Montana Carol's Potato Salad

In our travels this summer and fall, we have had the opportunity to reconnect with friends from years past. Since Facebook was not available during the time we were busy raising kids and working, we didn't have contact with a few folks who, for one reason or another, were not in our daily lives anymore. It has been so, so fun to rekindle some old friendships and I am awed that people took time to see us in the middle of their busy lives! Jim and Carol were one wonderful couple who went out of their way to show us the gorgeous area around Missoula, Montana.

Missoula, the home of the University of Montana, has lots of things to do and see. It's rich in history and scenery. One thing I really enjoyed was going to the Saturday morning farmer's market. I had a ball seeing all the varied produce. Later that evening we met up again with Carol and Jim for dinner at their house. Carol had made a really different but absolutely delicious potato salad from stuff she had gotten at the market. It had radishes as well as green onions in it, and it's just too good not to share! I think it would be perfect to pack in an iced down cooler for a tailgate!

Montana Carol's Potato Salad

Ingredients for Eight Servings:

4 medium red skinned potatoes
4 eggs
1/4 cup chopped radishes
1 bunch green onions, roots removed and sliced
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Miracle Whip Salad Dressing
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Wash the potatoes, trim off any bad spots, puncture them several times with a fork,  Microwave them five minutes, then turn them over and microwave five more minutes. They should pierce easily with a fork. Allow them to cool for a few minutes and then peel off the skin. Chop them into cubes and allow them to fully cool down. (I actually placed them in the freezer for a few minutes to speed up the process)
While the potatoes are cooking in the microwave, hard boil the eggs. Place them in a small pan and cover them with water. Turn the stove on high and set the timer for 20 minutes. Once the pan has reached a boil, turn down the heat just a notch, but leave the timer alone. When the timer goes off, run the eggs under cold water to cool them down. Then peel the shells off while the eggs are still warm. Chop the eggs and allow them to cool completely. (I placed them in the refrigerator.)
Once the potatoes and eggs have cooled,  place them in a serving bowl with the cut up the radishes and sliced green onions. Add the mayonnaise, Miracle Whip, mustard, salt, and pepper. Gently stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Swap a Sandwich for a Power Salad!

Quinoa & Edamame 

Mediterranean Lentil

Black Rice & Chickpea Salad

This past summer we traveled around the western United States in our motor home. I had been to Colorado over 30 years ago and to California in recent years, but in both cases I flew by plane. I really had no idea how breathtaking the terrain of North & South Dakota, Wyoming, and especially Montana is. We tried to hit every major tourist spot in our path and visited the iconic national parks of Theodore Roosevelt, Glacier, and Yellowstone. (For commentary & pics visit Yates RV Adventures) Roy and I would get up in the morning, pack a lunch, jump in the little red jeep we tow, and head out for a day of discovery. After a while, I found myself getting pretty tired of sandwiches. The processed meat we were buying from Walmart and the bread surrounding it probably wasn't too healthy and I felt myself getting a bit more fluffy than I felt comfortable with! A chit chat with my friend Kathy back home gave me the idea of packing a power salad to put in the cooler instead of a sandwich. She was asking about a good dressing to put on quinoa and the three favorites I gave her are in this post. It actually wasn't hard to take one of these power bowls with us while we saw the sights; I just quickly cooked some kind of grain while we were eating breakfast and assembled the salad in the time it took to make a sandwich. As you can see, the variations are endless - the recipe for the ones I've most enjoyed are below.

Start with a grains or legume.

Clock wise from the bottom - black rice, red lentils, black lentils, brown lentils and quinoa.

Perhaps add a canned legume.

Clockwise from the bottom- chick peas, black beans, and cannellini beans

Quinoa and Edamame Salad - Serves Four

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
1 cup frozen, shelled edamame
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 cucumber, quartered and sliced
2 cups mixed greens such as spinach and arugula, washed and drained
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

Rinse and drain in a fine mesh strainer quinoa it is not already pre-washed. Place in pan and cover with 2/3 more water than the level it reaches in the pan. Bring to a boil, cover, and lower heat to let it gently simmer for 20 minutes. It is done when "tail" is visible and it is soft to the bite.All the water should be absorbed but if not, leave it behind when removing from the pan.
Place into bowl and add all the remaining ingredients except the greens and gently toss.
To serve, divide greens among four salad bowls. Evenly spoon quinoa mixture on top of each portion.

Mediterranean Lentil Salad - Serves Four

Ingredients:

1 cup lentils
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1 cup diced bell pepper: any combination of green, red, yellow
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 cups spinach leaves, washed and drained
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

Using a strainer wash and drain lentils. Pick out anything that doesn't look like a lentil. Place in pan and cover with 2/3 more water than the level it reaches in the pan. Bring to a boil, cover, and lower heat to let it gently simmer for 20 minutes. They are done when soft to bite, but not mushy.
Leaving any extra liquid behind, place in a bowl along with bell pepper and green onions.  Set aside. Whisk together oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Pour enough of the resulting dressing over the lentil mixture to coat it well. Divide the spinach leaves between four serving bowls. Spoon the lentils evenly over the spinach and top each serving with two tablespoons of crumbled feta.

Black Rice and Chickpea Salad - Serves Four

Ingredients:

1 cup black rice
1 (16 oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 ripe avocado, skin removed and chopped
2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half if large
1/2 large cucumber, sliced and quartered
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

Place rice in pan and cover with 2/3 more water than the level it reaches in the pan. Bring to a boil, cover, and lower heat to let it gently simmer for 20 minutes. It is done when soft to bite, but not mushy. Leaving any extra water behind, place rice into bowl and add all the remaining ingredients except the greens and gently toss.
To serve, divide greens among four salad bowls. Evenly spoon rice mixture on top of each portion.