Steamed Potato Salad with Savory Roasted Chickpeas

“Boil’em, mash’em, stick’em in a stew.” Don’t you love ‘taters?

I’m not a religious person, but if there is a god that created all things, then I would like to take a moment to thank him/her/them for the Yukon gold potato, the cocoa bean, and corgi butts. Well done!

This is a very simple potato salad. It’s not adventurous or flashy. It’s a “supporting actor”, with your barbecue veggie burgers, or ribs, or dogs being the leading role. Buttery Yukon gold potatoes and dill go so well together that I don’t want to ruin their bromance by throwing in stronger third-wheel flavors. If Yukon golds aren’t available in your area, then any waxy, buttery potato will do. As long as it’s not a russet or another starchier potato variety you’ll be all set.

Steamed Potato Salad with Savory Roasted Chickpeas
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Recipe type: Sides Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free Author: Wing It Vegan Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 25 mins Total time: 35 mins Serves: 2 servings
Ingredients
For the chickpeas:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ¾ cup canned chickpeas, drained and patted dry with a paper towel
• salt and black pepper to taste
• ¼ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp garlic powder

For the rest of the salad:

• 2 medium sized Yukon gold potatoes or other buttery potato, cubed
• 1 large carrot, sliced
• ½ cup frozen peas
• 3-5 tbsp vegan mayo
• 1-2 tbsp warm chicken-free broth or water
• 1 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped or 1 tsp dry dill
• salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions
For the chickpeas:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Drizzle a small, rimmed metal baking sheet with the olive oil, transfer the chickpeas to it and give them a good shake to coat them with the oil. If you're doubling the recipe go for a large baking sheet to keep the chickpeas from crowding and steaming instead of roasting.
3. Lightly sprinkle the chickpeas with salt and black pepper and bake for 15 minutes. Give them a good shake and roast for an extra ten minutes.
4. When the chickpeas are nearly done, evenly sprinkle the onion powder and garlic powder all over them and give them a good shake.
5. Bake them for an extra two or three minutes, remove from the oven and give one a taste after they've cooled down for a moment. Adjust the salt and pepper and try not to eat them all before the rest of the salad is done. Good luck!

For the rest of the salad:

1. Prepare a steamer and arrange the cubed potatoes and sliced carrots on it so that they aren't touching. The carrots can turn the potatoes orange if they steam together. Sprinkle a little bit of salt all over the potatoes and carrots.
2. Steam for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how big or small you cubed your potatoes and sliced your carrots.
3. Ten minutes into the steaming time, throw in the peas and steam for five more minutes.
4. Use a sharp knife to check for doneness. The potatoes and the carrots should be tender and the peas should be heated through, but they should be steamed until they are JUST done because we don't want those lovely potatoes to disintegrate when we're tossing them in the mayo dressing. Keep an eye on them!
5. Transfer the potatoes, carrots, and peas to a serving bowl, throw in most of the roasted chickpeas, and prepare the mayo.*
6. In a small mixing bowl combine the mayo, broth or water, and dill. Mix well and give it a taste. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
7. Pour the mayo dressing all over the salad and gently toss with a serving spoon until everything is evenly coated. Throw the remaining chickpeas on top of the salad for prettiness.
8. Serve warm or let it cool down to room temperature.
9. The amount of liquid that you will need to make the mayo workable depends on the brand of mayo that you use. I use Just Mayo which is quite thick, but if you have a runny mayo you may only need to add a splash of liquid or maybe even none at all.

Notes If you're serving it warm, you can mix in the chickpeas right away. If you're going to let it cool down, stir in the chickpeas just before serving the salad so the chickpeas keep their crunchiness.

I prefer my carrots super tender, but if you like a good carrot crunch you can check them a few minutes into the steaming time and remove them from the steamer when you're happy with them.
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Open up! Here comes the… massive freight aircraft!

Spring is slowly springing here and our plants are starting to show some signs of life again. Here are a few photos as evidence. They will pop up if you click them. I will spare you any graphic photos of our ducks who are also “getting ready for spring”, if you catch my drift. The ducks have been “busy”. Let’s just say that we’re going to have lots of baby ducks running around soon, hmm? Wink wink!