At this time of
year the potluck formula is one that many groups opt for as it makes for
an affordable get together and distributes the responsibility between
all members of the group. I was part of the social committee for many
years and there comes a time when organizers just get tired of coming up
with the ideas. I remember distinctly that there was no pleasing
everyone. We use to say “we can please some of the people some of the
time but we can’t please all of the people… even some of the times”.
So whenever we got tired of pulling genial ideas out of the hat we would
call for a potluck!

Now, if you are on
Phase 1 or 2 of the protocol, remember that you can switch your lunch
for your dinner so that you can enjoy your meat protein at lunch and not
feel left out. You can have your IP meal at dinner time.

OK, what are the
favourites at a potluck? Meat balls, devilled eggs, vegetable platters,
salads, shrimp rings, quiche…. My oh my, there are so many things to
chose from. Your responsibility at a potluck is to bring some protein
that you can safely eat. Let me explain: there is always someone who
will volunteer to bring a vegetable platter, am I right? Of course!
There is always someone who will bring a salad (ok this may be a trap
but if you catch that person before they add the dressing, you will be
able to grab a portion of the salad before it’s too late). The problem
is not typically with getting vegetables, it is with finding appropriate
protein that is not smothered in sauce or breaded.

Here are a few
ideas for protein that you can bring and that will have people delight
in your offering. The first idea is simply to bring a shrimp ring. Every
time I have done that, I was the hit of the party. Simply watch for
when they come on sale and stock up. I also buy the great big ones at
Farm Boy. They are in a bag rather than a ring but I simply put them on a
plate with some dipping sauce in the middle and people reach for them
until there is no more. I have never brought home any left over shrimp
because, really, there has never been any left! By the way, Walden Farms
has many products and no everyone likes every product but I have to say
that their seafood sauce is really good. In fact, I have often served
only that one and nobody knew the difference.

Another idea is
making devilled eggs. Yes, my friends, you can use the Walden Farms mayo
(and this is one of the products that on its own, is less than
desirable but in the eggs, you can’t taste the difference…) and make
the treat that everybody looks for. Here again, I have never seen
leftover devilled eggs at any party.

One of the things
that is always a hit is quiche… now I know what you are thinking but
if you have the My Ideal Protein cookbook from Chef Dan Verati, the
quiche on p. 56 makes an excellent presentation and tastes out of this
world. In the past, I have brought it to the curling potluck and it was a
smashing success!

Finally, you can
bring a cauliflower potato salad that people will not recognize as being
cauliflower and you can bring meatballs that you too will be able to
eat, sauce and all. Here are the recipes for these choices. I hope you
enjoy your potluck and get all the credit for bringing something good
and innovative!

Cauliflower “Potato” Salad

1 medium head cauliflower (about 4 cups of florets)

2 hard-boiled eggs

1 medium stalk celery, minced

½ cup chopped green pepper

2 green onions, chopped (green and white parts)

Salt and pepper (to taste)

Dressing

1/3 cup mayonnaise (Walden Farms mayo)

1 tablespoon prepared mustard (brown or yellow)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon onion powder

1-2 teaspoons worth sugar substitute

2 tablespoons
sugar-free pickle relish (look for mount olives pickles or relish they
are Splenda sweetened ) I left this out because I was unable to find any
such relish… it must be available only in the US

1. Break or chop
the cauliflower into smallish florets. If they are too big, they’re
difficult to cook so that they have the right “bite” and flavour – the
outside tends to overcook.

2. Steam on the stove or microwave florets in a covered container with a small amount of water.

3. Drain and put into a medium bowl.

4. Mix the
ingredients for the dressing (mayo, lemon juice, spices, etc.). Taste
for the balance of flavours you like. Mix the chopped vegetables and the
dressing into the cauliflower. Toss with salt and pepper.

5. Chop the egg
and add. (If you add it too early, the egg breaks down when you are
tossing the dressing in and it doesn’t look as pretty!)

6. Add chopped
fresh herbs if you wish – chives, dill, or parsley work well, and even
mint if you’re looking for something different. Garnish with the herb,
or sprinkle with paprika. (I left this part out and thought it tasted
fine without – you can be the judge.)

7. Chill.

Measure 2 cups of salad as one portion of 2 cups of veggies until it’s all gone!

Meat & Veggi Meatballs

1 lb ground turkey or beef

2 egg whites

1/8 c. dried basil

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp onion powder

1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic

3/4 cup grated zucchini

3/4 cup grated cauliflower

1/2 cup finely chopped mushrooms or spinach

Mix ingredients together, make into balls. Place on non stick baking sheet & bake at 425 for 20 mins.

Sweet & sour Sauce

1/2 tbsp worcheshire sauce 1/2 cup water

4 tbsp. w.f. pancake syrup

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 tsp onion powder

Mix all ingredients, pour on meatballs and heat Yum..Yum..

Optional

Throw some green
peppers into a skillet, sauté, pour on the sweet & sour sauce and
place the already cooked meatballs down in the sauce for a minute or
two, and serve

Potlucks are a lot like buffets and the problem with those is that
we start at one end and finish with a plate that is overflowing with
food, some of which we would have gladly overlooked had we known there
was something more interesting further down at the other end of the
table. My tip for you today is start by scanning what is being offered.
You don’t have to include something from every dish on your plate. If
you first look at all the possibilities, you can make better choices and
indulge in the things that you really want to have!