The Real Housewife of Santa Monica
Mostly NOT Potato Salad

Posts Tagged ‘potato salad’

Mostly NOT Potato Salad

It’s getting HOT and making pasta every night is killing me. I’ve been trying to branch out to more salads now that it’s summer.

Pre-tofu

This is a really tasty dish to take to a cookout! For those of you who are convinced that potatoes are inherently EVIL in their white starchiness – this salad’s for you. **Also great for mayo haters.**

All you need:
4 small pink or red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, quartered
large handful of green beans, trimmed and sliced into 1″ pieces
2 TBSP coarse mustard
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
Olive oil
1/2 tsp sugar (or agave nectar)
Salt
1/4 c chopped dill (use dry dill if that’s all you have – about 2 TBSP)
1 small leek, trimmed and thinly sliced
6 stalks celery, trimmed & diced
1 cucumber, unpeeled, seeded and diced (I peeled mine – whoops!)
1 TBSP fresh chives
OPTIONAL: 6 oz baked or extra firm tofu cut into small cubes

This is definitely a chopping intensive salad but more special than the old mayo-laden potato salad I grew up with. [And I like mayo!]

First, set water to boil for your taters. Once it’s boiling, they need to cook until just tender. This should take about 10 mins. Set your timer for 9 minutes so you can toss in the green beans for the last 30 seconds. You just want them to turn bright green. Then drain the potatoes & beans.

Make your dressing: in a small bowl, combine 1 TBSP olive oil, the mustard, vinegar, sugar & salt. Whisk together. Taste & adjust to your liking!

Heat about a TBSP of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high. Add the chopped dill, add a few pinches of salt

and add the leeks.

Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a large bowl (because of time constraints I usually go right into a large lidded container!) combine the potatoes, green beans, celery, cucumber, chives and half of the leek with most of the dressing. Toss gently, taste and add salt as needed. Serve with remainder of leek and dressing atop. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

OPTIONAL: Not every uses/is comfortable with tofu but it adds a benign presence of protein to this salad and is virtually unnoticeable. I bought a block of organic tofu at Trader Joe’s. Before I even boil the potatoes I drain the tofu, wrap it in a paper towel and place in a kitchen towel with my cast iron skillet on top. The presses the extra water out of the tofu so that it can absorb the flavors of the salad dressing. Press it for about 30 minutes if you think of it. Then dice it and add to salad. Try it this once time if you have never used tofu before! (Or don’t!)

This salad is a very pretty dish to take to a summer cookout/party.

Pre-tofu

Maddie ate a small bowl of it before dinner. Bea spit the potato out.

Mostly NOT Potato Salad
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: American
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 4-6
 

Bright, pretty summer salad that takes potato salad to a new level!
Ingredients
  • 4 small pink or red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, quartered
  • large handful of green beans, trimmed and sliced into 1″ pieces
  • 2 TBSP coarse mustard
  • 2 TBSP red wine vinegar
  • Olive oil
  • ½ tsp sugar (or agave nectar)
  • Salt
  • ¼ c chopped dill (use dry dill if that’s all you have – about 2 TBSP)
  • 1 small leek, trimmed and thinly sliced
  • 6 stalks celery, trimmed & diced
  • 1 cucumber, unpeeled, seeded and diced (I peeled mine – whoops!)
  • 1 TBSP fresh chives
  • OPTIONAL: 6 oz baked or extra firm tofu cut into small cubes

