Try telling your kids, "Eat your rutabagas; they're good for you!" and watch them run from the dinner table.) But honestly, they are quite delicious and easy to prepare. For someone on a reduced carb diet, they are an excellent substitute for mashed potatoes with only half the carbs and twice the fiber! Their taste is distinctive, but quite pleasant. I suggest cooking them in broth because, as they boil, they'll take on the flavor of the liquid and broth is so much more flavorful than plain water. In this recipe, I have mashed them with a potato and butter in a fashion Americans have come to associate with "comfort food." Mashed swedes are especially appealing at this time of year when you might be craving heartier, warmer foods to combat the cold of winter. If you've never eaten swedes (or rutabagas), I hope I've convinced you to give them a try soon and see what you've been missing!

Buttery Mashed Potato Swedes
(Makes six ½-cup servings)

1 large swede (also known as yellow turnip or rutabaga)
1 small to medium russet potato
1½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup milk or light cream
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Peel and cut swede and potato into 1-inch chunks. Place chunks in a large saucepan and add broth. Add enough water to cover vegetables. Add ½ teaspoon salt to pan and boil for about 15 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork.

2. Reserve ½ cup cooking liquid, then drain remaining liquid from cooked vegetables. Add butter and milk to hot pan, return vegetables to pan and mash with a potato masher or whip with an electric mixer. Add reserved cooking liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. (For a smoother texture, run mashed swedes through a food mill.) Serve hot.

Nutritional Information per ½ cup: 58.5 calories, 11.6 g carbohydrate, 3.6 g total fat, 2.3 g saturated fat, 2 g fiber, 1.5 g protein.

Original recipe by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2009

How does this recipe compare to traditional mashed potatoes? Swedes are half the calories of potatoes, lower in carbs and higher in fiber. For comparison, the nutritional information per ½ cup mashed potatoes made from a homemade recipe is 118 calories, 17.8 g carbohydrate, 4.3 g total fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 1.5 g fiber, 2 g protein.

Christmas Eve Vegetable and Bean Soup

It has been a standing tradition for decades that on Christmas Eve we have a simple meal of leek and potato soup made from a family recipe, rolls and dessert. The soup recipe has always been the same and, as a matter-of-fact, it is known as "Christmas Eve Potato Soup" at my house because I serve it only once a year so it remains a special treat. The combination of the humble Irish potato and German flavors are meant to be a reflection of my family's Irish-German heritage. We love this soup and look forward to it every year. It is the taste of Christmas for all of us!

However, the emphasis on the potato in the traditional soup causes the carb count to go beyond my limit, making it impossible to enjoy without guilt and a BG response that is too high. My challenge was to reduce the carbs while keeping the same wonderful blend of flavors and textures that we associate with this special holiday meal. First, it is the combination of bacon, leeks and the velvety sour cream that are the distinctive flavors in the traditional recipe. Luckily, those ingredients are used in this makeover recipe in the same proportions. My substitution of turnips for the potatoes may sound strange, but actually they are a mild vegetable that readily takes on the flavor of whatever they're cooked in. Another potato substitution is cannellini beans (white kidney beans) that add that mealy, soft texture you expect from boiled potatoes. The first sign that this makeover recipe might be a winner came when my husband and daughter arrived home and the first words out of their mouths were, "It smells like Christmas in here!" Most importantly, we all agree it is the taste, that mirrors the original so closely, which allows this new soup to be deemed a delicious low-carb success!

Christmas Eve Vegetable and Bean Soup
(Makes six 1½ cup servings)

4 slices of bacon, cut into pieces
1 large leek, sliced
½ medium onion, chopped
4 stalks celery (including leaves), sliced
3 medium-sized turnips, peeled, quartered and sliced
5 cups chicken stock
One (15.5 oz.) can of cannellini beans, rinsed
1 cup light sour cream
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Place the bacon in a large pot and turn on heat to medium. Heat, stirring occasionally, until fat has been rendered and bacon is brown and beginning to crisp. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent. Add leeks, celery and turnips. Cook vegetables, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add chicken stock, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add rinsed beans to soup and continue simmering until heated through.

2. Meanwhile, mix together sour cream and egg yolks in a medium bowl. Add a ladle of the hot to soup the sour cream and stir to temper the eggs. Repeat with another ladle of soup. While stirring, slowly add the sour cream and egg mixture to the soup. Return to a low simmer (do not bring to a full boil or eggs and cream may curdle). Taste soup and adjust seasonings before serving.

