The best way to ensure there’s a healthy dish at your next potluck is to bring it yourself. Here are three dishes that turn nutritional ingredients into crowd-pleasing taste.
Mexican inspired zucchini boats
This recipe from Mealime turns fingerling zucchini into tasty finger food.
Take a half dozen small zucchini and split them down the middle. Scrape the center part to create a trough. Drizzled the zucchini halves with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake on a baking sheet for 5-7 minutes at 450 degrees or until soft.
In a large bowl, combine the zucchini scrapings, two 15-ounce cans of black beans, 2 cups of salsa, 1 tsp cumin, ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper.
Dollop this mixture into the troughs of each zucchini boat. Top with shredded Mexican blend cheese. Place the filled zucchini back in the oven for another 10 minutes or until the filling is warmed and the cheese melted.
Pasta salad with peanut lime dressing
Here’s another Mealime dish that’s a sure-fire side dish for any office party.
Boil ten ounces of rotini pasta to desired tenderness. In a large bowl combine one 10-ounce bag of shredded carrots, one chopped cucumber, and 2 cups of edamame.
To make the dressing, finely chop a small bunch of green onions (scallions), add a cup of peanut sauce and the juice from two limes.
Add the cooked pasta to the bowl of vegetables. Top with dressing and mix.
Plant based meatless loaf
Looking for a more substantial contribution to your family get-together? Here’s a main course from the Center for Nutrition Studies that delivers taste and heartiness in a familiar package.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Sauté half an onion in a large skillet for 3-4 minutes, adding water or vegetable broth as needed. Add 2 cups of portobello mushrooms and ¼ cup grated carrots then cook for another 5 minutes or until softened.
Add the following ingredients to the pan:
- 3 cloves of crushed garlic
- 1 cup cooked kidney beans
- 1 cup cooked brown lentils
- 1 ½ cups cooked brown rice
- 2 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes
- ¾ cups oat flour
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon each of sage, thyme, and rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
Mix with a masher to achieve an even blend. If the mixture is too dry, add a little vegetable broth to help it stick together. If mixture is too wet, add more oat flour.
Pack the mixture into a loaf tin and bake 40-50 minutes until the top has formed a crust and the interior is firm and maintains its shape. Top with your favorite gravy.
If you’d like to develop healthier eating habits in 2026, consider one of Kinwell’s group programs. Talk to your Kinwell clinicians or call (206) 690-5852 for more information.
