Ok so we a part of a group of co-ed people playing Biggest Looser attempting to loose weight. Some of us have done really well, some have not. We thought if we get together for a potuck we could share our dieting secrets. We want to encourage each other to hang in there till the end of April.
What would be a healthy Potuck dish to feed 10 or so people? Don't want to spend a lot of money either. LOL
We all ended up bringing something to make fajitas. Everyone enjoyed it and it turned out great.
roasted beet salad. You can look up a recipe..but something with spinach and feta cheese. Yum! Or a quinoa salad...lots of veggies, some nuts, maybe a little feta or other salty cheese and a little olive oil/basalmic vinegar as a dressing.
I recently had to bring something to share that was heart-healthy, diabetic-acceptable, and low fat. I made hummus, but didn't use tahini. I pureed chick peas (I made my own by soaking the dry beans for 24 hours, then cooked them in a slow cooker until they were very tender), added just enough extra-virgin olive oil and some of the cooking water to make them the right consistency, and for flavor, I added the juice of one lemon, and a pinch of salt. However, I noticed at that point that the hummus was pretty bland. I couldn't add fat or salt, so I started looking in my spice drawer. I ended up putting in quite a bit of cumin and good quality curry powder. Yes, I know curry powder and cumin don't usually go in hummus. But I just kept adding them until the hummus tasted really flavorful, a little at a time. Except for the olive oil which is healthy, there was no other fat. It was a hit, and I think I'll do it the same way next time, even if I am not cooking for a heart-healthy, diabetic (type 2), low-fat, low-salt group. Oh, and I served it with no salt tortilla chips that I found in a health foods store.
Ratatouille?
My vote would be for the WeightWatchers Taco Soup. You could keep it in a crockpot.
1lb ground turkey or lean beef
1 large onion chopped
1 (1oz) pk Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
1 (1oz) pack Taco Seasoning mix
1 (16oz) can pinto beans
1 (16oz) can chili beans
1 (16oz) can whole kernel corn
1 (8oz) can Mexican style tomatoes
1 (8oz) can diced tomatoes
Brown mean and onions and drain. Mix Ranch and Taco Seasoning into meat. Add remainder ingrdients (undrained) to meat mixture. Simmer for an hour. 2 WW points per cup. You can also serve this with fat free or low fat tortilla chips. It is super yummy.
Quinoa!! There are some wonderful recipes for Quinoa salads on the Web.
A platter of roasted veggies (eggplant, squash, zucchini)
Mashed cauliflower - http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/03/creamy-cauliflower-pur...
Spinach salad with mandarin oranges and a light balsalmic vinagrette
turkey chili
Minestone soup
3 bean turkey chili is one of my family's favorites, they even want it in the summer! Dr. Oz's recipe is similar to mine although I use pintos instead of northern beans. I brown the turkey in a skillet with the onion, green pepper, and garlic and then put it along with the rest of the ingredients in the crock pot on low 6-8 hours. It has great flavor but is not hot so my 10 and 3 year old will eat it.
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/three-bean-turkey-chili
Hi Viola - This is what I fix on what I call the "diet nights" and it works every time and my husband loves it. Fill a large platter with Romaine lettuce cut up in bite size pieces. Then on top of that I put sliced hard boiled eggs, a large scoop of tuna salad and also another of chicken salad, sliced pickles, cherry tomatoes, small carrot sticks, cucumbers, and black olives. When ready to serve, I drizzle olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar and dry oregano flakes. It makes a pretty presentation with all the different colors. I sometimes top it off with some feta cheese but to keep the calories down, you might just want to sprinkle a little parmesan or you can leave it off completely if you prefer.
I think your best bet is to go with a classic pot luck favorite and then make a lighter version. There are tons of healthy versions of dishes on tge web. Cheesy potatoes are always a hit. I once made cabbage soup that everyone loved ( depends on tge crowd).
If you want to make a dessert I make a sugar free pie for our diabetic loved ones that everyone loves. Even DH asks for it and he complains about my " healthy food junk" all the time.
It's store bought pie crust (the kind you bake-I've tried Graham cracker and it's not as good), sugar free cool whip, and sugar free instant jello pudding. I use half the milk called for in the pudding and whip it up. Super easy and cheap.
Good on you! great plan to motivate each other and I think one of the secrets of keeping weight off is finding healthy TASTY food for all occasions - Christmas, easter, visitors - random life stuff. I have a folder in my kitchen of only tested healthy recipes. tabs for 'parties - apps entrees mains etc. weeknights, salads, cheap meals etc. Everyone in the family has to like them and I have to have tested them at least twice. The 'keepers' folder. Not knowing what to cook tonight and lack of time are your enemy lol. Try this : http://allrecipes.com/recipe/catherines-spicy-chicken-sou.... You can add less stock for a thicker soup/stew or just add more vegetables like broccoli (lots), peppers (frozen is fine) cauliflower. The sour cream is the key; buy the Horizon's organic brand and start with half of what the recipe says. A tspn of good quality parmesean adds tones of flavor and very little calories. Don't use cheap or low fat cheese! It's filling, inexpensive, healthy and ready to serve without you doing anything last minute. Just take the pot + paper bowls and spoons on your way out the door.
For me food has to look and taste good or I feel deprived. Take the time to experiment for recipes so you find real food with real flavor. Ask everyone to bring 10 copies of their recipe to the pot luck and then you can make the dishes you liked again. Encourage everyone to have another 2 pot lucks before April and that's 30 recipes you have tried. More fun, faster and cheaper way to experiment for everyone. Bringing the recipe stops people cheating with unhealthy ingredients too.
This is easy too but cut into bit sized pieces : http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/quinoa-...
I've been reading a bunch of books to change my attitude towards food. Becoming more aware of the chemicals manufactures are allowed (!) to put in our food makes me think more about what those chemicals are doing to my body rather than how the taste and sensation will please me.
The Science of Skinny' by Dee McCaffery and Make Shift Happen (funny) by Dean Dwyer have been the most useful to me.Several video's are available at Netflix too like Vegucate, Food Matters, Food Inc. So much of the weight dilemma is about emotions and habit and not food. Sorry you asked for a recipe not a lecture!
Have a great night and good luck reaching your goal!
You'll need a dessert. If you have an ice cream maker, you could make homemade sorbet.
Turkey meatballs with spaghetti sauce, serve with low fat shredded mozz and whole wheat slider rolls for mini sandwiches. Make the meatballs extra healthy by adding grated carrots and chopped spinach when you're making them. Brown them in the oven (I follow Alton Brown's cooking method but adapt the recipe with healthier ingredients) and put into a crock pot with the sauce for serving.
You could also make anything Mediterranean -- grilled lemon garlic chicken to serve in whole wheat pitas, add some low fat tzatziki, tomato/onion/cucumber salad with or without feta (in small portions it's fine) and make your own baked pita chips for the dips. Hummus is great too.
Jazz up a green salad with hearts of palm, cannelini beans, and/or marinated artichoke hearts, and your own homemade dressing. Make your own whole grain croutons by tossing cubed bread in some olive oil, salt and pepper (you can omit the salt, if needed) and bake in the oven.
