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Chilled Zucchini Basil Soup with Lemon Garlic Cream
This Chilled Zucchini Basil Soup with Lemon Garlic Cream is a summertime dream dish. Great as a starter or add your favorite protein for a perfect, super quick one-bowl meal.
Well, it’s that time again. Zucchini season. The abundance of my favorite veggie at the grocery, farmers markets and home gardens everywhere, means a new year to get creative and find new ways to cook up this tasty little green squash.
I personally find zucchini to be incredibly versatile, stepping in as noodles like spaghetti or fettucini or even rice noodles in Pad Thai. It works well in desserts like cookies or muffins, it makes amazing savory fritters, shoot it’s even amazing in smoothies.
I really enjoy pureeing raw or slightly cooked zucchini, as it brings a really hearty creaminess without the need for dairy, dairy alternatives or nuts.
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Creamy Tomato Tikka Masala Soup {dairy-free}
This Creamy Tomato Tikka Masala Soup is the ultimate in flavor. With aromatic spices in a creamy, rich tomato broth it’s the perfect comfort food.
I refuse to subscribe to the notion that there is a “Soup Season”. Sure, winter and fall are much more conducive to warming, comforting bowls of the steamy stuff, but there is something so cozy about soup and it can often make for a nice, one pot, fuss free meal, no matter the season.
As a lover of all things Indian-spiced I am constantly experimenting with dishes that are inspired by those very distinct spice blends. Since my husband is the exact opposite and prefers to avoid many of those spices, like the plague (he had a bad Indian restaurant food poisoning incident that forever ruined him) I dont get to play nearly as often as I would like.
On a rare night at home alone, recently, I was experimenting with a creamy garam masala spiced dish, somewhere between chicken makhani (butter chicken) and tikka masala, I was making the sauce creamy with coconut milk instead of heavy cream and as I was adding the tomatoes and broth, I found I had gone a little too far with the liquids, my sauce turned more to a soup and I simultaneously fell in love with this accidental dish. Creamy Tomato Tikka Masala Soup. Read the rest of this entry »
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Spiced Coconut Squash Breakfast Porridge
Sometimes, I find the hardest thing about having restrictions on my diet is the uncontrollable cravings for a dish that is simply off-limits. Try as you might to quiet them, but I can promise you your Pinterest feed and Instagram feed will be filled with that very food, for days on end, mocking you until you either give in or find an alternative! (Not that I know from personal experience, or anything) Regardless of retraining your brain to look at food differently to cater those thoughts to your current needs, oftentimes we just can’t help those random hankerings. We are, after all, human.
I find this breakfast porridge to be the perfect stand-in for traditional oatmeal, while still being free of grains, dairy, nuts and seeds. It’s warm, comforting and creamy and the texture is spot on. I tend to alway have a spaghetti squash on hand, so if I cook one up for dinner the night before, I will save half to make this breakfast the next morning.
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How-to Make Harissa Paste
I am so excited to share this simple tutorial showing you How-to Make Harissa Paste, because I fully believe everyone should have a jar of this stuff in their fridge at all times. This spicy red pepper paste is so incredibly delicious and so versatile. Think of it as a more refined sriracha. This aromatic and spicy, Tunisian hot chile sauce can be used to liven up dishes as you would any other hot sauce, it can also be used as a dip or a marinade. It brings a great depth of flavor to fish, meat, roasted vegetables, egg dishes, soups, stews, potatoes or rice. Add it to sandwiches, pizza, condiments like hummus or a homemade mayo. The list goes on and on and on some more. OK I’ve got one more, spread some of that harissa paste on some toast, add a lil avocado, maybe a fried egg. You are welcome.
Harissa is made by blending chiles into a thick paste with aromatic spices, a good quality olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and from there, the optional add-ins are endless. You can add roasted red pepper, roasted carrots or sun dried tomatoes, fresh herbs and so on.
Tunisia is the biggest exporter of pre-made harissa. In fact, harissa is often referred to as the National Condiment of Tunisia, so it’s perfect to go with my Terra Delyssa Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. But, no need to fly halfway around the world, for either one, harissa is quite simple to make this at home and customize it to your liking. You can easily adjust the level of heat by increasing or reducing the number of chiles or choosing chiles base on their spice. But do remember, harissa is meant to be hot!
