Meatless Monday Ken Kostick Recipe – Warm Potato, Pear and Walnuts with Sesame on Mixed Greens

Happy Meatless Monday!  Another week, another vegetarian recipe.  As you may or may not know, we support the Meatless Monday campaign – a non-profit initiative in association with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.  It’s part of an eco-friendly worldwide movement to reduce consumption of animal products in favour of more plant-based meals to fight global warming and improve our personal health.  This week, a delicious recipe from Canada’s popular top chef, TV host and cookbook author, Ken Kostick.

Ken has a great new cookbook aptly named the $10 Gourmet: Restaurant-Quality Meals that won’t break the budget.  This cookbook is a gourmet selection of recipes that are easy to prepare and combined with standard household ingredients, cost under $10.  In fact, the recipe we’re going to share with you today serves 2 and costs only $4.96:

Warm Potato, Pear & Walnuts with Sesame on Mixed Greens (Serves 2)

Ingredients:

• 1½ lb (750 g) white or red skinned potatoes, unpeeled – $2.48
• 1 tsp (5mL) Dijon
• 2 Tbsp (30mL) white wine vinegar
• ½ tsp (2mL) sea salt
• ½ tsp (2mL) ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp (30mL) sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp (30mL) lemon juice
• 1 pear, cored and sliced – $0.69
• 2 cups (500mL) mixed salad greens – $1.79
• 2 Tbsp (30mL) crushed walnuts
• 2 tsp (10mL) toasted sesame

Directions:

1. Using a medium size sauce pan, boil the potatoes in lightly salted water about 10-15 minutes.  Drain and set aside.
2. Combine the Dijon, vinegar, sesame oil, salt and pepper.  Wisk until smooth and drizzle the lemon juice on the pear to prevent browning.
3. Take half the dressing and mix with the warm potatoes.  Place the potatoes on top of the greens and add the pear along side.  Sprinkle the walnuts and sesame seeds on top and serve.

Thanks Ken, wallet-friendly, heart-healthy, eco-friendly and gourmet!   And it champions the Meatless Monday movement.  To learn more about how you can support the Meatless Monday non-profit endeavor, visit meatlessmonday.com.  Until next time, bon appétit!