Easter Fun

Well, Easter has come and gone...quickly. I scrambled last night to make Freddy an Easter basket after I felt guilty that he didn't have one. Not like he would have known if he hadn't, but I came up with a pretty terrible creation of construction paper, pom poms, ribbon, and a yogurt container, and I guess he didn't know what he was missing. The good thing was that it was really small, so didn't have much room for a lot of candy. He had his first taste of Peeps, which he didn't much care for, and could have eaten jelly beans all day long.

Then I settled down to do our taxes (ugh) and Bill got Freddy out of my hair by taking him skiing. Now, if you ask Freddy if he had fun skiing with Daddy, he just says "FAST!" Uh-oh.

We had a really nice dinner with two other couples. I made a ham (and it was GOOD), scalloped potatoes, and asparagus with a yummy walnut puree. The scalloped potatoes were "light", and although they weren't nearly as pretty as Gram's, I'm going to share the recipe because I'm sure the regular ones are really, really bad for you and these made me feel less guilty. It's hard to keep the potatoes in nice slices - especially the sweet potatoes, which fall apart pretty quickly. I think you could skip the fennel bulb altogether. I only added about 1/2 of it. Hardly noticed it and didn't miss it:

Lighter Scalloped Potatoes with Sweet Potato, Fennel, and Leek

Serves 8.

The quickest way to slice the potatoes is in a food processor fitted with a 1/8-inch-thick slicing blade. Halve the potatoes crosswise and put them in the feed tube cut-side down so that they sit flat on the surface of the slicing disk. A mandoline or V-slicer is the other option. Don't try to slice the potatoes with a knife; you won't get them thin enough. It is best to assemble all of your ingredients before slicing the potatoes. If the potato slices discolor as they stand, put them in a bowl and cover with the milk in the recipe. Don't be tempted to slice the potatoes and store them in water—this will remove some of the starch that is necessary to thicken the milk.

Ingredients

1	medium leek , white part only, sliced 1/8 inch thick
1	teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2	teaspoon table salt
1	medium garlic clove , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
1	teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1/4	teaspoon fennel seeds , crushed
1/4	teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2	pounds russet potatoes , peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
1	pound sweet potatoes , peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
1	small bulb fennel (8 ounces), cored and sliced 1/8 inch thick
2	cups 2% milk
2	bay leaves
2	teaspoons cornstarch
1	tablespoon water
3	tablespoons light cream cheese
2	ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)

Instructions

1. 1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. 2. Combine the leek, oil, and salt in a Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, thyme, fennel seeds, and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. 3. Add the potatoes, fennel, milk, and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until partially tender, and a fork can be slipped into a potato slice with some resistance, about 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Whisk the cornstarch and water together, then add to the pot and bring to a simmer. Off the heat, stir in the cream cheese and 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan, being careful not to break up the potatoes.

4. 4. Transfer the mixture to an 8-inch-square baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until the potatoes are completely tender, a fork can be slipped into the center of the dish without resistance, and the top is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

5. PER SERVING: Cal 210; Fat 5 g; Sat fat 2.5 g; Chol 15 mg; Carb 35 g; Protein 8 g; Fiber 3 g; Sodium 340 mg