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Banana Piña Colada – Gluten-free, Vegan + Refined Sugar-free
Coconut and pineapple has to be one of the quintessential flavor combinations of the summer! So what better fruit to add to that delicious mix than bananas? This is an updated lighter version of the classic beach cocktail, a piña colada. Instead of coconut cream, sugary juice or those nasty mixes, this summertime mocktail combines fresh and healthy ingredients for that same creamy and delicious satisfaction without all the garbage.
The bananas provide plenty of sweetness, so there is no need for any sugar or sweeteners and by freezing both the bananas and the coconut milk, you won’t end up with a watered down drink as the ice slush melts. Obviously, if you wish to make this an alcoholic cocktail, add in a shot or two of your favorite rum at the end and give it another whirl in the blender.
There is no refined sugar added to this and it is delicious even without the rum. The creamy sweetness from the bananas and the coconut milk provides more than enough sweet, so you don’t have to add any sugar or sweetener at all. And even if you go with the full-fat coconut milk, it is still lighter than the standard coconut cream that is used. If you want it to be even lighter and lower in fat and calories, feel free to use light coconut milk. I personally like the creaminess of full fat coconut milk and since it is a healthy fat, I can totally justify indulging! Plus, the other bonus of this creamy summertime mocktail is that it could also be enjoyed as a delicious and sinful breakfast smoothie. That would be the perfect way to start any day, if you ask me.
Banana Piña Colada
Serves 4
- 2 frozen organic ripe bananas
- 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks (frozen will work if you cannot find fresh)
- 1 cup no sugar added organic pineapple juice
- 1/2 can organic coconut milk (full fat or light) – frozen into cubes
- Coconut flakes for garnish
- Fresh pineapple wedges for garnish
*Optional – add 4 ounces of your favorite rum to make this an alcoholic cocktail
Add all of the ingredients except the coconut flakes and pineapple wedges to your blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. If you are adding rum, add it after it is creamy and blended, and blend again quickly to mix it in. Pour into 4 glasses, serve each topped with coconut flakes and garnish with a fresh pineapple wedge.
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Baked Falafel Bites with Creamy Tahini Dressing – Gluten-free + Vegan
Happy summer everyone! I know I am a few days late with my wishes but I forgot to send them your way last week. I actually welcomed the change of the seasons last Thursday night with 108 sun salutations at East Meets West Yoga. A small group of us celebrated the summer solstice by doing 108 Surya Namaskar A. The significance of the number 108 is an auspicious number, open to interpretation but it has long been considered a sacred number in Hinduism and yoga. You can read more about the importance of the number 108, here in this wonderful article by Shiva Rea. The practice was such a nice way to welcome the new season and all the change that lies ahead. I am so glad I was able to participate and experience it with some of my fellow practitioners and teachers.
This time of year, even just at the very start of the summer in the midst of the heat and humidity, I crave clever and fresh meals that don’t require a ton of prep and standing around in the hot kitchen. But you have to get creative if you want to do more than just grilling. I absolutely adore salads in the summertime! Anything I can come up with that is simple, green and not hot makes me happy as can be.
The other night I wanted something more than just a regular green salad and I had been craving falafel, but I had to figure out how I could make falafel without dying of heat. I figured the best way to have it all was to mix up the “dough” mixture for the falafel and allow it to cool and come together in the fridge, while I cut up all the veggies for the salad. Then I plated the salads, made the dressing and placed that in the fridge. When it was time to preheat the oven, I quickly rolled up the falafel got it on the pan and then went outside on the patio. While the falafel baked I enjoyed the cool breeze outside and didn’t have to deal with the heat from the oven. When the falafel were ready, I tossed a couple on the already plated salads, drizzled the dressing on top and carried our plates out onto the patio where we enjoyed a beautiful dinner while the sun set. It was perfect.
