Well the unofficial start of summer is rapidly approaching. Memorial Day is always a great weekend to catch up with friends and family and do some serious cooking out. But before we get to the yummy stuff, just a little reminder of what this holiday is supposed to be about. We pay our respects to those who have given their lives in military service, keeping our country safe.
"Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (May 30 in 2011). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. soldiers who died while in the military service.[1] First enacted to honor Union and Confederate soldiers following the American Civil War,[2] it was extended after World War I to honor Americans who have died in all wars.
Memorial Day often marks the start of the summer vacation season, and Labor Day its end.
Begun as a ritual of remembrance and reconciliation after the civil war, by the early 20th century, Memorial Day was an occasion for more general expressions of memory, as ordinary people visited the graves of their deceased relatives, whether they had served in the military or not. It also became a long weekend increasingly devoted to shopping, family get-togethers, fireworks, trips to the beach, and national media events such as the Indianapolis 500 (since 1911) and the Coca-Cola 600 (since 1960) auto races.[3](from Wikipedia)"
Now on to the serious eating part.....
A good number of us will be grilling something if weather permits......
And to go with all that grilled goodness, some healthified recipes for a favorite accompaniment to any cookout.....potato salad!
Eating Well Magazine
Roasted Garlic Potato Salad
10 servings, 1 cup each
Active Time: 1 1/4 hours
Total Time: 2 hours
Nutrition Profile
Low calorie | Low saturated fat | Heart healthy | Healthy weight | High potassium | Gluten free |
Ingredients
2 large heads garlic
3 pounds medium red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/3 cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled (see Tip)
1 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped olives
1 4-ounce jar sliced pimientos, rinsed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus sprigs for garnish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, or scallion greens, plus more for garnish
Paprika, for garnish
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Rub off excess papery skin from the garlic heads without separating cloves. Slice the tips off each head, exposing the cloves. Place garlic heads on a square of aluminum foil, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon water and pinch edges of foil together to make a package. Roast until garlic flesh is very soft, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Unwrap garlic and let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Cook, covered, over medium heat until potatoes are tender, 7 to 9 minutes. Drain well; transfer to a large bowl. Toss gently with the vinegar and let cool.
When garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the pulp into a food processor or blender. Add mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper; blend until smooth.
Add the dressing to the potatoes and toss to coat. Finely chop 3 eggs and add to the potatoes along with the celery, olives, pimientos, parsley and chopped chives (or scallion greens). Stir gently to mix. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with the paprika. Slice the remaining egg and arrange the slices decoratively on top. Garnish with more chives and/or parsley sprigs.
Tips & Notes
Tip: To hard-boil eggs: Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook at the barest simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, pour out hot water and run a constant stream of cold water over the eggs until completely cooled.
Nutrition
Per serving: 223 calories; 7 g fat ( 1 g sat , 1 g mono ); 77 mg cholesterol; 33 g carbohydrates; 7 g protein; 3 g fiber; 561 mg sodium; 751 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (33% daily value), Potassium (21% dv)
Carbohydrate Servings: 2
Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch,1 vegetable,1 1/2 fat
Eating Well Magazine
Creamy Potato Salad
12 servings, 1/2 cup each
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 1/4 hours (including 1/2 hour chilling time)
Nutrition Profile
Diabetes appropriate | Low calorie | Low carbohydrate | Low cholesterol | Low saturated fat | Low sodium | Heart healthy | Healthy weight | Gluten free |
View Our Nutrition Guidelines »
Ingredients
2 large eggs
1 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes, or other small waxy thin-skinned potatoes (about 10), scrubbed
1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise, or soy mayonnaise
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar, or rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup chopped celery, (1-2 stalks)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons diced gherkin pickles
2 tablespoons drained capers, rinsed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
Preparation
Hard-cook eggs (see Tip). Peel eggs and chop coarsely.
Meanwhile, place potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with lightly salted water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook, covered, until just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain; let cool for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, oil, anchovy paste and pepper in a small bowl until smooth.
Cut potatoes into cubes and place in a large bowl. Add vinegar and salt; toss gently to coat. Add bell pepper, onion, celery, parsley, gherkins, capers, chives, chopped eggs and the mayonnaise mixture; toss to coat well. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes.
Tips & Notes
Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
To Make Hard-Cooked Eggs: Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook at the barest simmer for 10 minutes. Pour off hot water and run cold water over the eggs until completely cooled. To peel, crack the shell, then roll egg between your palms to loosen shell. Peel, starting at the large end. Rinse under cold water or dip in water to remove bits of shell.
Nutrition
Per serving: 119 calories; 5 g fat ( 1 g sat , 2 g mono ); 40 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 4 g protein; 1 g fiber; 321 mg sodium; 97 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: 42 mg Vitamin C (70% dv), 20% dv Vitamin A.
Carbohydrate Servings: 1
Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 fat
From EatingWell Magazine
Eating Well Magazine
Country Potato Salad
8 servings, about 1 cup each
Active Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Nutrition Profile
Diabetes appropriate | Low calorie | Low cholesterol | Low saturated fat | Low sodium | Heart healthy | Healthy weight | High potassium | Gluten free |
View Our Nutrition Guidelines »
Ingredients
2 pounds small potatoes, preferably heirloom
1 cup chopped celery
2 ounces smoked ham, sliced into strips
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, or scallions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, or dill
3/4 cup nonfat buttermilk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon peanut or canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 large hard-boiled eggs, (see Tip), peeled and coarsely chopped
Preparation
Place potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook, partially covered, until just tender, 12 to 20 minutes, depending on their size. Drain and let cool for about 15 minutes.
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, taste a bit of potato skin—if it’s bitter or tough, peel the potatoes. Otherwise, leave the skins on. Cut the potatoes into bite-size pieces and put them in a large salad bowl.
Add celery, ham, parsley, chives (or scallions) and mint (or dill) to the potatoes. Toss to combine. Add buttermilk, lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper; stir to combine. Gently stir in chopped egg. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Tips & Notes
Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
Tip: To hard-boil eggs: Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook at the barest simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, pour out hot water and cover the eggs with cold water. Let stand until cool enough to handle before peeling.
Nutrition
Per serving: 138 calories; 4 g fat ( 1 g sat , 2 g mono ); 58 mg cholesterol; 20 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 6 g protein; 2 g fiber; 272 mg sodium; 643 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (25% daily value), Potassium (18% dv).
Carbohydrate Servings: 1
Exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 lean meat, 1 fat
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