Fingerling Potato & Lentil Salad (vegan & gluten-free)

Recipe from This Savory Vegan
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes 5 servings

This Fingerling Potato & Lentil Salad is a beautiful salad, good enough for company.
 
For the Potatoes
1 pound fingerling potatoes (The colorful ones are especially nice.)
2 Tablespoons olive oil (To cut back on fat, lightly spray olive oil over the potatoes.)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add the potatoes to a stock pot and cover with water. Place on the stove and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cook for 5 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let them cool for a couple minutes.
Cut any of the larger potatoes in half lengthwise - leave the smaller ones intact. Place them on the prepared baking sheet with the oil and dry seasonings. Toss to coat and place in the oven for 25 minutes, flipping after 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

For the Dressing (This was the dressing in the original recipe.  I didn’t wish to use so much oil, so I used Trader Joe’s Green Goddess Dressing to lightly dress the salad.  I don’t know why you couldn’t use your favorite dressing in this salad.)
½ cup olive oil
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1-3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar to taste
2 cloves garlic minced
2 Tablespoons chives finely chopped
1 lemon, juiced
¼ teaspoon pepper

While the potatoes are cooking, add all of the dressing ingredients to a bowl and mix to combine - it might taste extra tart, but try to avoid adjusting the flavors, once tossed with everything as they will mellow out.

For the Salad
2 cups fresh kale, stems removed and chopped (I used baby kale as it’s more tender.  You could use any of your favorite greens for this salad.)
2½ cups cooked lentils, chilled (I like to use French lentils for salad recipes.)
½ red onion thinly sliced (I used Sumac Onion Salad for an even better flavor pop!)
2 small avocados, sliced
Fresh chives, sliced, for serving

Add the lentils, kale and dressing to a large bowl and toss to combine. Place in the fridge until the potatoes are ready.
Add the potatoes, red onion & avocado to the kale/lentils and gently toss. Taste and adjust the dressing as needed - you can add more lemon juice, olive oil, salt or pepper. Plate the salad and top with more chives.

Nutritional Information: (1 of 5 servings) Calories: 510kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 34g

Cheesy Chili Oil-Free French Fries (Vegan)

 

Recipe from Minimalist Baker

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Serves 6

In an effort to reduce the amount of oil we consume on a daily basis, I'm playing with sautéing and roasting without oil.  I tested this recipe by one of my favorite bloggers, Minimalist Baker.  It's a keeper for sure.  I honestly don't see why I need to use oil to make roasted potato fries anymore.  These came out VERY crispy and flavorful, worthy of company.  

2 1/2 - 3 lbs. yellow potatoes (I used fingerling potatoes.)

Water (for steaming)

3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon chili powder (I used Trader Joe's Chili Seasoning Blend.)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Dash cayenne pepper, optional

Preheat the oven to 425 F.  Rinse the potatoes clean.  Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone liner.  Slice potatoes lengthwise into small wedges (about 1/4 - 1/2 inch wide.) Place a steamer basket into a pot with about 1-inch boiling water.  Cover and steam for 5 minutes or until the potatoes are slightly tender, but not cooked.  Transfer the potatoes to the baking sheet.  Top with the spice mixture.  Toss gently to coat.  Spread out the potatoes in a single layer so that they do not touch one another.  (You may need to use a second sheet pan to do this.  It's very important to keep space between the potato wedges for them to become crispy.) Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven.  Set the oven to 450 F.  Flip the potatoes over to ensure even baking.  Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.  Serve hot!  Store any leftovers covered in the fridge up to 4 days reheating at 375 F until hot.

**Note:  According to the original recipe, these potato fries were only 64 calories per serving, but when I checked on Very Well Fit's Nutritional Recipe Calculator, the calorie amount for 1 of 6 servings was 171.  

Warm Lentil and Potato Salad

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Yield:  4 main dish servings/6 side dish servings

As you can see, this salad is just stunningly beautiful. The recipe says to serve it warm, which I did, but it would also make a fabulous addition to any party table served at room temperature.  The hubby and I had it cold for lunch the next day and it was delish. It’s important to use the small green lentils, like French lentils, because they will keep their shape and have the perfect bite for a salad like this one.  “Regular” lentils will more or less turn to mush, which is good for soup, but not for salad.  Whether lentils are red, green, brown, or French, adding them to your regular diet is a great thing.  They have tons of fiber and will make you feel full and satisfied. 

2 large shallots, peeled, 1 halved, 1 finely diced (I used 1 red onion)

4 sprigs of fresh thyme (I used 1 heaping teaspoon dried thyme.)

1 small bay leaf

1 cup dry small green lentils (I used French lentils.)

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Water

1 lb. fingerling potatoes (Baby red potatoes would be fine as well.)

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon smooth Dijon mustard

¼ cup good quality olive oil

2 teaspoons capers, rinsed if salted, drained if brined, and roughly chopped

2 Tablespoons cornichons or other sour gherkins (pickles), roughly chopped

2 scallions, thinly sliced

½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley, divided

Cook the Lentils:  Pick over and rinse the lentils.  Place them in a medium saucepan with the halved shallot, thyme, bay leaf, a pinch of salt, and 4 cups water.  Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat to a simmer.  Simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, until firm-tender.  Drain, discarding the shallot, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf.  Keep warm.

Cook the Potatoes:  In a separate saucepan, cover the potatoes with 1 to 2 inches of water.  Bring the potatoes to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer the potatoes until they can easily be pierced with a fork. Check after 10 minutes and then keep checking until done. (They shouldn’t be mushy.)

Prepare the Dressing:  While the lentils and potatoes are cooking, prepare the dressing.  First, place the minced shallot in the bottom of a small bowl with the red wine vinegar.  Allow it to sit for 5 minutes.  Whisk in the garlic, Dijon, a pinch of Kosher salt, a few grinds of pepper, and the olive oil.  Stir in the capers, cornichon, and scallions.

Assemble the Salad:  Slice the warm potatoes into ½ inch segments and place in a serving bowl or platter.  Add the lentils, dressing and all but 1 Tablespoon parsley.  Toss gently.  Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed.  Scatter the remaining parsley over the salad and serve.

Nutritional Info:  By my calculations, 1 of 4 main dish servings equals 400 calories and 17.6 grams fiber.  1 or 6 side dish servings equals 267 calories and 11.8 grams fiber.