These falafel are insanely simple and so delicious. I have fresh parsley and oregano growing in my garden, so I popped out back and grabbed a bunch to add to the mixture and they brought a really nice bright fresh flavor. One of my favorite things about falafel is the spicy intense flavor from the garlic, I cannot have too much garlic in my life (although those around me probably wish I consumed less). It is so good. You can feel free to add more or less, I used 3 cloves, 2 of which were so massively sized. I served the baked falafel on top of a green salad that was a mix of local greens from the farmers market, I used a half and half mix of romaine lettuce and arugula and I topped them with grape tomatoes, black olives, cucumbers and red onions. The only thing we were both missing the minute we took a bite, were some tangy and slightly spicy peperoncini. They would have been perfect.
As any good Greek girl would, I have always absolutely loved tzatziki sauce and that is how I have always preferred my falafel to be served, but since I have stopped eating dairy, I had to get creative and come up with a new way to serve it. Since tahini pairs so well with the flavor of chickpeas, I figured a creamy tahini dressing was the way to go. The nutty flavor was perfect with the creamy vegenaise and the tangy lemon juice. Feel free to stick with classic tzatziki or whatever your favorite dressing is. And if you aren’t gluten-free (or maybe you have a good gluten-free recipe), you can stuff a sliced open pita pocket with your greens, some tomatoes and onions and whatever else you’d like and top with a couple of falafel balls. That is heaven!
On Saturday, I just picked up my first CSA share from Porter Farms and it was loaded with 4 different lettuces and a variety of other greens, so you can be sure you will be seeing more salad recipes! It’s time to get creative with my salads and their toppings.
What is your favorite way to eat a salad? What foods do you crave when it is hot out?
Baked Falafel Bites with Creamy Tahini Dressing
[print_this]Baked Falafel Bites – Gluten-free + Vegan
Makes 20-25 balls, serves 2-4- 1 25-ounce can of organic chickpeas, drained and rinsed*
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 2-3 garlic cloves, peeled (feel free to add more garlic if you like your falafel super garlicky)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup fresh oregano
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chickpea flour (aka garbanzo bean flour, gram flour or besan) – you could also use a gluten-free all-purpose flour
Add everything but the chickpea flour and baking powder to the food processor and pulse until everything is well combined. You want the chickpeas coarsely chopped and all of the ingredients combine, but don’t puree it, you do not want it smooth and pastey.
Add the baking powder and chickpea flour and pulse to bring it all together into a dough. Add more flour if need the dough is too wet and not holding together well. Form the dough into a large ball and cover, refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes to an hour.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Form the mixture into 1 1/2 inch – 2 inches balls (you can also make patties if you prefer). Place the balls (or patties) onto the baking sheet, they don’t need much room between them since they don’t change size or expand.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning them over about halfway through, bake until nicely browned.
Serve the falafel on top of a beautiful green salad with all of your favorite things and drizzle with creamy tahini dressing (recipe below), you could also serve them inside of a pita pocket or over rice.
*note – I love chickpeas and I eat them very often, so I always buy the larger can that is 25 ounces, if you buy a standard sized can that is 15 ounces, just use a bit less chickpea flour and baking power, more like 1/4 cup of flour and 1 teaspoon of baking powder and you will just end up with a few less falafel balls or patties.[/print_this]
[print_this]Creamy Tahini Dressing
makes approximately 1 cup of dressing- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup vegan mayo (I use homemade)
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup water
Add all of the dressing ingredients to the food processor or blender and process until smooth and creamy. Place in the fridge until you are ready to serve, the dressing will get thicker as it chills.This dressing will keep for approximately 7-10 days in the fridge. [/print_this]
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Chilled Avocado & Corn Soup with Cilantro Oil
I don’t always love cold soups, sometimes I find them to be weird or odd. I almost hate the word soup being used at all since once chilled, it is hardly anything close to a classic soup recipe. I had a puree similar to this a couple of years ago at a local restaurant that has since closed, Juniper, and it was super delicious, light and full of flavor. I am obsessed with avocados, so short of sticking a straw directly into an avocado, it really doesn’t get much better than this. I had wanted to recreate that soup for so long, but kept forgetting about it, but I ended up running across the recipe that I pulled to work from, while moving our studio home a few weeks back. I couldn’t wait to try it out.
