Potato

Greetings from Boston, home of New England clam chowder. Clam chowder is a year-round comfort food. But knowing that just one bowl of the creamy kind can pack 41 grams of fat isn't so comforting. We lightened the soup considerably — without sacrificing its velvety texture and rich flavor — by cutting back on butter and using lower-fat Canadian bacon and fat-free half-and-half (we used Land O'Lakes). Now you can feel good about spooning up this soup, which is high in iron (the clams) and calcium (the "cream").

Get a better body at the grocery store. Just as certain exercises strengthen your stomach muscles, certain foods protect specific parts of your body. (Your tummy gets benefits from sit-ups and garlic.) A top-to-toes rundown based on new research includes the following: Eggs banish blurry eyes. Cranberry juice brightens smiles. Chocolate is your heart's friend. Carrots preserve lungs. Water is a hipbone buddy. And you get all these super foods in one bowl.

This dish, from Scott Uehlein, executive chef at the renowned Canyon Ranch Health Resort in Tucson, Arizona, is basically potatoes baked in a blend of broth and onions. It's amazing how rich they taste, and they take only 15 minutes to assemble.

Thanksgiving on a roll Here's a pilgrim's dinner you can make in minutes and enjoy year-round, not only on turkey Thursday. Straight from the menu of New York City's Chat 'n Chew Diner, this sandwich has all the flavors of a Thanksgiving meal without stuffing you full of calories. Use turkey leftovers this month or buy sliced turkey breast from the deli. Consider the result comfort food for the time-pressed.

Chef: Wylie Dufresne, 71 Clinton Fresh Food, New York City. Claim to fame: His restaurant won a rave review from The New York Times — now it's a hot spot. How he defines natural: "Clean, simple food tastes best; by happy accident it's also healthiest."

Cuddle up with comfort food that's — gasp! — healthy.
Soothe your carb-craving soul without the guilt. This chicken pot pie delivers comfort at a fraction of the salt and fat of the traditional variety.

This sandwich's secret ingredient is sweet potato, and the result is delicious, not your worn-out turkey on wheat. The recipe, adapted from the new cookbook Vegetarian Sandwiches by Paulette Mitchell (Chronicle Books), is super easy. (Boiling a potato is the only cooking required.) It's low in fat and loaded with fiber and beta-carotene — definitely a win-win dinner.

Often called a boniato, a batata is what most of the world knows as a sweet potato. White-fleshed and drier than typical orange, moist-fleshed varieties, the tuber has a delicate, slightly sweet flavor reminiscent of chestnuts. We like to serve them with a flavorful compound butter.

The chicken and vegetables are strained out for a clear soup. If you'd like, save some chicken and vegetables to serve along with the matzo balls in the soup.

Ask your fishmonger to skin the salmon fillets for you.

In Trinidad and Tobago, crabs are traditionally cooked whole and the meat picked out. This sophisticated dish combines American-style crab cakes with the island flavor of callaloo, a green stew that's the national dish of Trinidad. Here, the stew becomes a sauce, creating an elegant starter or light lunch.

Serve this hearty side dish with a pork or lamb roast.

This soup features the flavors of India: aromatic nigella seeds, curry powder, curry leaves, and cumin seeds.

A meatless yet rich dish that would make a perfect appetizer for St. Patrick's Day dinner.

A thoroughly modern take on the classic baked potato with sour cream.

The ultimate dish for a cold winter day, this hearty pie couldn't be more satisfying. Picard uses venison along with pork to create an amazingly tender and sauce-rich filling.

Made without stock, this light vegetable soup (which was passed down from Elena's mother) is not only easy to prepare but amazingly flavorful. It really benefits from the final addition of egg and parmesan.