This might be my favorite potato salad recipe this week for the color alone. Purple potatoes, ruby beets, and green parsley make for a salad that’s both delicious and gorgeous!  

Purple potatoes are making their way into most grocery stores, either sold by themselves or in combination with other potatoes. Depending on your location, you can probably snag some at the farmers market as well. Either way, they make for an unexpected pop of color that livens up any picnic.

Purple potatoes also contain the antioxidant anthocyanin, which gives the potato it’s deep color, the same antioxidant praised in blueberries. Antioxidants help protect body cells against free radical damage that can increase chronic disease risk. Purple potatoes have also been shown to reduce blood pressure, thanks to their high levels of potassium.

If you don’t need anymore convincing, then try this salad out for yourself.

Purple Potato Eater Salad

Ingredients:
3 lbs. purple potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 cups beets, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 red onion, minced
3 tbsp. minced parsley

Dressing:
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt/pepper

In a food processor/blender/or hand, whisk together all ingredients for the dressing. Set aside.

Combine cut potatoes and beets into a bowl, toss with 1-2Tbsp. of olive oil and pinch salt/pepper. Toss to coat potatoes and spread onto a baking sheet. Roast at 425 degrees F for 30 minutes until potatoes and beets are tender. Cooking times will depend on how large you cut your potato chunks.

Remove potatoes from oven and cool ~5-10 minutes. Toss potatoes with the dressing and onion. To serve warm: add fresh parsley and salt/pepper to taste. To serve cool: place in fridge and chill for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Top with fresh parsley and salt/pepper if needed just before serving.

Enjoy!

Disclosure Statement: By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by the United States Potato Board and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

To celebrate summer solstice last Wednesday, I made a “to-do” list of summer activities I want to accomplish before September rolls around. As my peak work time happens between September-April, I try to relish in the lazy days of summer as much as I can. Luckily, this is very easy to do as I live within an few hours drive of the coast, Tahoe, or Yosemite. Besides my outdoor adventures I want to finish: kayaking, stand-up paddle-boarding, new hikes, and camping, I am also looking forward to hosting a few cookouts. Nothing says summer more than backyard bbqs complete with refreshing drinks, farmers market produce, and my favorite: potato salad.

This weeks posts will be all about celebrating the BBQ staple, the potato salad. All three upcoming recipes are delicious and forgo the worst part about tater salad, lots of calories and fat.

I love potatoes and often feel like they get a bad rap nutritionally. Sure, french fries and loaded baked potatoes aren’t doing anything for your waistline but thats not the potatoes fault! Skip the heavy toppings and a medium potato contains just 110 calories, more potassium than a banana and 1/2 the daily recommended value of vitamin C.

This salad highlights the other stars of summer, fresh herbs like basil and cilantro. It’s no secret that I love cooking Thai influenced food so this potato salad seemed like a natural fit. Serve this warm or at room temperature.

Try to find Yukon Gold potatoes for this recipe, their waxier flesh holds up well to chopping and to tossing with dressing. Keep the skin on for more fiber!

Spicy Thai Potato Salad

1/2 cup basil leaves
1/2 cup cilantro
5 garlic cloves
2 tbsp. Asian chili sauce (like sambel oelek)
2 tbsp. vegetarian fish sauce
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 thai chili, chopped
salt/pepper
1/2 cup vegetable or olive oil

2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes

Wash and dry the potatoes thoroughly, removing any grit from the skin. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Chop the potatoes into bite size pieces and place into the salted water. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook for 10-15 minutes until tender enough to bite through.

While the potatoes are cooking, make the dressing. Combine all ingredients from basil to chili pepper in a food processor and pulse until combined and finely chopped. With the blade running, drizzle in the oil and let whisk until combined. Season with salt/pepper.

When the potatoes are done, drain and toss with dressing. Enjoy warm!

Two more potato salad recipes coming this week, look for my next one on Monday.

Disclosure:  By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by the United States Potato Board and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

Check out other potato salad favorites from The Recipe Redux

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Sometimes one of my favorite dinners is a bunch of side dishes. Couscous salad, green beans, beet salad are some of my favorite winter items. Beets have recently become one of my favorite winter vegetables, something that I never really liked until a few years ago. We used to get a lot of beets in our CSA and I finally started learning how to cook them. I prefer them roasted like this or salads.

Whole wheat couscous is one of BL’s favorite side dishes. Whenever I make it for cooking demos, I have to make extra to keep in the fridge for him. He seriously can’t get enough! This is a pretty simple salad highlighting fresh oranges. Enjoy this as is or paired with your favorite protein. We had it with a garbanzo-lentil salad for dinner.

2-way Couscous Salad

1 cup uncooked whole wheat couscous
1/2 cup Israeli couscous
1 english cucumber, peeled and finely diced
1/4 cup roasted red/yellow peppers, finely diced
1 bunch parsley, chopped
2 tbsp. Kalamata olives, chopped
1 large lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
salt/pepper

Cook the couscous according to directions. The two couscous varieties do take different cooking time so you can either start the Israeli and then add the whole wheat kind or cook them separately. You can also just use 1 variety.

Place the cooled couscous into a mixing bowl. Add the cucumber, roasted peppers, parsley, and olives. In a separate bowl, whisk together the lemon and olive oil. Pour onto the couscous and stir. Season with salt and pepper.

Winter Beet Salad

3 large golden beets
3 large red beets
3 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 tbsp. water
2 oranges

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the beets on a roasting pan and drizzle with 1 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp. water. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Cook for 50-60 minutes until tender.

Remove from oven, cool and peel. Toss into large chunks and place into a bowl.

Peel the oranges and separate the membranes from the pith. Place into the beet bowl. Squeeze the remaining orange juice from the leftover peel and piths into the bowl. Add the olive oil and a small pinch of salt/pepper. Toss together and serve.

*The leftover beet salad taste great over salad greens the next morning

I was hesitant to post this recipe as it is so simple it really doesn’t constitute as a “recipe”. That being said, I also know that quite a few of my clients consistently say that they would eat more vegetables if they knew how to cook them. Well, no more excuses! This recipe is easy, foolproof and delicious.

Simple Green Beans

Ingredients:
1 lb. green beans
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place the green beans and slivered garlic onto a roasting pan. Drizzle with the water and olive oil.

Roast for 20 minutes. Season with salt/pepper and serve.

Seriously, how simple is that?