I knew I would be on my own with this one though, Mark refuses to try cold soups, he thinks they are “stupid”, haha. So on a work day a week or so ago, I prepped the soup and oil during my lunch time break and allowed everything to cool the rest of the day, while I worked. It was such a nice treat on a hot day where I didn’t feel like cooking. I have also been getting to a ton of yoga classes every week, so this was perfect the following day after a hot and sweaty yoga class. This soup has all the flavorings of a great guacamole recipe in each spoonful. It’s refreshing but adequately filling. The cilantro oil drizzled on top is loaded with a beautiful, fresh, clean finishing flavor and I especially love the subtle heat from the poblano pepper. I went pretty light on the sour cream, as it really didn’t need much, but a small drizzle was nice, especially in contrast to the heat from the pepper. If you love avocado as much as I do, I know you will love this soup. I served it with a handful of organic corn tortilla chips on the side, which ended up being delicious dipped right into the soup. Obviously if you are vegan, simply skip the sour cream or crema at the end and you have a beautiful, tasty vegan dish.
Chilled Avocado & Corn Soup with Cilantro Oil
serves 4-6
adapted from Gourmet Magazine, May 20052 fresh or frozen ears of corn, shucked
4 cups plus 2 tablespoons water
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 cups chopped white onion
1 fresh poblano pepper, stemmed and coarsely chopped (including seeds)
3 firm-ripe California avocados
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup crema or sour creamFor cilantro oil
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon saltMake soup:
Roast ears of corn on rack of gas burner over high heat, turning occasionally with tongs, until kernels are charred in spots, 4 to 5 minutes. (Alternatively, heat a dry well-seasoned cast-iron skillet and roast corn over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes.) Transfer the ears of corn to a cutting board and, when cool enough to handle, cut kernels from cobs with a sharp knife, then cut cobs into thirds.
Bring kernels, cob pieces, 4 cups water, garlic, salt, and 1/2 cup onion to a boil in a 3-quart saucepan and boil until liquid is reduced to about 3 cups, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool, uncovered. Discard cob pieces.
Purée corn mixture along with the poblano pepper and remaining 3/4 cup onion in a blender, then pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on and then discarding solids. Return broth to cleaned blender.
Quarter, pit, and peel 2 avocados, then add to blender with 2 tablespoons lime juice and purée until smooth. Transfer soup to a bowl and cover surface with plastic wrap. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill soup at least 1 hour.Prepare cilantro oil while soup chills:
Purée cilantro, oil, and salt in cleaned blender, scraping down sides of blender several times. Pour oil into cleaned fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl and let drain 15-20 minutes (do not press on solids). Discard solids.Assemble soup:
Halve and pit remaining avocado and cut into 1-inch cubes, toss gently with remaining tablespoon lime juice in a bowl.
Whisk together crema or sour cream and remaining 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl until smooth.
Season soup with salt and ladle into 4-6 soup bowls. Divide avocado chunks among bowls, then drizzle with crema and cilantro oil.Notes:
Soup can be chilled up to 1 day ahead.
Cilantro oil can be made 3 hours ahead and chilled, covered.
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Thai Chicken Soup
I absolutely love Thai food! The layers of flavors and the spices are so amazing and there are so many naturally gluten-free options. One of my favorite things are the different soups. The flavors are always so distinct in Thai soups from the curry pastes, lemongrass, ginger, cilantro, etc. I have wanted to try making a Thai coconut milk soup at home with all the fresh herbs and spices. With the lingering chilly weather, last week was the perfect time. The original recipe I found was a bit basic, so I added in mushrooms, fresh ginger, fresh lemongrass and jarred kaffir lime leaves (which I was very excited to finally find), I also went with a light coconut milk instead of the full fat version and I used more of it, I find it is still quite creamy and it has a bit less fat and calories. I also added a bit more broth, curry paste, fish sauce and noodles so I would have more leftovers for lunches and dinners on some of the busy nights we have this week. Don’t worry if you can’t find lemongrass or the kaffir lime leaves, the soup will still be really great even without them. The curry paste really has a lot of flavor. I just find that adding those extra fresh ingredients makes this soup more authentic. I know from eating a lot of Thai food that lemongrass can be a bit annoying to eat, since they are a bit tough to chew, so I decided to cut the stalk in large pieces so that I could easily pull them out just before serving.
Since we normally buy whole chickens from the farm we get all of our meat from, I just grabbed two organic chicken breasts from Wegmans, I honestly can’t tell you the last time I bought meat from the grocery store. Thankfully Wegmans has a great selection of organic and grass-fed meats, though it just isn’t the same as getting it from a local farm. You could also roast a whole chicken or buy a rotisserie chicken and shred some of the cooked chicken and add it in to the soup at the end. This soup could also easily be made vegetarian/vegan with vegetable broth and by skipping the chicken or you could make a seafood version and add shrimp or scallops.
Serve the soup with lime wedges and maybe even a little Sriracha if you want a bit more heat. Enjoy, this soup really is incredible.
Thai Chicken Soup
serves 6
loosely adapted from Food Network Magazine1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 lb of sliced mushrooms (I used baby bellas)
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and chopped finely
1 stalk fresh lemongrass, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 tablespoons green curry paste (If you don’t like spicy, start with 2 and go from there. It seems some curry pastes are spicier than others)
8 cups low-sodium organic chicken broth
2 15-ounce cans organic lite coconut milk
2 tablespoons fish sauce, plus more to taste
2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
6 ounces thin rice noodles, broken into pieces
2 small skinless, boneless chicken breasts preferably local and hormone and antibiotic free (about 1 pound), very thinly sliced crosswise
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon kaffir lime leaves (I used were jarred, you can also find them fresh or frozen, use about 3 or 4 leaves)
1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantroHeat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often until they begin to soften and get a bit brown, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and set aside. Add a bit more oil if you need it and add the onion to the pot over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, lemongrass and curry paste, cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, coconut milk and fish sauce; cover and bring to a boil.
Add the mushrooms, bell peppers and noodles and simmer, uncovered, until the noodles are al dente, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken and simmer until just cooked through, about 3-5 more minutes. Stir in the lime juice, kaffir lime leaves and cilantro. Remove the chunks of lemongrass just before serving. Add more fish sauce and lime juice, if desired.
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Chipotle Potato Soup with Bell Pepper Salsa
There is something about a creamy and spicy soup that just warms your tummy and your soul. It is still bitter cold here in Buffalo and I am trying to look on the bright side of this brutal winter, by enjoying that I can still cook hearty and hot, wintry dinners. I know soon when the warm weather is upon us, I will miss the hot soups and stews, one of my favorite things about the winter months.
This soup brings a nice kick of smokey spice from the chipotles, it’s comforting, thick and creamy, three things that just really make winter dinner satisfying, to me. The great thing about this soup and the fact that most of the creaminess comes from blending the potatoes, is that it can easily be made vegan. Go with vegetable stock over chicken and you can either skip the milk altogether or use a non-dairy milk like plain unsweetened almond, rice or soy milk. Then just skip the cheese or top with your favorite vegan cheese. I used local, pasture-raised whole milk that we bought at Farmers and Artisans, one of the few milks I have ever tasted that is actually good enough to enjoy a glass of (in my opinion). There is only a cup of milk and a cup of cheese in the entire pot of soup, so don’t even feel the littlest bit guilty about it. On the other hand, if you have no guilt and really want to indulge, you could go with a cup of heavy cream instead of milk and maybe even some crispy bacon on top, why not right? Either way, before the warm weather shows itself again, you need to make a pot of this soup and not only remember, but enjoy the lovely things about the winter that we will all surely miss in the heat of July or August. Trust me, we all miss it, even just a little.
Chipotle Potato Soup with Bell Pepper Salsa
serves 8Bell Pepper Salsa
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 orange bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped red onion
Juice from 1 lime
Kosher salt , to tasteIn small bowl, mix together bell peppers, cilantro and onion. Squeeze lime over. Gently stir to combine. Season to taste with salt. Set aside.
Chipotle Potato Soup
2 1/2 – 3 lbs red potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch cubes
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 orange bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (this soup is spicy, go with less chipotles if you don’t want all the heat, you can always add in more)
6 cups low-sodium vegetable stock or chicken stock
1 cup organic whole milk (you can either skip the milk and add an extra cup of stock or use a non-dairy milk and skip the cheese, to make this soup vegan)
1 teaspoon ground chili powder
1 cup grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese, plus additional for garnish
kosher salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to tasteIn a large pan of salted water over high-heat, bring the potatoes to a boil and then drop the heat to simmer and cook for approximately 20 minutes, until potatoes are soft. Drain.
In a large stock pot, over high heat, sauté onion, bell peppers and garlic in olive oil for 2 minutes, add the chipotle chiles and the chili powder. Lower heat to medium; continue cooking until the onions are soft and translucent, approximately 5 minutes.
Add the potatoes, stock and milk (if you are using it) to the stock pot. Bring to gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 10-15 minutes. Turn off heat and let the soup cool about 5 minutes.
Purée with immersion blender or in batches using a regular blender*, until smooth, gradually adding cheese. Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper. Ladle the soup in large serving bowls and top with shredded cheese and the bell pepper salsa.
* When blending hot soup in a blender, do so in small batches, filling the blender pitcher only about halfway. Put the lid on, but remove that small cap in the lid (if you have it) and hold the lid down tight with a towel, otherwise the steam will cause the lid to explode off, spewing hot liquid everywhere. This has never happened to me, but it can, so be careful.
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Potato Salad with Yogurt Cheese Dressing
I usually am not a fan of mayo based potato salad, something about most of them just never seems very appetizing to me. However, I had been meaning to experiment with a yogurt-based dressing as an alternative. I had bought some great yogurt cheese from White Cow Dairy at the farmer’s market and I thought that would be perfect for a potato salad dressing. White Cow Dairy is located in East Otto, NY where all of their cows enjoy a life full of grazing on their lush pastures. They make a variety of artisan products including custards, crème bulgares, thick yogurts, whey drinks, sauces and more. When sweetening is required, their products are flavored with maple found right on their own land, additionally they use wild leeks, onions, blueberries and apples all from the land on or surrounding their farm. I love that.
I really don’t know much about yogurt cheese, just that it is the creamy white cheese you get when liquid whey drains from yogurt. It has a great thick and rich consistency without the fat and it really gives a nice tang to all kinds of dishes. I have put it on everything from veggie burgers to fresh berries. It is quite versatile with either sweet or savory items. I will definitely be buying it again. I have also seen recipes for making your own yogurt cheese at home, though I am not sure I would bother considering the perfection that White Cow Dairy has achieved with theirs.
As usual, I threw this recipe together by taste, so I am not exactly sure on the measurements. I had a small bushel of baby potatoes from the market last week that needed to get eaten up, so I just pulled this together on the fly.
Potato Salad with Yogurt Cheese Dressing
serves 41 cup yogurt cheese
approx 1/4 cup organic milk to thin the cheese
approx 30 or so baby potatoes, (red or otherwise)
half of a medium-sized red onion, chopped
fresh herbs, dill, chives, etc (dried will work as well)
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepperIn salty water, boil the potatoes, cook until soft. Drain and allow to cool. Once cooled, you can peel and half them. I leave the peels on myself. Put the halved potatoes in a large serving bowl, add the chopped red onion, chopped fresh chives and dill (I went with dried dill as that was all I had). To prepare the dressing, take 1 cup of the yogurt and slowly add the milk, one tablespoon at a time, whisking. Add milk until the yogurt is thinned to your desired consistency. I left mine fairly thick, but not chunky. Add the dressing to the potato salad and season with salt and pepper. Mix to combine and coat, being careful not to mash the potatoes. Taste and add more seasonings as needed. Chill until you are ready to serve. Allowing this to chill for a good couple of hours really brings all the flavors together and all the ingredients get nice and cold. Serve with fresh chives and fresh ground pepper on top. Enjoy.
