Potluck-What Can I Bring????

Invited to a potluck? It is always an issue deciding what to bring. How many times have you arrived placing your "beautiful" dish on the table only to discover this potluck turned out to be a "potato salad cook-off"?

I have prepared "Bean There, Yum That Salad", from the Hungry Girl newsletter for my last potluck. It was simple to prepare, very colorful as you can see in the photo and also very yummy.

Where it called for a can of red kidney beans and a can of garbanzo beans, (chickpeas) I used dried beans soaking them overnight....very easy & really economical! Beans are a serious power-food. They are packed with protein, fiber and other nutrients. They also taste FANTASTIC......Eat your beans, people!

It’s a healthier form of a three bean salad because it uses less oil in the dressing and a few less beans. The best thing about the dressing is that it is made mostly from fresh squeezed orange juice! When you dig into this salad, you’ll absolutely love the citrus flavor on your beans and veggies.

Ingredients for salad:
1 15 ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch segments
2 cups bite-sized broccoli florets
1 red or yellow pepper, sliced into 1 inch segments
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
3 tbsp chopped parsley (or basil works well)
Ingredients for dressing:
2 oranges
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chopped garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Bring large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. While you wait for that water to boil, fill a large bowl with cold water and ice, then set aside.

Step 2: Add green beans and broccoli to the boiling water, and cook for 5 minutes until tender. Drain water from the pot and then transfer the vegetables to the ice water quickly!

Step 3: To make the dressing, squeeze the juice from the oranges into a medium bowl. Remove any seeds. Add all the other ingredients and mix well. Set aside.

Step 4: Drain ice and water from the large bowl. Add kidney beans, garbanzo beans, bell pepper, onion, and parsley (or basil) to the veggies. Coat with the dressing and coat well.

You should let the bean salad marinate in the fridge for at least an hour before you eat it. It’s so much tastier and crisper when it’s cold.
Good news—the recipe makes 10 servings with each one having only 125 calories each!

Enjoy this great summer salad!