Healthier Red Skin Potato Salad
, , ,

Standardby carynfasko1 Comment

I originally posted this healthier red skin potato salad recipe all the way back in September of 2016 but wanted to give it a bit of an upgrade. While the recipe remains the same (I just remade it and it was delicious), I wanted to update the post with some new thoughts and pictures.

For me, like chicken salad, potato salad can either be delicious or severely disappointing, no middle ground here. I like a lot of flavor and just the right amount of mayo. Bland potatoes drowning in mayo tends to be what I find in many store bought potato salads, although I tend to be overly critical and easily disappointed with foods.

Since I’m not a fan of store bought potato salad, I have to make my own. But…I hate peeling potatoes. I feel like it is a waste of the limited time that I have. Especially since we are all stuck in the house together due to the quarantine. My main duties now include entertaining a 3 year old all day, and keeping her away from my husband who works at home, and taking care of a newborn. It’s not exactly how I envisioned my maternity leave going, but its much better than many other families are fairing right now, so I will count my blessings. I did end up purchasing a lesson plan from Busy Toddler for my 3 year old so I could have activities planned without having to think too much, and it has been really helpful. I got very tired of hearing her ask me what can she do next….

Anyways, red skin potatoes have a softer peel than regular white potatoes, so its totally cool to keep the skin on. Plus, it adds extra nutrients and I probably should not be peeling potatoes in my sleep deprived state anyways..

Healthier Red Skin Potato Salad

Healthier Red Skin Potato Salad

Serves 6
Ingredients
1.5 lbs Red Potatoes ( I just bought a 3lb bag and used half)
3/4 Cup Mayonnaise
1 Teaspoon Dried Dill
2 Tablespoons Fresh Chopped Chives
1 Teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 Cup White Wine Vinegar or Champagne Vinegar
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt

 

Directions
Chop potatoes into bite size pieces (no need to remove skin) and place in a saucepan with water covering potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 10 min. While potatoes are cooking, mix mayonnaise, dill, chives and mustard in a small mixing bowl and refrigerate. Drain potatoes after they are done cooking and place in a large mixing bowl. Add vinegar, pepper and salt to potatoes, toss to coat. Allow potatoes to cool and then add refrigerated mayonnaise mixture to potatoes. Mix gently and refrigerate until ready to serve. Feel free to add celery or onions if you like a little crunch in your potato salad.
 

If you want more potato recipes, try my Crustless Quiche with Potatoes and Spinach or my Sweet Potato Pasta Salad.

Healthier Red Skin Potato Salad

Need more vegetables in your diet? Then don’t forget to subscribe to my email list to get your free copy of “6 Easy Ways to Add More Veggies to Your Day!”

8
Share
Easy and Healthy Pasta Salad
, , ,

Standardby carynfasko0 Comments

Originally Published in May 2015

Last weekend I turned 30 (old lady now…) so we thought we would do a beach party on Saturday to celebrate. So of course I wanted to make some nutritious and delicious food to bring. I had to think of something I could keep cold in a cooler and that would be refreshing and not too messy or complicated. Pasta salad seemed to be an easy solution…so my recipe for sweet potato pasta salad was born!

I used whole grains (good carbs for sustained energy and fiber), olive oil (good fat, anti-inflammatory properties), and fresh veggies (lots of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals). I was able to keep it in a large aluminum tray in the cooler and it did stay cool until we were ready to eat. I also made a fruit salad to bring because it is super easy to just chop up some melons, grapes and strawberries….and who doesn’t love cool, fresh fruit on a hot day? Plus…it has a ton of nutrients and can help keep you hydrated. My pasta salad turned out really delicious and fed about 16-20 people so keep that in mind when you see the large amounts of ingredients.

