Even though all the kids seem to be back in school already, I refuse to believe that summer is already over. We have 90’s in the forecast for the next week and no, I don’t want any pumpkin spice yet! Anyone else with me?!
When I lived in California I always looked forward to fall. But now that I live in the Pacific Northwest? Um, no. As soon as fall hits I won’t know when I’ll get to see my best friend (the sun) again. The days will get shorter, darker, cloudier and it will rain constantly. I DO love the holidays though, so a little part of me does want winter. But a Californian who loves the sun living in the Pacific Northwest is a bad combo. Sidenote: we’re planning on moving back!
All the whining to say that I have a wonderful, summery recipe for you! Introducing Creamy Lemon + Cilantro Potato Salad. It’s lemony. It’s cilantro-y. It’s potato-y… have I gone too far? To sum up – it tastes as amazing as it sounds! And it only gets better with time.
It’s perfect for a BBQ or weekend football games. You can make it the day (or morning of) and when it’s time to eat, you get to plate it and enjoy! Ahhhhh.
I’ve made this with white sweet potatoes, but this combo really shines with russets. Trust me. It also pairs super well with anything you cook on the BBQ!
Here’s what you need to make the magic happen (including a shocker ingredient!):
Potato
Eggplant (shocker)
Garlic
Red bell pepper
Red pepper flakes, optional
Cilantro
Lemon juice
Homemade mayo
Why eggplant? Why the heck not! This is one vegetable that just six months ago I would’ve told you I didn’t like. But then Italy happened. They served eggplant everywhere and they sure do know how to cook their eggplant!
In this recipe, the eggplant is not key. You could do without it and the potato salad would still be scrumptious, but you really should include it! It adds wonderful dimension and flavor, PLUS an extra bonus of more veggies. For a complete plate, I would have my starch and fat (this potato salad), a protein, and a hefty portion of veggies. But since the potato salad already has veggies in it, I might forego the extra veggies. Or I might just do a small salad. But really, you do you.
Nutrition
Now I know you must be thinking, Jessica, potatoes are a CARB. In our keto-friendly society, carbs are all that is evil in the world and there’s no way there are attainable nutrients or any benefit from potatoes. I’m here to tell you that you’re dead wrong!
Potatoes are chock full of nutrients, including potassium (almost 900mg in one potato!), magnesium, manganese, iron and zinc! They also contain quite a few phytonutrients. Additionally, potatoes are about 10% protein. If there was only one food that you could eat for the rest of time, potatoes should be your number one choice because they contain almost everything you need to survive. It wouldn’t be perfect, but you’d live!
Russet potatoes will trigger insulin, so you need to make sure you’re always consuming with a fat to anchor and slow sugar release. The mayo in this recipe is all fat and provides the perfect anchor. Sweet potatoes have a relatively low glycemic index and won’t raise your insulin levels that much, but I still recommend consuming with a little fat.
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- 2.5 cups of diced eggplant (1 inch cubes), roughly ⅓ pound
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 pounds potato, or 3 medium
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 red bell pepper, minced
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ cup minced cilantro
- 1.5 lemons, juiced
- ½ red onion, diced
- One batch homemade mayo
- 1 cup avocado oil
- 1 pastured egg
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ lemon
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Make sure the oil is evenly distributed throughout the pan. I recommend using a paper towel to help spread the oil around. Sprinkle the eggplant liberally with salt, then add to the hot pan. Once you have the eggplant situated, don't touch it for about five minutes. Using tongs, check one or two to see if they're lightly browned. When they are, flip the eggplant cubes over and allow to saute for about five more minutes. Remove from heat and add cooked eggplant to a large bowl.
- While the eggplant is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Peel and dice the potatoes into one inch cubes. When the water starts boiling, add the potatoes. After ten minutes, start piercing the potatoes with a fork to see if they're cooked. Once cooked, drain the water and add the potatoes to the bowl with the eggplant.
- Once the eggplant and potatoes have cooled, add the garlic powder, minced red bell pepper, red pepper flakes, minced cilantro, lemon juice, red onion and homemade mayo. Mix well and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add all mayo ingredients to a tall mason jar. Emulsify. If you don't have a stick blender, refer to this post for other options.