Here are two of our delicious mashed potatoes Thanksgiving recipes for your health. Worrying about carbs, calories and diets is one of the most unproductive things you can do on a holiday that celebrates thankfulness.

Instead  we want to give you our version of mashed potatoes that’s low in fat and calories but high in taste.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

12-14 garlic cloves (to taste), unpeeled

4 lbs. potatoes (preferably yukon golds), peeled, and cut into cubes

2/3 cup soy milk, rice milk, or other non-dairy milk of choice

salt and white pepper, to taste

2 T. freshly snipped chives

paprika, for garnish And,

Place the unpeeled garlic cloves in a pie pan and bake at 450 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until cloves are soft. Remove the pie pan from the oven and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, in a large pot, place the cubed potatoes, cover them with water, and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes or until tender.

Drain the potatoes, saving the cooking liquid for use in the mashed potatoes, and the remaining cooking liquid can be used in soups or sauces.

Transfer the drained potatoes to a mixer (or return to the large pot if using a hand mixer or potato masher) and set aside for 5 minutes to dry.

Using your fingers, squeeze the cloves of garlic from their skins, and place them in a small bowl. Using a fork, mash the cloves of garlic to form a paste.

Add the mashed garlic, soy milk, sprinkle with a little salt and white pepper, and whip the potatoes until smooth.

Add a little of the reserved potato cooking liquid, if needed, to achieve a creamy consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings, as needed. Transfer the mashed potatoes to a large bowl, sprinkle with the snipped chives and a little paprika before serving.

Yield: 2 Quarts or 6-8 servings

Roasted yams are perfect for Thanksgiving. Here’s the second one of our Thanksgiving recipes that is both deeply satisfying and nutritious.

Roasted Diced Yams With Smoked Paprika

2 medium-large dark-fleshed yams such as “Red Garnet,” about 3 pounds

3 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

2 teaspoons salt

1. Line a baking sheet with baker’s parchment or a silicone pan liner and preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Peel the yams and cut them in half lengthwise. With the cut side down to keep them stable on the cutting board, cut the half yams lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick strips, then turn the strips on their sides and cut the strips into 1/2-inch dice.

3. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, toss the diced yams with oil, then sprinkle with smoked paprika and salt. Distribute the seasoned yams evenly over the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

Using tongs or a spatula, turn the potatoes once and put them back in the oven until they are cooked through and browned around the edges, about 8 minutes more. Serve hot.

Note: The dark-red varieties of sweet potatoes commonly called yams are loaded with flavor and nutritional value, but some people avoid cooking them because they think it will take too long.

Whole yams do take a long time to bake, but cut into dice, they cook very quickly. It takes less than 20 minutes to roast 1-inch dice into flavorful morsels that are tender on the inside and deliciously caramelized on the edges.

Want to know more  simple & healthy Thanksgiving recipes?

Go to the post titled: A Harvest Of Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes (Part 1)

Then, post your question below.

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Yours truly, Polly – Organic Gardener