Cranberries can be enjoyed year-round as dried cranberries are accessible and add a delightfully sweet-tart taste to your recipes, including a picnic standard — potato salad.
I adapted the following recipe from the Cranberry Marketing Committee and because the dressing is so easy, tasty (a delightful combination of yogurt, low fat mayo, vinegar, cranberries and hot pepper sauce), and adaptable, it can be used for various types of salad. I think next time, I’ll use it for an egg or tofu salad!
Cranberry & Cucumber Green Bean Potato Salad
Yield: 6 servings
BTW: This would make a great side dish for your Summer BBQ’s!
Ingredients
8 oz. small red or yellow-skinned potatoes (I used a Sweet Potato)
½ cup nonfat plain Greek-style yogurt
2 Tbsp. reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. white balsamic or cider vinegar
½ tsp. hot red pepper sauce (I added a sprinkling of red pepper flakes, too)
⅓ cup dried cranberries
1 cup diced chopped lightly steamed green beans (the original recipe called for diced cucumber but I didn’t have any)
¼ cup pistachios (the original recipe called for 1/4 cup of chopped scallions)
Directions
1. Wash potatoes and boil with skin on for 15-20 minutes or until almost tender. Remove from heat and drain. Cool. Cut into cubes and set aside.
2. In a bowl, whisk together yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar and pepper sauce. Stir in cranberries and let stand 20 minutes to soften cranberries slightly.
3. Stir potatoes, cucumber and scallions and green beans into yogurt-cranberry mixture and toss to coat. Adjust seasoning as needed. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Then garnish with roasted pistachios.
Mix it up! Switch out cucumber for diced apple or pear (or green beans or garbanzo beans), or try it garnished with chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts.
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Nutrition Information Per Serving: Calories 70, Calories from Fat 10, Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g, Total Fat 1g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 70mg, Total Carbohydrate 14g, Sugars 6g, Dietary Fiber 1g, Protein 3g, Vitamin A 2%, Vitamin C 8%, Calcium 4%, Iron 2%
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Tasty Tidbits about the Tiny, Tart Cranberry
· Cranberry products are naturally low in sugar and high in acidity (very similar to a lemon!) so they require sweetening to be palatable—but when it comes to dried cranberries, the total amount of sugar is equal to that of other dried fruits, like raisins and dried cherries.
· Drinking 8–16 oz. of 27% original, low- or no-calorie cranberry juice cocktail each day is recommended to maintain urinary tract health and prevent urinary tract infections.
· One-quarter cup of dried cranberries is equal to ½ cup of fruit, according to MyPlate.
Thank you Cranberry Institute for your “tool kit” and thank you Cranberry Marketing Committee this yummy recipe.
Filed under: diet, healthy lifestyles, Nutri-Savvy, nutrition, Recipes, Simple Meals
