Something From Nothing ~ To Go!

 

You know the feeling...you've just got a little of this and that left, and you hate to waste food. I feel your pain. Not only that ~ I have a huge problem on errand day, because I live in such a small town, that the only options for lunch are fast-food, deep-fried and unhealthy.  So, I was recently cruising through the "free" issue of a certain "club of cooking" magazine and I saw my solution staring me in the face! A mason jar salad! How unique! How healthy....how well, portable! So, here are the ingredients, including the little handful of green beans, and a few new potatoes that I needed to use up. I also subbed the mayo with the yogurt, and the kalamata olives for capers.

 

 

Red onion, salt, pepper, tarragon, green beans, grape tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, an egg, some Greek yogurt, and Dijon mustard. Vegans and vegetarians may use vegan yogurt, like So Delicious™ , or Silk™

 brands. Now, dice your potatoes, cut your green beans, and mince your garlic, and a few Tablespoons of red onion.

 

 

Simmer the cut potatoes in a pot of salted water, with the egg...they will both be done at the same time!

 

 

Now, mix the yogurt and Dijon mustard...

 

 

Add the red wine vinegar, and the pressed clove of garlic...

 

 

Now, add the tarragon and salt and pepper to taste...

 

 

Mix it all together until creamy and lovely...

 

 

It was at this point, that I decided I simply must add some dill...I loves me some dill with potato salad of any kind..

 

 

Now, pull your potatoes and hard-boiled egg about eight minutes into the process...you do not want those taters getting over cooked. In fact, run some cold water over them all..and drain..

 

Now, in that same boiling water (I pulled the potatoes and egg out with a slotted spoon), blanch the green beans for about three minutes...just until crisp-tender...

 

 

Then, drop them into some ice water, to stop the cooking, and preserve their bright green color.

 



 

Now, place the potatoes and onion into a bowl...

 

 

Add the dressing...

 

 

Mix gently, so as not to break up the potatoes...

 

 

I chopped only the egg white into small dice. That yolk has a lot of cholesterol..

 

 

Now the fun part.  Layer your green beans in the bottom of the mason jar

 



 

Then, the chopped egg (I added some salt & pepper here, too).

 

 

Then, some capers...

 

 

 

Now, load in that delicious and creamy potato salad..

 

 

Finally, add the quartered grape tomatoes...

 

 

Finally, put some plastic wrap on the top, and take with you to work, the park, school...wherever!

 

 

 

This would be great for kids (in plastic, of course) as well...I must confess, I made a smaller one in a coffee cup as I built this one, and ate it to see if it was any good. Oh.....my.....gosh! I am going to make this (with a gazillion variations on the vegetables, of course), over and over again! The creamy (but healthy) dressing coats everything, the capers and red onions give a little crunch and piquancy, and just knowing it is portable lets me know that I can eat healthy when I am out and about! Enjoy!  Eat well my friends, and stay tuned for that amazing grilled asparagus salad, and the properly built cheese board.  Love and kindness to all,

 

Pixie