Sunday, millions of Americans will tune in to watch K-Fed doing fast food, Jessica Simpson selling pizza and, of course, their favorite team outplaying its rival. And most viewers will eat – and eat lots. As it turns out, Super Bowl Sunday, says the USDA, is the second biggest feasting day on the national calendar, bested only by Thanksgiving.
What are some easy yet surprising recipes for the big game? Consider one of these tempting recipes: flavor-packed, easy to prepare ‹ and based mainly on wholesome ingredients. And you can easily double or triple them, if you plan on a big group.
Goat Cheese and Crabmeat Empanadas with Pineapple-Papaya Dip
Makes 8 pieces
Empanadas make luscious snack foods, and this speedy version uses packaged refrigerator buttermilk biscuits as the dough. When hot, the filling is slightly runny, so serve these on small individual plates, and pass the salsa.
4 oz. goat cheese, softened
4 oz. whipped chive-flavored cream cheese
1 cup crabmeat, picked clean and well-drained
2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Hot pepper sauce to taste One 16.3-ounce package jumbo refrigerator biscuits Milk for brushing
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the goat cheese and cream cheese in a mixing bowl, and blend until smooth. Stir in the crabmeat, scallions, seasoning, and hot pepper sauce.
Lightly flour a work surface, and roll out 1 biscuit to about 5 1Ž2 inches round. Spoon 1 generous tablespoon crabmeat mixture on one half of the round. Brush the edges with milk, fold the top over to enclose, and crimp the edges shut with a fork. Brush the top with milk, and place the biscuit on a large, nonstick baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven, and cool slightly before eating.
Pineapple-Papaya Dip
1 cup well-drained crushed pineapple
1/2 cup minced papaya
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
1/2 cup low-fat or nonfat sour cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Combine all the ingredients, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Jalapeño Sausage-Shrimp Quesadillas with Spicy-Crunchy Guacamole
Makes 8
You can temper the heat in these quesadillas by using jalapeño-flavored sausages, or buying super-hot Mexican chorizo sausages. You can also grade the heat level of the guacamole by using a half or a whole fresh jalapeño, and kick the fire up a notch with a teaspoonful or two of chipotle sauce.
These unusual quesadillas go well with chilled beer. You may serve them whole, or cut into wedges for easier eating. Pass the guacamole alongside, and, if you want, salsa fresca and sour cream.
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 lb. jalapeño-flavored sausages, or chorizo sausages, coarsely chopped
8 large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
2 tomatillos, cubed
4 tbsp. salsa verde
8 8-inch-round whole wheat flour tortillas
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella
3/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed
Fresh cilantro stems, rinsed and dried
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and sauté the sausage for
2 to 3 minutes. Add the shrimp, tomatillos, and salsa verde, and cook until the sausage begins to brown, for 5 to 7 minutes. Divide the mixture into 8 portions.
To make the quesadillas, place one on a flat surface, and sprinkle with 1Ž4 cup shredded cheese and 1 tablespoon black beans. Spoon a portion of the sausage mixture on top, add several cilantro stems, and fold the tortilla in half over the filling. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, and spray with nonstick cooking spray. When the skillet is hot, cook the quesadillas, one or two at a time, turning often to prevent their turning too dark. When both sides are golden and the cheese has melted, put on a platter, and repeat with the remaining quesadillas.
Spicy-Crunchy Guacamole
1 large ripe avocado, peeled and pit removed
2 plum tomatoes
2 tomatillos
Juice 1 lime
1/2 to 1 jalapeño
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chipotle sauce, optional
Salt to taste
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, optional
Put all the ingredients except the sunflower seeds, if using, in a blender or food processor, and process until the mixture reaches the desired consistency. Spoon into a container, set the avocado pit in the mixture to prevent its darkening, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Curried Meatball Wrap with Coriander-Chili Chutney
Makes 4
Inspired by the Greek gyro sandwich but with all Indian flavors, this hefty meal-in-one benefits with a few spoonfuls of the Indian-inspired coriander-chili chutney. Because the meatballs are made from ground turkey, they contain considerably less fat than those made from beef. You can make your own thickened yogurt, or buy it‹a product known as labneh or yogurt cheese‹from a Middle-Eastern market. If you decide to make your own, start with a 32-ounce container of low-fat yogurt, and let it drain for about 5 hours. The resulting yogurt is very thick; refrigerate unused portion. Look for the bread at a well-stocked supermarket or Indian or Middle Eastern grocery.
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, sliced into long, thin strips
1 medium tomato, diced
2 to 3 tbps. grated fresh ginger
2 to 3 tsp. curry powder, or to taste
1 to 2 tsp. ground turmeric
Salt to taste
One 12-oz. package turkey meatballs (12 meatballs to the package), cubed
4 loaves Greek pita or Indian naan bread About 1 cup thick yogurt, or yogurt cheese
3 tbsp. mango chutney
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and sauté the onion, tomato, and ginger until cooked through and the onion is softened. Stir in the curry powder, turmeric, and salt. Add the meatballs, and continue cooking until the mixture thickens slightly and the meatballs are heated through.
Heat and soften the pita in a microwave or conventional oven. Spoon the meat mixture into a mixing bowl, stir in the yogurt and chutney. Divide the meat mixture into four portions. Place the pita bread on a sheet of aluminum foil, spoon one-quarter of the mixture onto the pita, and wrap up in the foil like a cigar. Serve as a wrapped sandwich with the coriander-chili chutney.
Coriander-Chili Chutney
1 bunch fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves and stems, well rinsed and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup grated coconut
2 jalapeños or other green chilies, or to taste
2 to 3 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. ground cumin
Salt to taste
Place all ingredients in the container of a food processor, and process until pastelike; drain off any excess liquid. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
