Recipe: 15-Minute Potato Salad

15-Minute Potato Salad

From Cooking with Kids For Dummies
by Kate Heyhoe

Whip up a superb potato salad in minutes using a microwave oven. Older kids can cut the vegetables and cook the potatoes in the microwave, making this recipe entirely by themselves, while younger children can help by mixing.

The Grainy Mustard Sauce in Chapter 20 makes about 1-1/2 cups—but you only need 1/2 cup for this recipe. You can make the sauce in advance or while the potatoes in this recipe cook (the sauce takes only 5 minutes to make). When you make the sauce, reserve 1/2 cup for this recipe and refrigerate the remainder for another use. Look for seasoned rice vinegar next to regular rice vinegar in the Asian foods aisle.

Prep and cook time: 15 minutes
Chill time: 30 minutes or more, if desired
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients and steps:

1 pound red potatoes (about 3 to 4 medium)
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Grainy Mustard Sauce
2 stalks celery
2 green onions
Freshly ground pepper

1. Cut the potatoes in half to keep them from rolling. Placing the cut side down, cut across the potatoes to make slices about 1/4-inch thick.

2. Toss potatoes with seasoned rice vinegar and salt in microwave safe baking dish.

3. Cover with a microwave-safe lid or plastic wrap, leaving one corner slightly open for steam to escape. Microwave potatoes on high until tender when pierced with a fork, but not mushy, about 8 minutes, stirring half-way through.

4. While the potatoes cook, chop the celery and green onions. If you need to make the Grainy Mustard Sauce, do it now.

5. Toss hot potatoes with 1/2 cup of the Grainy Mustard Sauce, reserving any extra sauce for another use.

6. Stir in the green onions, celery and pepper to taste. You can serve the salad now, but chilling for 30 minutes allows the flavors to blend. If desired, garnish with chopped celery leaves.

Caution: Open the microwaved potato container with care to avoid steam burns. Point the lid away from you as you open it and wear oven mitts.

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