What I Made Tonight: Sea Salt Potatoes with Lemony Arugula

You guys have got to try these. Seriously.

I caught up on some blogs via iphone while John and I were driving back from Alpharetta on Sunday (we escaped to my parents' pool for the day and night Saturday - when the cat's away, the mice will play!) and subsequently stumbled upon this post by one of my all time favorite blogs, 101 Cookbooks. I read the recipe out loud to John and it immediately went on my grocery list. I was so excited to make these potatoes that they were first on the lineup for the week.

If you're anything like me you grew up thinking of a baked potato not as a main course but as a side dish to its more expensive, meatier accompaniment - steak. I don't know if my metabolism has slowed down in a major way or what, but as much as I want to, I just cannot down a steak-and-potatoes meal and feel comfortable afterwards anymore. The food baby comes out in full force and I complain all night about how full I am. Not worth it. This recipe is a much lighter way to still satisfy your craving for a baked potato, minus the heavy toppings and sides. I love how the arugula slightly wilted when it was placed on top of the potatoes, and the dressing was a refreshing, citrusy change from the usual sour cream and bacon.

The only change I made to Heidi's recipe is to sub mayo for the egg yolk - I feel weird eating raw eggs (unless it's in the form of cookie dough) so just used a teaspoon or so of mayo and it turned out great. I have an artichoke on tap for some point this week so ended up saving the rest of the dressing as I think it would make a great dipping sauce.

Sea Salt Potatoes with Lemony Arugula

Recipe Source: 101 Cookbooks

Serves Two

Ingredients:

2 medium baking potatoes

sea salt

2 tablespoons butter

2 large handfuls arugula

For the dressing:

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon dijon mustard (I just realized Heidi's recipe actually calls for a teaspoon but I used a tablespoon and liked the turnout)

1 teaspoon mayo (or an egg yolk)

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (I used 1/2 lemon)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry the potatoes, pierce several times with a fork, and rub in canola oil and sea salt. Bake for about an hour, or until done.

Whisk the vinegar, mustard, mayo, and a pinch of salt. Add the olive oil, then the Parm, then the lemon juice and continue to whisk until well blended. Toss the arugula with a generous amount of dressing but be sure to reserve some to drizzle on top while you're eating!

When the potatoes are done, remove from oven, cut an X in the middle, and add a tablespoon (or less) of butter or olive oil. Top with arugula. Add salt and pepper if necessary.