Instructions
  1. First, set water to boil for your taters. Once it’s boiling, they need to cook until just tender. This should take about 10 mins. Set your timer for 9 minutes so you can toss in the green beans for the last 30 seconds. You just want them to turn bright green. Then drain the potatoes & beans.
  2. Make your dressing: in a small bowl, combine 1 TBSP olive oil, the mustard, vinegar, sugar & salt. Whisk together. Taste & adjust to your liking!
  3. Heat about a TBSP of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high. Add the chopped dill, add a few pinches of salt and add the leeks.
  4. Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. In a large bowl combine the potatoes, green beans, celery, cucumber, chives and half of the leek with most of the dressing. Toss gently, taste and add salt as needed. Serve with remainder of leek and dressing atop chilled or at room temperature.
  6. OPTIONAL: Not every uses/is comfortable with tofu but it adds a benign presence of protein to this salad and is virtually unnoticeable. I bought a block of organic tofu at Trader Joe’s. Before I even boil the potatoes I drain the tofu, wrap it in a paper towel and place in a kitchen towel with my cast iron skillet on top. The presses the extra water out of the tofu so that it can absorb the flavors of the salad dressing. Press it for about 30 minutes if you think of it. Then dice it and add to salad. Try it this once time if you have never used tofu before!

Slightly adapted from: Super Natural Every Day

 

Red Potato & Green Bean Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

IMG_0944

I know, it’s wayyyyyyyyyyyyy too early in the year to start making potato salad. Hold on a minute? Says WHO? I felt like making this salad in March and so I did.

Lord knows, G will gag and possibly need to be hospitalized if he so much as smells mayonnaise. Also, although I love almost ANY kind of potato salad, I wanted to try a brighter, lighter version. This one is AMAZING and can be eaten room temp, warm or cold.

This salad has NO mayo.

All you need is:

IMG_0905

and these:
IMG_0906 Please excuse that basket of junk in the back.

Here’s a gratuitous shot of the parsley from my garden:
IMG_0918

INGREDIENTS:
8 oz green beans, trimmed & cut into 1-1/2″ pieces
3 lbs small red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, halved (if yours are medium-sized, then quarter them)
2 TBSP dry vermouth
2 TBSP white wine vinegar
1 large shallot, chopped
1 TBSP coarse-grained Dijon mustard
2/3 c olive oil
2 TBSP chopped fresh parsley

1. Boil beans in large pot of salted water until crisp/tender, about 4 minutes.

IMG_0912

Drain. Transfer to a bowl of ice water. Drain. Pat dry with a towel. (Or let drip dry, like I did!)

2. Cook potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 12 minutes. Drain. Transfer to large bowl (I put them back in the pot to save dishes!) Sprinkle vermouth over hot potatoes. **NOTE: I had medium sized potatoes so I ended up cutting them into quarters. I think I overcooked them a tad but they were still excellent.**

IMG_0920

Toss gently and let stand for 5 minutes.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, shallot, and mustard. Gradually whisk in oil.

IMG_0914 Uh, YUM!

4. Pour over potatoes and toss gently to coat.
IMG_0921 Obviously, pre “tossing to coat.”

Cool completely. Mix in green beans and parsley. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

IMG_0943

I love this salad!! It’s a little more “refined” maybe? Fresher & definitely lighter than the mayo based potato salad we all know and still love. (Except for those of us who gag and throw themselves on the floor at the sight or even thought of mayo ((Christina Lynch & George, you know I’m talking to you…))) Wow, those parenthesis are blinding me!

Source: Epicurious.com

Red Potato & Green Bean Salad
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 6
 

Not your mama’s potato salad! You’ll find NO MAYO in the ingredients either! A refined, clean, bright salad with sticking power.
Ingredients
  • 8 oz green beans, trimmed & cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
  • 3 lbs small red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, halved
  • 2 TBSP dry vermouth
  • 2 TBSP white wine vinegar
  • 1 large shallot, chopped
  • 1 TBSP coarse grained Dijon mustard
  • ⅔ c olive oil
  • 2 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions
  1. Boil beans in large saucepan of salted water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain. Transfer to bowl of ice water. Drain. Pat dry with towel.
  2. Boil potatoes in a large pot of salted water until just tender, about 12 minutes. Drain. Transfer to large bowl.
  3. Sprinkle vermouth over hot potatoes. Toss gently & let stand for 5 minutes.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, shallot, and mustard. Gradually whisk in the oil. Pour over the potatoes & toss gently to coat.
  5. Cool potatoes completely. Add green beans & parsley & stir gently to combine. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

Notes
Salad can be made 1 day ahead. Cover & refrigerate. Serve cold or at room temperature.

 



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