Greek Potato Salad

This winter has been long. Very long. It finally turned nice this week, and the kids wanted a cookout. Among the traditional cookout sides, potato salad has always been an issue with food allergies (see Red Skin Potato Salad), but I thought I had found a recipe that sounded good, and that was Daniel-friendly.  I also thought I remembered all the ingredients when we spontaneously decided to get cookout food.

I should know better than to trust my memory.  The recipe called for store-bought tzatziki sauce, which, aside from the fact that it cannot be found in town, I did not remember.  I did remember the cucumber.

So, potato salad with cucumbers. Okay, I can do that. Hm, sounds Greek to me!

For Red Skin Potato Salad, I used sour cream, but since then, I've discovered Greek yogurt. Toss is the kalamata olives in the fridge, some oregano, some olive oil, some white balsamic vinegar, and it becomes yummy.

Credit does have to go to Thomas, my taste-tester, for suggesting the addition of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. For this, I prefer the white balsamic vinegar for it's lighter taste and color.

Greek Potato Salad

Ingredients:
3 to 4 red-skinned potatoes, cubed
1/2 large cucumber, diced
1/2 cup pitted and quartered kalamata olives
1 carton (6 ounces) plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon oregano
Sea salt and pepper
Olive oil (a good drizzle)
White balsamic vinegar (a good splash - maybe a couple of tablespoons)

Cook potatoes in water until tender, about 10 minutes.  Allow to cool while chopping the cucumber and olives. Mix cucumber, olives and potatoes in a large bowl. Add yogurt and gently fold to coat vegetables. Add oregano, salt and pepper to taste, olive oil and vinegar. Gently combine, but make sure it's mixed well.  Chill, if desired.  Makes 6 to 8 servings.

This would be good with feta cheese, too, but I didn't happen to have any.

Chicken Thighs with Creamy Dill Pan Sauce

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are a flavorful alternative to chicken breasts.  They don't need much to make them taste delicious, and this simple, low-fat pan sauce adds a touch of elegance. Because it's so simple, fresh herbs are absolutely necessary.  Dried herbs just won't have the same flavor punch.

Chicken Thighs with Creamy Dill Pan Sauce

Servings:  4 to 6

Ingredients:
6 to 8  boneless skinless chicken thighs
Salt and pepper to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
1/4 cup fat-free half-and-half
1 tablespoon fat-free sour cream

 Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray (I use an oil mister from Pampered Chef).  Add chicken thighs and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.  You could also use a salt-free seasoning blend.  Cook chicken on both sides until almost done.  The last one or two minutes, add the fresh dill and turn chicken over.  Remove chicken to serving plates.  Add half-and-half to pan and stir to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom.  Add the sour cream and stir until melted.  Let pan sauce simmer until thickened slightly.  Spoon over chicken and serve.

I served this with a basic risotto with dill as well.  Both were a hit with my kids.  Even my picky almost-4-year-old cleaned his plate (he calls it a happy plate).