'Tis the (Potluck) Season

For many, the last few weeks of every year is potluck season. What exactly is a “potluck,” you ask? Even if you aren’t acquainted with the term, you’ll likely find the concept familiar. Generally, it is a communal gathering or event where each guest brings a portion of the meal or a side dish. It is a fantastic opportunity to expose friends or family to some delicious heart-healthy foods!

If you’ve been invited to a potluck recently but are struggling to choose a dish to bring, hopefully, you’ll be inspired by this list. Below are some of my favorite potluck dishes that are certain to excite the other guests:

• Veggie Crudités – Often characterized as a real snoozer, the standard vegetable crudités can come alive when unexpected veggies are included. Sure, we have the standard broccoli, carrots, celery, cauliflower, and cherry tomatoes. But how about sneaking in some Frenched green beans, crunchy sliced jicama, or flavorful red radishes? And make this dish even more exciting by arranging the vegetables into the form of a wreath or a Christmas tree!
• Turkey Pinwheels – This super simple side dish is easy to make and travels very well. All you need is a couple of whole-grain tortillas, chopped turkey breast, a bit of low-sodium hummus (visit this post for our Lemony Hummus Dip recipe), and vegetables of your choice! I like to include sliced cucumber, shaved red onion, shredded iceberg, and diced tomatoes. Once you've gathered your ingredients, layer them all onto the tortilla, roll tightly, and slice into bite-sized pieces.
• Butternut Squash Soup – This comforting dish will offer the guests a warm hug from the inside! This soup can easily be made ahead of time, reheated, and transported in a crockpot. Scroll down to the bottom of this page for our savory Butternut Squash Soup recipe which takes an interesting approach to a familiar soup.
• Mandarin Orange & Fennel Salad – Oranges are a great source of vitamin C and fennel contains powerful antioxidants that can help reduce inflammation and boost our immune health. The citrus from mandarin oranges combines delightfully with the rich shaved fennel for a unique tossed salad.
• Shrimp Cocktail – This classic appetizer combines cooked shell-off shrimp with a dollop of spicy cocktail sauce and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. I love to bulk up this simple side dish with finely shaved iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced celery, and a dash or two of low-sodium hot sauce.

If you give any of these dishes a try during one of your end-of-the-year potlucks, I would love to know what you think of the recipe. Additionally, if you have a favorite dish to bring to a potluck, please share!

Recipes

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

Serves 8 – 1 cup serving INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced into ? - inch cubes (about 5 cups)
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced
• 1 cup diced yellow onion?
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• ? teaspoon ground ginger
• ? teaspoon ground white pepper
• ? cup white wine
• 2 cups no salt added vegetable broth
• 2 cups unsweetened soymilk
• 1 tablespoon coconut extract

PREPARATION

1. Lightly mist a large stock pot with canola oil cooking spray and warm over medium-high heat. Add cubed butternut squash, diced apple, diced onion, and minced garlic. Cook until onions are softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add curry powder, ground ginger, and white pepper. Cook until fragrant and seasoning is well combined for about 5 minutes more.
3. Deglaze the mixture with white wine and continue to cook until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Add in no salt added vegetable broth, unsweetened soymilk, and coconut extract. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook, stirring often, until squash is completely softened for about 20 minutes more.
5. Using a household blender, food processor, or handheld immersion blender, blend the entire mixture down to a smooth, velvety consistency.

ORANGE & FENNEL SALAD

Serves 4 – ? cup servings INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium oranges, segmented and juice reserved
• ? cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon unsalted whole-grain mustard (like Westbrae Naturals)
• 1 teaspoon dry oregano
• 1 small pinch of crushed red pepper
• 1 ? cups thinly sliced fennel heart
• ? cup thinly sliced celery
• ? cup thinly sliced red onion
• ? cup thinly sliced red cabbage

PREPARATION

1. Cut off the top and bottom ends of each of the oranges, enough to expose the edible inside portion of the oranges. Now you have a flat base to work with.
2. Next, cut off the peel in sections, allowing your knife to glide along the fruit, moving from the top, down around the oranges.
3. Then, carefully glide your knife into one segment of the orange, as close to a membrane as possible, and make a slit on the other side. Once you’ve made a clean cut, you can loosen the segment of fruit with your knife, popping it out in one piece. These are your segments!
4. Squeeze all the juice out of the peels, ends, and even what remains from the segmenting, this should be about ? cup of orange juice.
5. Stir in vinegar, garlic, mustard, oregano, and red pepper flakes with the orange juice, mix well, and set aside.
6. Place fennel, celery, onion, and cabbage into a bowl and top with orange segments. Gently spoon on the desired amount of vinaigrette and enjoy.

PRITIKIN CHEF'S TIPS

• If medication interaction with fresh grapefruit is not of concern, simply substitute the two medium-sized oranges for one large pink grapefruit in steps 1-4.

For more recipes, view our 2023 Holiday Recipe Booklet

This article was written by Pritikin ICR Chef and Account Manager, Christopher Wyatt CDM,CFPP