Daring Cooks Potato Salad

Blog-checking lines: Jami Sorrento was our June Daring Cooks hostess and she chose to challenge us to celebrate the humble spud by making a delicious and healthy potato salad. The Daring Cooks Potato Salad Challenge was sponsored by the nice people at the United States Potato Board, who awarded prizes to the top 3 most creative and healthy potato salads. A medium-size (5.3 ounce) potato has 110 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, no sodium and includes nearly half your daily value of vitamin C and has more potassium than a banana!

***This post won 3rd place in the Daring Cook's contest hosted by the United States Potato Board***

I could not have been more excited about this month's daring cooks challenge. I love potaotoes, and generally hate potato salad. The cold, creamy, mayoed up stuff hardly tastes like the glorious root vegetable that is it's chief ingredient. So as I was looking through diverse and mouthwatering potato salads in the daring kitchen, I realized, just becasue that thick mayo version is what I first think of when someone says potato salad, doesn't mean that is the only one. So I set out to make a completely delicious, non-creamy, warm potato salad, and the resulting recipe is simple, fresh, healthy and absolutely delicious.

Grilled Potato Salad:
4 medium-large red potatoes
1 bunch of asparagus
1 medium shallot
4 tsp of olive oil, divided
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp champangne vinegar
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes.
Plus additional salt and pepper

Chop potatoes into 1 inch chunks. Fill a pot with water and season with salt. Bring water to a boil and add potatoes. Cook until just tender, about 10 minutes. Let potatoes cool, or chill briefly, until they are around room temperature. Pre-heat the grill. Season potatoes with salt, pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, add 2 teaspoons of olive oil and toss to coat. Cook the potatoes in a foil packet, or a vegetable basket on the grill until golden and cooked through. In the mean time, cut the ends off the asparagus and toss with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and salt and pepper. Place asaparagus on a vegetable griller, or directly on the grill and grill until slightly charred, about 8 minutes. Remove potatoes from grill and put in a large bowl. Chop cooked asparagus into 1 inch pieces and add to the bowl as well. Whisk together the remaining teaspoon of olive oil, the mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Pour the dressing over the warm potatoes and asparagus and toss to coat. Serve warm.

Happy Eating