Pimped Up Mashed Potatoes

As I was rounding off my workday today and thinking about what I was going to make for dinner, this colorful idea suddenly jumped at me.  I had bought some Italian sausages at my butcher a few days earlier and decided I would serve them with some mashed potatoes.  Not just simple mashed potatoes though, but pimped up mashed potatoes with flecks of  tasty sun-dried tomatoes and little bits of fresh chives.  I was thinking of adding a little crème fraîche to the mash, but since the whole cream section at my local supermarket had been wiped out (how strange is that?!), I decided to try a touch of fat-free French-style yogurt instead.  The result was surprisingly good.  The yogurt made the potatoes light and added just a little tang which combined beautifully with the sweet, fruity taste of the tomatoes.  I served the potatoes and the sausages with some stir-fried, garlicky spinach and a glass of Montalto merlot.   A very easy, very tasty Tuesday night dinner!

Here's the recipe:
Serves 4

Pimped Up Potatoes
1 kilo starchy potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
small handful of sun-dried tomatoes, in oil
small bunch of fresh chives
3 tbsps fat-free French-style yogurt
salt, to taste

Boil the potato chunks in salted water, depending on their size, for approximately 20 minutes.
Drain the tomatoes, squeeze out most of the excess oil and cut into strips.  Chop the chives finely.
Drain the mashed potatoes, leaving just a tiny bit of water in the pan.  Add the tomatoes, the chives and the yogurt and mash to the desired consistency.  Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.