Potato Salad w/Quinoa

Serves: 6-8
Prep & Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Notes: This recipe contains: Vitamins A, B-Vitamins, Vitamins C & E, protein, fibre, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, has no added sugar and (per serving) is low in salt and fat!

It’s been a while folks! Many apologies but we both have had other commitments on the go; like most people we’re finding life to be a fine balancing act!…Hopefully we can now tempt you with another delicious salad straight from our kitchen to yours; for the lovers of salads, potatoes and/or summer alike!

In short, our salad is simple, quick-ish (well, depending on how fast you can chop potatoes!), versatile and full of great flavours; enjoy it on your lunch break or at part of your next picnic or summer BBQ (as a main or side dish)! There’s no need to buy potato salad ever again (especially the ones drowned in mayo)!

It’s definitely not your typical ‘eggy mayo-based’ potato salad containing over 30 grams of fat! There’s no eggy mayo in our salad, just plenty of veggies (but we wouldn’t have it any other way!), along with some quinoa for additional substance and a delicious nutty taste!

Yes, we were never big fans of ‘authentic mayo’…but the store-bought dairy-free (DF) versions don’t rock our world either! Our DF mayo is tangy, creamy and easily adjusted to suit your personal taste. Try experimenting with different milks, nuts and oils; perhaps a tahini or avocado based dressing is more your thing?! It’s worth noting that some combinations work better than others; we’ve previously made this ‘mayo’ with flaxseed oil…and unless you like it’s distinct and strong flavour, we wouldn’t recommend it (save it for your soups, curries and smoothies instead)!

Happy summer solstice everyone; we hope that you’re all having a great weekend! 😀 #longestdayoftheyear #13weeksofglorioussummertogo

Ingredients:

Directions:

Place the cashews into a bowl of cold water. Allow them to soak.

In the meantime, place the quinoa into a sieve. Rinse it under cold water for 30 seconds. Cook it according to the packet instructions and then allow to cool.

Ours took 15 mins. 🙂

Wash and quarter the potatoes.

Place them into a large sauepan full of cold water. Add a little salt (if desired). Cover with a lid. Bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cook for approx. 6-8 minutes or until just ‘fork ready’. Drain in a large colander. Allow to cool slightly. NB: Please be vigilant! If your potatoes become too soft…you’ll end up having to make ‘mashed potato salad’!

In the meantime, peel and dice the shallots. Wash the bell pepper, remove the core and then finely chop it. Wash, trim the ends and finely dice the celery.

Wash, peel trim the ends and then grate the carrot. Wash and dice the cucumber.

Wash, trim the ends and finely slice the spring onion.

Wash, dry and remove the coriander leaves from the stem; finely chop.

Place a large non-stick frying water over a medium-low heat. Add 1-2 tbsp. of water. When it begins to bubble…

…add the shallot, bell pepper and celery.

Stir together. Cover with a lid. Steam-fry for about 4-5 minutes or until tender. Stir it occasionally; add more water as necessary. Remove from the heat.

If necessary, transfer the vegetables into a sieve and drain off any excess water.

Meanwhile, prepare the dairy-free mayo! Drain the cashews. Place them into a blender. Add the milk and the yoghurt.

Blend until smooth.

Add the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard powder and paprika. Season it to taste with the some black pepper.

Blend until combined. Pour in the oil whilst the blender is still running. Blend until it’s thick, creamy and thoroughly combined. Scrape the sides down with a silicone spatula before pouring it over the salad.

Salad Assembly!

Place the potatoes into a large resealable container or serving bowl (as appropriate).

Add the shallots, bell pepper, celery, carrot, cucumber half of the spring onion and parsley (reserve a little for a garnish if desired).

Pour over the ‘mayo’.

Using a spatula, gently fold the ingredients through the ‘mayo’ until coated. Taste and season as necessary.

Add the quinoa.

Gently fold it through the salad. Add a bit more yoghurt if a ‘wetter’ mixture is desired.Top with the remaining spring onion and a sprinkle of paprika (*optional).

Now it’s ready to be stored in the fridge (if applicable) or taken to your next family BBQ or picnic! …Along with those Baked Beans! 🙂

Serve a portion…

…garnished with some parsley (if desired!).

Enjoy!

Leftovers!

We added a lot more yoghurt the next day as the quinoa absorbed some of the ‘mayo’ overnight! NB: We also added some fresh dill into this batch; it made a very tasty but almost ‘Russian/Polish’ type salad! Yum! 🙂