power-packed potatoes

Greetings from the Land of 10,000 Lakes! I’m back in the Midwest for a visit. One wedding down, one to go. My husband stayed behind to take care of the cats (thanks, honey!) so I’m on my own this trip and staying with my parents. While I’m hoping to eke a few posts out of the trip, I haven’t done much cooking. Tonight I contributed some sauteed bok choy to dinner, but it was not photogenic.

Before I left, however, I made a really tasty quick dinner for myself.

Is it potato salad if it’s warm? Whatever it is, it’s good. It hit the spot when I was feeling a little hungry but for substantial food. The heartiness of the starchy potatoes is balanced with a tangy lemon dressing and crunchy celery, with some ribbons of chard tossed in for good measure. I felt nourished but not over-full, and there was no mayo in sight.

In my health coaching program we just had a section which focused on raw food diets (the program doesn’t recommend a single approach, so we cover dozens of dietary theories to learn their reasoning and methods). Raw foodists claim that heating foods over 118 degrees Fahrenheit destroys enzymes in the food which make them more nutritious and bio-available. They advocate sprouted grains and lots of blender “cooking” along with some antioxidant-rich “superfoods” for the diet.

My stove isn’t going away anytime soon, but some of the principles aren’t bad. This dish has a few raw components (chard and celery) to add flavor, texture, and vitamins to the cooked potatoes. The contrast turned out to be quite nice. I wanted something that came together fast, too, so I cut the potatoes into smaller pieces so they would cook in less time. Overall? Pleased.

Power-Packed Potatoes

Yields 2 servings

It’s best to use organic waxy potatoes and leave the skin on. I also recommend using organic lemons since the zest goes in the dish, too.

Ingredients:

• 4 medium-sized waxy potatoes (red or Yukon gold)
• 4 chard leaves
• 2-3 stalks celery
• juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper
• minced chives for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Cut each potato in half, then cut in half in quarters. Place potatoes in a lidded pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook 8-10 minutes until potatoes are easily pierced with a knife. Drain.
2. While potatoes are cooking, remove the stems from the chard leaves. Roll the leaves tightly into a cigar shape and slice crosswise into thin ribbons.
3. Combine lemon juice, zest, and mustard in a bowl. Whisk together. While whisking, drizzle in olive oil until it forms an emulsion. Add chard and toss until mixed.
4. Dice celery. Add drained potatoes and celery to chard. Mix until evenly coated. Let stand 5-10 minutes.
5. Top with a sprinkle of salt, a grind of pepper, and minced chives if you have them.

Tagged as: celery, chard, potatoes, quick