Help with side dish for Bike Club potluck

My bike club season opener is on Saturday, and we're riding, then having a potluck. I have to bring a side dish or salad. Anybody have a great idea for me? These folks are great cooks, so I generally feel inadequate no matter what I bring. I'd like to bring something simple and healthy (preferably vegetarian) that will keep well refrigerated from when I make it (Friday night) to Saturday around noon. Also I will be transporting it in a plastic container strapped to my bike rack, so souffle wouldn't work :)

Thanks, guys.

-Amy

How abut cold tabouli salad with fresh cherry tomatoes, fresh cilantro, capers, onions, and olives in it? Mmmm....

Sounds yummy. Do you have a good recipe, Lisa? I've only made tabouli from a box. Sounds like good post-bike ride dish.

On a side note, I had the best fried chicken I have ever had at one of our potlucks. I am drooling in anticipation.

It probably doesn't fit into the healthy category, but I love cheesy potatoes. I'm drooling just thinking about them.


1 30oz bag of frozen hash browns
1 16oz container of sour cream (light works fine)
1 16oz bag of shredded cheddar cheese
1 can cream of chicken (or mushroom or celery)


1. Mix all the ingredients together in a big mixing bowl. This is a great arm workout, BTW
2. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with Pam
3. Spread the potato mixture into the baking dish
4. Bake at 350 for an hour


My MIL like to add onions to this too, but I usually leave them out. It's an awesome gooey, cheesy side dish. :)

That meets none of my criteria, but it sounds yummy ;)

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Originally Posted by ace

Sounds yummy. Do you have a good recipe, Lisa? I've only made tabouli from a box. Sounds like good post-bike ride dish.

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Yes just get 2 or 3 boxes of the tabouli salad mix in boxes and prepare it according to the directions, and put in the fridge. then chop up a bunch of the ingredients I mentioned (marinated greek olives from your deli dept are best, and the fresh cilantro is essential), add a tablespoon of good olive oil and one or two of balsamic vinegar, some salt and pepper, and mix it all up and chill. it's GOOD.

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Originally Posted by Lisa S.H.

Yes just get 2 or 3 boxes of the tabouli salad mix in boxes and prepare it according to the directions, and put in the fridge. then chop up a bunch of the ingredients I mentioned (marinated greek olives from your deli dept are best, and the fresh cilantro is essential), add a tablespoon of good olive oil and one or two of balsamic vinegar, some salt and pepper, and mix it all up and chill. it's GOOD.

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and sprinkle with roasted pine nuts (carried separately for crispness) for a flourish?

Yummy.

....And maybe some chopped yellow and purple peppers to compliment the red cherry tomatoes and add crispness.

hummus with carrot/celery/cucmber sticks, broccoli, cauliflower??

or something heavier? like flafal with yogurt dip?

When I get home, I'll dig up the recipe. My flafal isn't deep fried its oven baked but still very yummy.

Shawn

Sounds yummy, I was going to suggest something similar but with your choice of pasta (garden rotini is good for this to add a bit of extra veggie power) The balsamic vinegarette is a wonderful condiment to put as it keeps better than anything mayo based.

An easy pasta salad with lots of cut up raw veggies and light dressing?

Dang - I've got an awesome tabouli recipe, AND I CAN'T FIND IT!!!!!! This is going to drive me crazy....


/helpful, eh?

I can find mine:

Tabouleh

1-3/4 cup bulghur
1 bunch green onions, chopped fine
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped fine
2 cups fresh mint, chopped fine
5-6 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped

Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Pepper

Put bulghur in bowl, pour in 6-7 cups boiling water to cover. Let stand 3-4 hours, drain in colander (a couple hours is good, stir it up once in a while), squeeze excess water out and fluff with fork. Make sure the bulghar is really dry and fluffy. Add scallions, parsley and mint, and mix well. Fold in chopped tomatoes.

Mix dressing, pour over tabouleh and mix well with wide rubber spatula.

Cover and refrigerate. Best served the next day so flavors will blend.


Some people add chick peas, but I don't particularly care for them....
Martha

Cold sesame noodles with wilted spinach in a garlic/peanut sauce?

Buckwheat (soba) noodles, cooked and rinsed in cold water. Mix chopped garlic with soy sauce and slowly stir into heated peanut butter (or just a runny variety). Wilt some spinach, toss with noodles, sliced scallions and then add the sauce. Top with toasted sesame seeds and a few more scallions. Yum! Cold or room temp.

Good suggestion, Pedal Wench. I made that for the last potluck. Unfortunately, someone else had made it, too, and it was much better than mine. Very sad. :(

I vote for the tabouli!

(if you worry that someone else might have the same idea, you can make yours with quinoa instead of bulgar wheat. And the gluten-intolerant celiackers and wheat allergy folks can eat it, too!!:D )

Tabouli is popular I see... with quinona even.

Anyway, flafal:

2 cans of garbonzo beans 12oz?? size (the standard size can) rinsed and drained.

4 medium garlic chopped.
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp tumeric (add more if you want more color)
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup minced onion.
1/4 cup parsley
1 TBS lemon juice
cayenne to taste
1/3 cup AP flour

olive oil

method:

place garbonzo beans in food processor and grind it up. Add everything downto and including lemon juice and mix it in food processor. (hit the button a few more times.) taste and adjust with salt and cayenne.

remove the mix from the food processor and place the mix in a mixing bowl. Add AP flour. and mix with spatula or hand until incorporated.

I use a #40 ice cream scooper or use about 2 TBS of mix and make it into a flat ball. place the balls on a baking sheet and spritz with olive oil (or just dab some olive oil on the ball and bake in 350F oven for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Men like this stuff its meaty tasting. And its filling!!
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Now you can eat flafal in several ways, in salad, or in a pita pocket with shredded/julienne lettuce leaves, tomato and cucmber dill yogurt sauce.

Very vegan!!

hummus

1 can of garbonzo beans rinsed and drained.
Tahini (ground sesame paste)
lemon juice
garlic minced (one or two cloves).
salt

I don't remember the quantity, I just go by looks/feel.

method:
puree garbonzo beans in food processor.
add tahini and continue with puree until smooth soft paste forms. Add lemon juice minced garlic puree some more and add salt to taste. It should be slightly sour and nutty tasting.

something different.

Shawn

My kayak club occassionally does potlucks and everyone brings wonderful, healthy, exotic dishes which are a wonderful way for some of us to try different foods. I on the other hand always make macaroni and cheese. There are the finicks among us (sometimes me...) that won't try some of the fancy dishes. My macaroni and cheese always pleases some of the crowd and the bowl is always empty at the end of the party.

Patty

MINIskirt: what would you eat with those potatoes. They sound yummy!!

Mac & Cheese sounds good. On the menu at TGI Fridays they have 'grown up mac & cheese'. Its made with 3 or 4 cheeses, mushrooms, onions, some crumbled bacon.

The hummus recipe is pretty much the way I make it, but one note:

I like to add different herbs. Rosemary, basil, cumin, etc. It's good with wheat crackers too.

I'm going to copy and save that flafal recipe. It sounds good and easy! do they freeze well? & would you freeze them before or after cooking??

TIA,

What is flafel???

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Originally Posted by surgtech1956

What is flafel???

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Just page up to smilingcat's post and there is the recipe.

Flafal is a middle-eastern dish made out of chick peas aka garbonzo beans.

It is vegan!!somewhat spicy not hot, just interesting spices and though totally non-meat, its very filling. Its sort of like a vegan version of meat balls without the meat and no tomato sauce (or creme sauce for that matter). I think Trader Joe has a mix in a box for sale. So check it out, it may have a picture on the box.

The other question, can you freeze it. I would imagnie you could do to its low moisture content. Having said that I think it would be better baked first then frozen. Mine never lasted long enough to be frozen. I put the left overs in a zip lock bag, then it disappears? Usually in a salad. yummo :D

I have never heard of Tabouli. What is it?

What is flafel by in the grocery store?

You make the flafel according to the directions on the box or is that the recipe smilingcat posted? You use flafel like cheese, meat - on salads, on a sandwich as the main ingredient, in place of a hamburg? thanks

Tabouli and Falafel are both mid-eastern foods. I can usually find mixes for either in with the ethnic food or pre-packaged rice mixes in the store.

There are a kajillion recipes for each, as simple or as complicated as you like.

I used to darn near live off tabouli, made it by "feel" after a while. the basic idea is a softened grain (bulgar wheat or quinoa or brown rice all work for me) that isn't so cooked it's mushy or clinging together. Add olive oil and lemon juice in about equal parts until it's a little saucy. Add garlic and salt. (LOTS of garlic in mine!!) When it tastes so good you have to restrain yourself from eating it right up (generally after adding about 6 or 8 cloves of garlic for me!) it's time to add chopped fresh parsely and chopped tomatoes and green onions. And whatever else strikes your fancy. Cilantro... mmmm.

I usually end up with as much fresh vege as grain. (and maybe my vege mix is about 1/2 parsley, 1/4 tomatoes, 1/4 green onion)

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Originally Posted by surgtech1956

You make the flafel according to the directions on the box or is that the recipe smilingcat posted? You use flafel like cheese, meat - on salads, on a sandwich as the main ingredient, in place of a hamburg? thanks

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you can follow the instruction on the side of the box or follow my recipe. The best way to think of it is that it looks much like a vegan version of meat ball. And unlike a meatball, you can put it in a salad as you would with quartered boiled egg. Or you can make a sandwitch with pita bread, shredded lettuce, sliced tomato and cucmber dill sauce. No ketchup, mayou or mustard needed.

Perhaps I'll make some take a photo and post the picture so you can get an idea. Too bad the photo can't be made odor-rama :D seriously ask one of the employees at TJ and they should be able to help you.

And don't feel bad about not knowing. I made tons of it for a pot luck at my office and I had a HECK OF A TIME to get the guys to eat it. Once they ate it all I could get out of them was pretty good. You know boys just can't admit that they were slightly mistaken.


And Tabouli is really delicious too. I like mine on the puckery side

Shawn

I just got a great way to make potatos from one of my PT clients. It only needs to be refrigerated if you are storing it overnight, but you can take it anywhere without refrigeration:

5 lbs of new potatoes
cook at 350 degrees for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours

Then cut into bite size chunks, and mix with:

1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons of kosher salt
8 cloves of minced garlic
pepper to taste
and two bunches of mint, finely chopped.

I have to admit that the mint threw me off, but the mixture of tastes are amazing!!!

Since I figured on how to upload pics just go up the thread for my flafal recipe and look at the pics. In my case, I have it in salad with avocado and few other things.

Tad late but I hope this answers some questions regarding flafal.

Oh, great... now I'm all hungry again!!:D