Friday, April 9, 2010

Potluck in your plans? Head to the Pantry!

Tis the season for potlucks, picnics, and friendly spring get-togethers. Now that New England has thawed from winter, people are leaving the house again! If you find yourself invited to a potluck and have no idea what to make, here's an easy solution.

I had a Sunday afternoon lunch potluck on my calendar and knew exactly what dish I wanted to bring along. When I went the pantry to get the ingredients to make the pasta salad, turns out I had no pasta! No elbows, linguine, penne, nothing! Instead of running to the store I decided to get creative and work with what I had on hand.

With a few minutes and a few pantry staples I was able to pull together a tasty dish to bring along to a discerning group of diners - my sorority alumnae group (yay Gamma Phi Beta!). The dish had to be tasty, somewhat healthy, and good for sitting out for a little while. The dish got great feedback and I promised I would post the recipe on the blog. Without further delay, here is the recipe:

Quick and Easy Harvest Grain Salad


1 bag of Harvest Grains Blend from Trader Joe's (it has Israeli couscous, red and green orzo, split dried garbanzo beans, and red quinoa - it's in the rice aisle)
1 can of no salt added garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
About 1/4 cup olive oil
2-3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt & Pepper
Dried or fresh herb blend (I used a premade mix with parsley, oregano, and basil)
Cook harvest grains according to the directions on the box
When done, immediately take out of the pot and put into a large serving bowl (or storage bowl) and fluff with a fork to separate the grains
Add the garbanzo beans, herbs (maybe 1-2 teaspoons) to the cous cous and mix with a spoon or spatula
Add about half the oil and vinegar
Mix well
Taste and add more herbs, oil/vinegar, and salt and pepper as needed
Chill and serve!

Summary:
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15-20 minutes
Soup pot, fork, spoon, colander, measuring cups, serving bowl, serving spoon

6 comments:

  1. I loved this dish at the pot luck and wanted to ask you for it! Thanks for sharing!

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  2. oh this looks great tasty and very healthy

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  3. Lara - I always have some similar stuff in my pantry and will then 'claim' that I have nothing to bring for lunch - and buy a sandwich. Thanks for this - looks much tastier and healthier than most sandwiches I can buy in the financial district!

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  4. Way to get creative! If I planned on a pasta salad and we had no pasta, I'd probably freak out... and then run to the grocery store (or make my husband go, haha). :)

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  5. Way to get creative! If I planned on a pasta salad and we had no pasta, I'd probably freak out... and then run to the grocery store (or make my husband go, haha). :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I loved this dish at the pot luck and wanted to ask you for it! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete

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