Dill Potato and Pea Salad

As I mentioned at the end of my last post, Bo and I spent our Saturday afternoon (and early evening) at an a pool party!  The host asked me to bring something that I could eat, since hamburgers, hot dogs, and their respective fixings were to be the main course.  Consequently, I decided to bring something filling (so that I wouldn't be stuck eating watermelon and chips the whole afternoon), but also crowd-pleasing.

Enter: potato salad.

Before I go on, I feel like I need to acknowledge that - YES - I am aware that I have already posted two potato salad recipes on this blog; and - NO - I am not addicted to this summer picnic favorite (OK, maybe just a little bit, but it's nothing to worry about!).  It just so happens that:

• potatoes are delicious;
• almost everybody loves them; and
• there are practically endless ways to dress it up in a salad! 

If you're like me, and you love the taste of dill, then this is the potato salad for you!  Baby new potatoes really make this salad something special; but if you don't have them on hand, Russet or Idaho would work in a pinch.  The peas give it a sweet crunch, and the dill brightens everything up!  Kid-tested and mother-approved Meat-eater tested and vegan approved, this salad will leave everyone satisfied!

Dill Potato and Pea Salad
Serves 6-8

8 medium (red) New Potatoes, cubed, boiled, and drained
can of green peas, drained and rinsed (or frozen)
4 scallions, diced
1/4C veganaise (or mayonnaise)
1/2T apple cider vinegar
1/2T lemonjuice
1T water
1 tsp dried dill weed
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

• While the cubed potatoes are boiling, place the peas and scallions into a large salad bowl.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the veganaise, apple cider vinegar, lemonjuice, water, dried dill week, salt, and pepper until it reaches a smooth consistency.
• Once the potatoes are fork-tender, drain them.
• Toss the potatoes into the salad bowl with the peas and scallions.
• Pour over the dressing,
• Toss to coat.
• Refrigerate until cool.
• Serve alongside your favorite summer "fixins"!

If you still haven't had enough potato salad, feel free to check out my other two recipes:

1. Green Chile Potato Salad; and
2. Honey Dijon Potato Salad.

Next time - musings on "things that make me - and YOU - feel pretty"!

Question of the Day:


What is your favorite variation of potato salad?  Feel free to share it with me in the "Comment" section below!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Not Your Average Green Salad

Kermit the frog understood both the difficulty and the importance of being green.  In fact, he was famous for singing a song all about it(!):

It's not that easy being green,

having to spend each day the color of the leaves.

When I think it could be nicer being red, or yellow, or gold,

or something much more colorful like that.

It's not easy being green.

It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things;

and people tend to pass you over

'cause you're not standing out

like flashy sparkles in the water,

or stars in the sky.

But green's the color of spring;

and green can be cool and friendly-like.

And green can be big like a mountain,

or important like a river,

or tall like a tree.

When green is all there is to be,

it could make you wonder why.

But why wonder, why wonder?

I am green, and it'll do fine.

It's beautiful, and I think it's what I want to be.

Ok, seriously?!  

How cute are these pictures of Kermit practicing yoga?!  

I simply couldn't resist incorporating them into the post too!

Well, I, too, think green is G.R.E.A.T. - in fact it is my favorite color - and green foods are even better!

Don't believe me?!  

Just check out these two posts (here and here) for more of my green recipe extravaganza!

Last night, in honor of my favorite color, I decided to create a delicious salad using only green ingredients (except for a few of the dressing components, that is).  It turned out really well, better than expected in fact, so I knew that I had to pop in this morning to share it with you all!

Not Your Average Green Salad
Serves 2

3 large handfuls of spinach, torn
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, diced and sauteed
1 avocado, diced
1 heaping T veganaise
1 scant T Dijon mustard
1 T lime-juice
1 1/2 T water
1/2 scant tsp dried dill weed
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper

Directions:

• In a large salad bowl, mix together the spinach, scallions, and sauteed green bell pepper.
• In a small bottle or mixing bowl, shake/whisk together the veganaise, Dijon mustard, lime-juice, water, dill, salt, and pepper.
• Pour half of the dressing over the salad and mix to incorporate.
• Add the diced avocado and gently stir.
• Add more dressing, if necessary, until desired consistency is reached.
• Enjoy immediately!

Next time - all about my day at The Player's Championship golf tournament and Outfit #4!

(Yes, even though I know practically NOTHING about golf, I am going to one of the major PGA tournaments.  I was given a chance to go with my business partner for free...do you blame me?!)

Question of the Day:

What is your favorite green food (and don't say green eggs and ham...they don't exist!)?

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Rutabaga and Scallion Mash

I hadn't eaten a rutabaga for years; but last week, when I saw them sitting in the produce section of the commissary, I had a memory of eating it as a child and LOVING it.  My mom loves rutabaga, and lots of cafeteria-style restaurants in Alabama (Piccadilly, Nikki's West, etc.) offer it in the line-up.

I started to grab a bag and put a few in, when, in the back of my mind, I thought:

• mom used to tell me that rutabagas were extremely hard to peel and chop;
• it is very likely that I might lose a finger, or at least part of one, to the preparation of this vegetable; and
• it isn't a very attractive little vegetable: waxy, blemished, rough, and yellowed-brown...do I really want to eat this?!

Well, I guess my answer was yes because, I ended up picking out two medium to large sized rutabagas and placing them into our buggy (for those of you that aren't from the South, that means "shopping cart").  Once I got those two bad boys home I realized that I had no idea how to cook them.

Great.

Now I have two incredibly ugly-looking root vegetables rotting away on my counter top...and I have no idea what to do with them.

Double great.

What was I thinking?!

Thankfully, after four or five days of staring at them without any ideas, it hit me!  Everybody loves mashed potatoes, right?!  Well, what about mashed rutabaga?!  Add some Smart Balance and seasonings, and wha-la(!), these rutabagas were going to be the most delicious dish in town!

Slightly-chunky, buttery-rich, and savory-spiced, this rutabaga mash would be the perfect accompaniment to a holiday meal.  I am already planning my Thanksgiving feast this year, and you better believe that these mashed, root beauties are going to be on the menu!

Rutabaga and Scallion Mash
Serves 2

2 medium to large rutabagas, peeled and diced
1 tsp salt (plus more, to taste)
2 1/2 T Smart Balance (or butter)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 heaping tsp dried rosemary
1/4 heaping tsp dried thyme
2 scallion, diced

Directions:

• Try not to chop off any of your appendages while peeling and dicing the rutabaga! (I'm serious...this is one tough root vegetable!)
• Place the rutabaga and 1 tsp salt into a medium saucepan.
• Cover with water, boil, and then simmer for 30-35 minutes until tender.
• Drain the rutabaga, and place it into a medium mixing bowl.
• Mash roughly (I like to keep some small chunks).
• Add the pepper, rosemary, thyme, scallions, Smart Balance, and any additional salt that you would like.
• Mix to incorporate.
• Serve immediately!

Outside of being completely delicious, rutabagas also have several health benefits.  For instance, they:

• contain significant amounts of Vitamin C (up to 42% of the daily recommended dose);
• are a good source of fiber, protein, and sugars;
• contain no starch or cholesterol; and
• offer some protein.

So what are you waiting for?!  The next time you see this humble root vegetable in your produce section, DON'T HESITATE!  Just bag it up, bring it home, and get to mashing! :)

Question of the Day:

Have you ever eaten rutabaga?  If so, did you like it?!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo