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By Root 912 0

potato salad present at every family function. And with fresh corn and pinto beans, it’s so much healthier, too. If you can’t find blue potatoes, just use red! The firmer texture works better with this salad, and you want to keep things colorful. This recipe also contains a hidden treasure, the secret to perfectly cooked, salad-ready potatoes. The answer is “steaming.”

3 ears corn, shucked

2 pounds blue potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 canned chipotles, seeded and mashed into a paste (see tips)

2 tablespoons adobo sauce from chipotle can (see tips)

2 teaspoons grapeseed oil

1 teaspoon light agave nectar

2 tablespoons water

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic, grated on a Microplane grater or minced very

well

1 (16-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Mixed greens, for serving

Smoked paprika (optional)

Prepare your steaming apparatus while you prep your veggies.

First, steam the corn for about 5 minutes. Remove from the steamer and set aside until cool enough to handle.

Place the potatoes in the steamer, and steam for 7 to 10 minutes. The potatoes should be tender enough to pierce with a fork, but not falling apart. Remove from the steamer and set aside to cool.

In the meantime, prepare the dressing. In a small mixing bowl, stir together vinegar, chipotles, adobo, oil, agave, water, and salt. Grate in the garlic.

TIP

Bored with fresh, healthy food? Well, add a little excitement by burning your tongue off! I kid, but spicy food really does make you forget that what you’re eating is low fat.

When the corn is cool enough to handle, cut it from the cob: Place it directly in a large mixing bowl, pointy side up, and use your chef’s knife to cut down the sides. Once all the corn is in there, just break it up with your fingers. Fold in the cooled potatoes, pinto beans, and red onion.

Add the dressing and toss to coat. Mix in the cilantro and taste for salt. Chipotles in adobe vary from brand to brand, so if it doesn’t seem smoky enough for you, rather than add more chipotle and risk overheating, add some smoked paprika and see if that doesn’t fix it to your liking. Start with a teaspoon and go from there. Chill until ready to serve. Serve over the mixed greens.

TIP

If you avoid the seeds in the can of chipotles, then this salad is only mildly spicy. To remove seeds from chipotles, split them in half and use a paring knife to scrape the seeds out. When spooning up the adobo sauce, avoid the seeds or pick them out with tweezers. To mash your chipotle, you can use a mortar and pestle, but since you don’t want to dust that old thing off, you can also just chop it with your chef’s knife and then mash it with the side of the blade.

Sushi Roll Edamame Salad

SERVES 4 • ACTIVE TIME: 15 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 20 MINUTES

PER SERVING

(¼ RECIPE):

Calories: 280

Calories from fat: 60

Total fat: 7 g

Saturated fat: 1 g

Trans fat: 0 g

Total carb: 47 g

Fiber: 10 g

Sugars: 8 g

Protein: 9 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 670 mg

Vitamin A: 230%

Vitamin C: 70%

Calcium: 20%

Iron: 25%

1 serving of optional

avocado (1 ounce) adds

45 calories, 4 grams

of fat (mostly mono-

unsaturated), and 2

grams of fiber.

Eating this salad is a good time. How many salads can you say that about? It’s just fun! As the name indicates, it’s basically a big, deconstructed sushi roll in a bowl. Make a point to have leftover brown rice in the fridge and this will come together in a snap. If you like, serve this with a lump of wasabi and soy sauce on the side and dip in each bite, using chopsticks, of course. The cooking times include prepping the dressing, which you should actually do first, before beginning the rest of the salad.

1 cup shelled frozen edamame, thawed

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon light agave nectar

8 cups chopped romaine lettuce

2 cups cooked and cooled short-grain brown rice

1 small cucumber, cut into matchsticks

1 medium-size carrot, cut into matchsticks