Potato Salad with no Mayo

Potato Salad

By looking at this picture, I’m sure you realize this is not your typical drowned in mayo potato salad that notoriously shows up at a summer barbecue or someone brings to a party. I hate mayo – absolutely hate it. 

So that being said, you will never see any of that on here!

This particular salad is usually served cold, but that doesn't mean that you can’t heat it up in the pan and serve it as breakfast potatoes. It’s super versatile! I've even been caught throwing it on naan bread with some roasted veggies and smothering it with cheese (of which I highly suggest you do).

Anyway, as you compile this recipe and mix it together, you will notice that the natural starches from the potato will break off from the main cube and act as a binder for the salad. I also chose to leave the skin on for this application. The skin of the potato is full of additional nutrients and if you wash it properly, it’s tasty – not dirty.

Ingredients:

8 Yukon gold potatoes

6 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 medium onion (diced small)

1 stalk celery (diced small)

1/2 green pepper (diced small)

½ pickled Anaheim pepper

Juice and zest 1 lemon

¼ cup of chopped (chiffonade) parsley

1 tsp sweet smoked paprika

2 tsp Dijon mustard

Salt

Pepper

Directions:

1. Put potatoes in a pot big enough that water will cover all the potatoes by at least an inch.
2. Salt the water to the point where it tastes close to the ocean.
3. Put the flame on high and bring to a boil.
4. Continue to boil until a fork can break apart the potatoes.
5. Remove potatoes and let them cool (you can do this the day/night before).
6. Dice potatoes and transfer into a mixing bowl.
7. Add remaining ingredients to a mixing bowl with potatoes.
8. Once incorporated, allow to sit for one hour, mixing occasionally.

Ramp Whipped Skin-On Root Vegetables

This will probably be the easiest thing you can possibly make that I have written so far. I figured it was time for an easy recipe that requires little time to prepare, while still being a crowd-pleaser. Spring is in full swing and there are all kinds of goodness to go around. This low-calorie and complex carbohydrate recipe will really allow you to see the hearty beauty that spring has to offer.  This is a large yield recipe meant to be utilized later. If you scale back, just keep the ratio in mind. This isn’t an exact recipe by any measure.

If you do not have ramps, substitute the bulbs and stems with 4 cloves garlic (roasted preferred if you have it); and 3 scallion greens cut thin. 

How to utilize:

I chose to serve this hot on a spoon as passed Hors D’oeuvre. Mashed potato bars have been trendy for a bit, so it’s nothing to impress your friends with this dish and pipe it on a spoon with a pastry bag.

You can also serve this family style, I would garnish with thinly sliced ramp leaves or some kind of green oil.

This can also be flipped into a basis for potato pancakes. Add some onion, pepper, celery and thicken with flour or quinoa flour until thick enough to form a loose ball. Form cake size patties and sear in hot pan with olive oil. These go great with breakfast or as a salad topper. However, for the salad topper, I would say to skip the flour and form a loose patty and sear it; if it falls apart, think of it as less fork work.

Ingredients:

3 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes

2 lbs. Parsnips

2 lbs. Turnips

2 lbs. Carrot

3 lbs. Sweet Potato

6 Ramps (with leaves cut off and reserved to the side)

4 Tbls. Olive oil

1 Tbls Coconut oil

Directions:

1. Cut all ingredients in half long-ways. DO NOT PEAL! (but take the tops off)
2. Cut into half-inch sections (large dice).
3. Place in pot with enough water to cover the top of product.
4. Bring to a boil. Allow to cook until fork tender.
5. Strain ingredients and put back into pot.
6. Sweat chopped ramp bulbs and stems in 1 Tbs Olive oil until translucent. Transfer to pot.
7. Add chiffonade (thin slice) of remaining ramp leaves into mixture.
8. Add 2 Tbs Olive oil and 1 Tbs. Coconut Oil to mixture.
9. Using a hand mixer, whip ingredients until incorporated.
10. Season with salt and pepper to taste.