Nutritional Information per serving: 200.5 calories, 21 g carbohydrate, 8.1 g total fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 4.4 g fiber, 11.3 g protein.

Original recipe by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2009

How does this compare to the traditional family recipe made with potatoes? This reduced carb version is over 100 calories less per serving and has fewer than ½ the carbs of the original. Also, this makeover recipe has less overall and saturated fat grams. For comparison, the nutritional information for a serving of the traditional recipe is 335.7 calories, 47.1 g carbohydrate, 11.8 g total fat, 5.2 g saturated fat, 3.7 g fiber, 11 g protein.

Farmer's Market Vegetable & Bean Pot Pie

This time of year I sometimes go overboard buying fresh vegetables at the nearby farm stand. I guess when you live in the northeast, where winters are so long and the growing season so short, you get a little excited when you finally see lots of fresh, green things sprouting up all around you! This was the case this week. I had a refrigerator overflowing with more vegetables than I could possibly eat and had to use them before they spoiled.

Most store-bought pot pies, even the vegetable variety, are beyond the limits of a diabetic's diet because of the double crust and the over-abundance of potatoes. Not so with this recipe! I've included a few potatoes to disguise the fact that most of the white, starchy-looking chunks are turnip. (They look and so closely resemble the taste and texture of potatoes, my family never even suspected!) The base of this pot pie is a creamy, delicious mixture of vegetables and beans as thick as a stew, then topped with golden, flaky layers of phyllo to give it that distinctive pot pie crust. The beans provide protein and fiber, while adding creaminess and more substance to truly make this a satisfying meal.

Farmer’s Market Vegetable & Bean Pot Pie
(Makes 6 servings)

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
6 cups of low-carb vegetables, cut into bite-size pieces (use a combination of 1 or 2 zucchini, 3 small turnips, 1 or 2 yellow squash, 1 cup broccoli florets, 1 leek or whatever you have on hand)
2 or 3 small red potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces with skin (about ½ cup)
salt & pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs of fresh thyme (or ½ teaspoon dried)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 ¼ cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 can cannellini beans (15 oz.), drained and rinsed
½ cup peas, fresh or frozen
2 tablespoons fat-free ½ & ½
6 sheets of phyllo dough (can be purchased in the frozen section of grocery)
1 tablespoon olive oil for brushing between layers of dough
3 teaspoons of freshly grated Parmesan, if desired

1. In a dutch oven or large pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat and add onion, carrots and celery. Add a little salt and pepper and cook until vegetables begin to soften. Add the 6 cups of vegetables, 1 more tablespoon olive oil, bay leaf and thyme and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften and have taken on some color.

2. Reduce heat to medium. Add flour and stir to coat vegetables; stir and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly add stock, stirring constantly until flour and stock has blended and has started to thicken into a sauce. Reduce heat further to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally until vegetables are almost, but not quite, cooked through. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350-degrees.

3. Remove from heat and add beans and peas. Add the fat-free ½ & ½ and stir to combine. Remove bay leaf and thyme stems (leaves should have fallen off). Check seasonings and add salt and pepper to taste. Divide mixture into individual oven-proof dishes or pour into one large casserole dish.

4. If using individual serving dishes, take one sheet of phyllo dough, cut into four rectangles and lay one rectangle on top of one of the dishes, tucking in corners of dough to fit. Coat lightly with olive oil (or use a pump oil sprayer, such as Misto). Top with another small rectangle and repeat with oil. If desired, sprinkle ½ teaspoon of grated Parmesan cheese and/or pepper, then repeat layering of dough and oil with remaining two small rectangles, ending with a light brushing of oil on the top. Follow the same procedure for the remaining dishes. (If using one large casserole dish, do not cut phyllo, but lay one sheet on top of the casserole dish filled with vegetables and coat lightly with oil. Repeat with remaining five sheets of dough ending with a light coating of oil on the top.)

5. Place individual dishes on a baking sheet (not necessary if using large casserole). Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until top is golden brown and crispy. Cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information per serving: 219.8 calories, 33 g carbohydrates, 7.5 g total fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 5.2 g fiber, 8 g protein.

Variation: Use a can of black beans and add chili powder, cumin and a few dashes of hot sauce to create a spiced up Mexican version.

Original recipe by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2009

How does this compare with a store-bought Pot Pie? If you thought eating one of those store-bought pot pies was healthy because it was vegetable, think again! For comparison, one serving made by a well-known vegetarian food company is a whopping 420 calories, 54 g carbohydrates, 19 g fat, 4 g fiber, 9 g protein.