The Potluck Go-To

shared couscous

I love a good potluck. Love love love. When I lived in Maine, I heard about weekly potlucks that happened around the city where friends would get together, share food, and bring Tupperware. Everyone would go home with a clean dish and enough filled Tupperware to feed them for the next two nights. Such a great idea. Not only thrifty, but really communal.

I used to host a weekly potluck with my friends in my hometown. We intended to follow the Maine model, but I guess we were too gluttonous or something, because at the end of the night all we had were clean plate club members.

 Didn't matter.

It was still enjoyable to have everyone contributing to a meal.

In response to the high frequency of potluck events, I developed a potluck go-to dish.  Originally, my potluck go-to was fried won ton dumplings. They were delicious, but I never had won ton wrappers just lying around, waiting for a social gathering. Instead, this recipe established itself as my go-to dish.

It consists of ingredients I always have lying around, so I don't have to make a trip to the grocery. It's simple and even enjoyable to make.

Now, please don't show up at the same potluck wearing the same dish as me...

COUS COUS SALAD with apricots, nuts, and ginger

1 Cup Instant Couscous

1/2 Cup water

1 Cup Fresh orange juice

1/4 Cup EVOO

vinegar

8 dried apricots, chopped (about 1/3C)

1 Tablespoon raisins

2 Teaspoons grated fresh ginger

salt

sugar

1/4 medium sized red onion, finely diced

2 Tablespoons pine nuts or chopped almonds, toasted

Pour the couscous into a large mixing bowl, set aside.

Combine water, OJ, EVOO, and 2TB vinegar in a medium-sized sauce pan. Bring liquid to just a boil and stir in the dried fruit, ginger, and 1/2 a tsp salt.

Pour immediately over the couscous. Cover bowl, let sit for about 20 min.

While the couscous soaks, bring a small pot of water to boil and drop the red onion in for 15 seconds. Drain well, and toss with a few drops of vinegar. **fun trick: the vinegar will restore a pink color to the cooked red onion**

When the couscous is ready, gently fluff with a fork and toss in the onion and nuts. Sprinkle a bit of sugar into the mix to sweeten the vinegar.

Serve warm or room temperature.

*EVOO=Extra Virgin Olive Oil