Sweet Potato Pasta Salad

Sweet Potato Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

32 oz Dry Whole Grain Pasta (I used Brown Rice Pasta to make it Gluten Free)

2 Large Sweet Potatoes

1 Head of Broccoli

4 Large Tomatoes

1- Fresh 8 oz Bag of Baby Spinach

1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3/4 Cup Champagne or White Wine Vinegar

Juice from 2 Lemons

1 Tablespoon Chopped Garlic

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Sugar

Ground Black Pepper to Taste

Directions:

  • Cook pasta according to package directions in a very large pot.
  • While pasta is cooking, clean off sweet potatoes and poke several holes through the skin with a fork. Microwave on high for 10 minutes or until sweet potatoes are cooked through.
  • Rinse broccoli and tomatoes and start chopping into pieces while sweet potatoes and pasta are cooking.
  • Remove sweet potatoes (be careful they will be very hot) and let cool.
  • Put chopped broccoli in the microwave on a microwave safe plate on high for 2 minutes…but only if you are like me and prefer your broccoli to be slightly cooked but still firm and crunchy. If you prefer it raw you can skip that step.
  • By now your pasta should be done cooking; drain and rinse with cold water to prevent sticking and add to your aluminum tray or serving dish.
  • Add the bag of spinach to the warm pot you just removed the pasta from and put back on burner on low heat stirring occasionally to warm and wilt spinach until it shrinks to about half.
  • Add warm spinach, broccoli, and tomatoes to pasta.
  • If your sweet potatoes are cool enough, peel off the skin and chop into bite size squares. If they still feel hot please be patient and let them cool down more… you can get burned by hot potato steam. The potatoes should peel very easily with a knife now that they are cooked.
  • Add the sweet potato pieces to the pasta mixture.
  • Mix together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt and sugar in a small bowl and pour over pasta. Mix well and add ground black pepper to taste.
  • Refrigerate until ready to eat, can be made the day before.

Healthy, Sweet Potato Pasta Salad, Whole Grain, Easy

1
Share
, , ,

Standardby carynfasko2 Comments

Originally posted in April of 2015.

Sorry I wasn’t able to post last week but I was in Puerto Rico for a friends 30th birthday so I was busy doing beach things and exploring the island. Before I left I did make a really good spaghetti squash dish that I thought I could share today. It was my first experience working with spaghetti squash so I was surprised how easy and quick it was to make. I wish I had tried it sooner!

Spaghetti squash contains many important vitamins and minerals such as potassium, vitamin c, vitamin a, and dietary fiber. It also tastes great, and you can cook it in the microwave. Super easy. I know a lot of people like to substitute spaghetti squash for pasta, but that is not something I typically recommend. If you really want pasta, make pasta. Spaghetti squash is not going to cut it when you have a pasta craving. However, it is delicious so you should try it, not as a substitute, just as another food.

I typically use this recipe as a side dish, and will cook chicken or some other protein to go with it. Otherwise, I would be hungry like an hour later. You could always add some leftover diced chicken to the sauce to make this recipe more of an entrée.  Also, I bet a nice piece of crusty bread would go good with this.

Spaghetti Squash with Fresh Vegetables and Herbs

Ingredients

1 Spaghetti Squash

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

2 Cloves of Garlic, minced

1/2 Cup Diced Purple Onion

1 Cup Sliced Mushrooms

1 Cup Chopped Tomatoes

1 1/2 Tablespoons Fresh Basil, chopped

1 Tablespoon Fresh Oregano, chopped

Dash of Salt and Pepper

Directions

Rinse off spaghetti squash and poke several holes with a knife to allow steam to escape while cooking. Microwave spaghetti squash on high for 15 minutes. If your microwave doesn’t rotate make sure you turn about half way through cooking to ensure it is cooked evenly. Remove squash from microwave when finished cooking but do not attempt to cut it open yet. It will be very hot and needs to cool down for several minutes. Heat olive oil in a medium sauté pan on medium heat and add garlic and onions. Cook until onions appear translucent. Add mushrooms and tomatoes and cook for several minutes longer until vegetables are warm and mushrooms are soft and decreased in size. Mix in basil and oregano and cook for 1-2 more minutes to blend the flavors. Turn off heat and add a dash of salt and pepper if desired. Cut open spaghetti squash in half lengthwise if cool enough and remove seeds. Use a fork to scrape out strands and put each half on a plate. Top with sauce and serve.

Spaghetti Squash with Fresh Vegetables and Herbs

0
Share