Author : Aigner M.
Today is the day! Superbowl Sunday has arrived and is practically a national holiday in the US. Time to pull out the party trays, good drinks, food, flat screens and surround sounds. Like many others, my team is watching from the couch just like me, so if I attend any watch parties it will be for the other important F word: FOOD.
Nachos, wings and pizza are the usual staple at Superbowl parties, but why kill your diet if you don’t have to? Add in some healthy options for balance!
Try these quick, easy and HEALTHY recipes instead for a guilt free and tasty alternative.
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SKIP THE QUESO AND TRY HOMEMADE GUAC!
Create a “make your own guac” station by placing the crushed avocado in a large bowl and the veggies in smaller bowls. Everyone can choose what to add to his or her own personalized bowl of gauc. (And you don’t have to worry about making it all yourself, or someone complaining about the amount of jalapenos you put in)
Ingredients:
- Limes
- Avocado
- Diced tomatoes
- Chopped onions
- Chopped jalapenos
- Salt and pepper
Prep:
- Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits
- Smash with a fork until they reach desired consistency
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Squeeze fresh lime juice to taste
- Place chopped veggies in smaller bowls
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BACON WRAPPED ASPARAGUS (BWA) BITES
Veggies wrapped in bacon, who could say no?
Ingredients:
- Asparagus
- Bacon (smoked bacon adds extra flavor)
- Lemons
- Cajun seasoning
- Salt and pepper
- Foil
- Flat pan
- Cast iron skillet
- Toothpicks
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Prep:
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees
- Preheat stove top to medium heat
- Lightly coat skillet with EVOO
- Wash asparagus and cut white ends off to discard
- Lay a large section of foil onto the pan
- Lay asparagus onto foil
- Sprinkle salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning to your liking
- Squeeze lemon juice over asparagus evenly
- Wrap raw bacon around each asparagus stalk (you may need to use two pieces of bacon for each piece of asparagus)
- Place toothpicks through each stalk to keep the bacon in place while cooking
- Once skillet is hot, place 4-5 BWA into pan at a time
- Rotate piece in pan until the bacon is cooked half way (DO NOT OVER COOK)
- Remove piece from skillet and place onto foil in the flat pan
- Slice remaining lemon half and place flat over BWA
- Cover top of BWA with another piece of foil
- Place flat pan into over and cook for 10-15 minutes or until bacon is fully cooked
- Once bacon is cooked through, remove from oven and transfer to a plate to cool
- After BWA is cooled, slice into smaller bite sized pieces
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SPINACH AND CARMALIZED ONION DIP
INGREDIENTS:
- Olive Oil (2 ounces)
- 2 medium sized onions
- Salt and black pepper
- Sour Cream (16 oz.)
- Frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained of excess liquid)
- White wine vinegar (1 tbl spoon)
- Broccoli and cauliflower florets, radishes, carrots
PREP:
- Heat oil in large skillet over medium/high heat
- Add onions, ½ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of pepper and cook until golden brown
- Transfer to medium bowl and let cool
- Add sour cream, spinach, vinegar, ¾ teaspoon of salt & ¼ teaspoon of pepper to onions mixture.
- Serve in small bowl with veggies for dipping
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Mozzarella Bites
INGREDIENTS:
- I cup of vegetable or peanut oil
- 2 containers of mozzarella (16 oz.)
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 egg (lightly beaten)
- 1 ½ cup of bread crumbs
- salt
- Fresh chopped parsley (3 tbl spoons for garnish)
- 1 cup marinara sauce, warmed for dipping
PREP:
- Line large plate with paper towel
- In small pot heat the oil over medium heat until hot
- Drain mozzarella if needed and cut into small bite sized balls/pieces
- Place flour, eggs, and bread crumbs in individual bowls (each should have their own bowl, DO NOT MIX TOGETHER)
- Working in small batches, dredge the cheese balls in flour, then egg, then bread crumbs
- Repeat until all cheese is breaded
- Fry breaded mozzarella in preheated oil/pan until golden brown on the outside
- Remove from oil with slotted spoon and transfer to prepared paper-towel lined platter
- Season immediately with salt
- To serve, garish the mozzarella with parsley and toothpicks (for easy pick up) on the side of warmed marinara sauce
