Tator Salad...and a Leftovers BBQ Stack

I was never much a fan of potato salad.  Cold potato?  Meh. 

I have always maintained that my mom's version is "the best," and that's probably true to my taste buds because we grew up on Miracle Whip instead of real mayo, and that's what she still uses.  So there's Reason #1.  But as I got older I realized Reason #2 is probably because I always had hers fresh...aka...on the lukewarm side.  It went from assembly to the table.  No refrigeration = no cold potato = no "Meh."  In fact, I could sit down to a whole pile of the stuff and go back for seconds and thirds.

My parents host a family Memorial Day feast at their house every year, complete with steaming lobsters and grilled steak.  I decided I'd try my hand at a potato salad (albeit cold) so that I would be sure to have something to eat (other than the choco chip cookies I was also bringing...not that I'm opposed to making a meal out of those) and also so that my egg-allergic niece could partake too!  It came out truly yummy, and I think it's safe to say that nobody did or would even notice that it was vegan.

To my delight, my aunt and uncle made a meatless hot potato salad; and my sis-in-law brought a cold spaghetti salad with pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, etc too.  I was in carb coma heaven for the holiday.

The Salad:
1 lb red potato, in bite-size chunks
1 lb sweet potato, in bite-size chunks
4 oz shelled fresh peas
About 1/2 a jar of Dijon-Style Nayonaise (or use regular vegan mayo and add a touch of mustard, vinegar, horseradish, etc.)
1/2 an onion, thinly diced
Paprika
Fresh chives, snipped into bits
Salt & pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the potatoes and boil for about 10 minutes, until fork tender but not falling apart.  Remove with a slotted spoon into a drainer and spray with cold water to stop the cooking. 

Bring the water back to a boil and add the peas.  Cook for 3 minutes.  Drain the peas, and also spray with cold water.  When the potato and peas are both cool, combine them. 

In a separate bowl, combine the Nayo, onion, salt, and pepper before mixing with the potatoes and peas. 

Sprinkle the top of the salad with paprika and the chives.  Cover, pop in the fridge, and you're ready for your next summer get-together!

If there are any leftovers...the next night you could, hypothetically, brown up some sliced tempeh and carrots in peanut oil in a small frying pan.  Then add some Annie's BBQ sauce and stir it around for just a minute.  Turn off the heat, and stack a plate with baby spinach, a pile of the potato salad, and then the tempeh.  It's like Memorial Day all over again, maybe even better.

And please do not forget to thank the veterans in your life.  I have many.  Thank you.