Healthy and Green Living

Why bring boring old potato salad to your Labor Day get-together when you could serve this light and lively version instead? Green beans add color, nutrition, fiber, and snap, and an olive oil dressing reduces the fat of more conventional mayonnaise-based versions. Garlic, red onion, and a touch of mustard make it extra-flavorful, too.

Here is the recipe for this Zesty Green Bean and Potato Salad:

INGREDIENTS
10 cups water
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
6 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 cups green beans, stems removed, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup red onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 tablespoon dill leaf
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

1. In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil and add the potatoes. Cook potatoes until soft–approximately 10 minutes. Drain and rinse them in cold water, and set aside.

2. Place green bean pieces in a steamer and steam until bright green–around 2 minutes. Remove from steamer immediately and run under cold water, then drain and set aside.

3. Prepare the dressing by combining the garlic, olive oil, mustard, dill, vinegar, salt and pepper in a large bowl and stirring together. Fold in the red onions, potatoes, and green beans. Chill salad for one hour or more before serving.

Serves 8 to 10.