Super Bowl Sunday!!!!

Growing up I was not a fan of the Super Bowl. Despite being a cheerleader for a few years, I just could never get into the game. Then in college (and for some years after) the Super Bowl conflicted with my birthday - some years being the same day. That is not the best way to turn me into a fan! Finally the NFL wised up and pushed it back a week. Now I can enjoy my birthday weekend AND top off two months of gluttony with a big greasy finish.

Of course you don't have to go crazy on the calories for the Super Bowl. My contribution to the festivities in 2012 was a wonderful Jalapeno Popper Dip. I found the recipe on Pinterest and then changed a few ingredients to lighten it up. It was delicious!

Last year's dish was a take on the classic sliders and the calorie content was not as closely monitored. If you are hosting a large party, this particular dish is great because it stays warm in the slow cooker so people can help themselves!

Cheeseburger Bites
From Pillsbury Fast Slow Cooker Cookbook

This recipe includes my changes. One the major changes was that I doubled the recipe. The existing recipe only called for 1 lb of meat for 24 burger bites. This was just over a tablespoon per bite. I couldn't imagine anyone (especially guys) that would use so little! I also changed the cooking time thanks to the reviews on the website. 3 to 4 hours sounded crazy!

Bites
2 lb lean (at least 80% - I used 90 or 95% lean) ground beef
4 tablespoons ketchup
4 teaspoons instant minced onion (I didn't have minced onion so I finely chopped some onion and sauteed it before adding the meat.)
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
16 oz (2 blocks) cheddar cheese, or whatever cheese you like (the recipe called for American and I used 1 block of cheddar and 1 Monterey Jack), cut into 2 inch cubes
24 miniature burger buns

Toppings
Dill pickle chips
Sliced plum (Roma) tomatoes
Shredded lettuce (I used butter lettuce from a bag of salad.)
Additional ketchup and mustard
Other toppings you enjoy - I also provided relish, sauteed onions, and mayo.

1. In 10 inch skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in ketchup, onion (unless you cooked fresh onion with the meat), and mustard.

2. Spray 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Spoon beef mixture into slow cooker. Top with cheese.

3. Cover; cook on Low heat setting for 1 - 2 hours. Check at one hour to see if the cheese is melted. It may still look "cubed" but if you start to stir it the cubes fall away. I found that mine was ready in a little over an hour. With occasional stirring, this dish will hold on Low heat for several hours. Eventually I did turn off the slow cooker and with the lid on it stayed warm. It can burn if left on for too long.

4. Serve with the buns and toppings. Either assemble yourself or create a buffet for guests to top as they desire.

Photo courtesy of Pillsbury as I forgot to take one.

Looking for some more great recipes for the big game? Thrillist posted some great recipes earlier today. You can find them here.


So now that you have your food squared away, you need to think decor. Here are a few easy ways to dress up your Super Bowl party.

Free Signage
There are a number of free Super Bowl printables available online. You can do a simple search via search engine or Pinterest. This set from A to Zebra Celebrations is both simple and cute. Here is a sample of what you will find.

Make Easy Signage
I made this little sign to fit the Tolsby frame from IKEA. A simple font was used so that anyone attending the party could make one for their dish. Just pulled the Super Bowl logo online and added a border and a text box in Word. Super simple!

Double Duty Decor
Get this great cylinder set from IKEA and fill with a variety of items including football shaped chocolates and plastic football or helmet rings. Guests can snack on the chocolate and wear the rings!

Hope you have a great Super Bowl Sunday and that you win your score square! If you have some favorite dishes for the Super Bowl, be sure to share them below!

Simple (and Relatively Healthy) Recipes for the Holidays

With only a couple weeks until Christmas, I am looking at recipes and trying to figure out what delicious contributions I can make to my family's holiday meals. In the process I realized that I have a few recipes I could share with you might make your search a little easier!

Cocktail

Holiday Floats

Last month I shared a couple signature drinks I have made for previous Thanksgivings. This year I created "Thanksgiving Floats" which are easily rebranded "Holiday Floats". I used Martha Stewart's Everyday Food recipe for Cranberry & Apple Cider Sorbet for these floats. I followed the recipe as it was written with the exception of doubling the recipe. This meant it froze on a different timeline and even though I forgot about it in the freezer and mashed it late, it turned out wonderfully once I put it in the food processor. The flavor is quite strong but really mellows out once made into a float.

The assembly is quite simple. In addition to the sorbet you will need sparkling wine - I personally like Prosecco as it's not too dry or too sweet. Despite what my directions say in the photos below, I think the best way to assemble the floats is as follows:

1. Pour a small amount of sparkling wine in each glass. Allow the foam to subside.

2. Put 1 or 2 (depending on taste) small scoops of sorbet in the glass. I used a melon baller to get the right sized scoop for a champagne flute.

3. Slowly and carefully top with sparkling wine. The combination of the bubbly drink and the cold sorbet really causes it to foam up!

In order to keep the sorbet frozen, I took an ice bucket, filled it with ice, and then placed the bowl of sorbet on top. If you are hosting a party and want this drink to be self-serve, I would recommend doing something similar.

Appetizers

Tortellini Caprese Skewers

1 package whole wheat cheese tortellini
cherry tomatoes (I used Sweet 100s from my garden)
basil, cut or torn into skewer size pieces
Trader Joe's Balsamic Glaze
olive oil
coarse sea salt

1. Cook tortellini according to package instructions. Cool. If you don't have time to allow the tortellini to cool on their own, you can prepare an ice bath (ice & water) and plunge them for a quick cool down.

2. Assemble skewers using toothpicks sandwiching the basil between the tortellini and tomato. Be sure to skewer through the "meatiest" part of the tortellini and tomato for a sturdy appetizer.

3. Arrange dipping "sauces". Balsamic Glaze (can be substituted for a balsamic reduction) in one bowl, good quality olive oil in another, and coarse sea salt in another (or via a salt grinder) with small serving spoons. While I prefer to offer the selection of classic toppings, you could also just drizzle one or the other over a platter of skewers.

Note - I actually originally made these for a picnic at the end of summer but the colors and simplicity make them a perfect appetizer for the holidays!

 

 

 

Caramelized Onion, Gruyere and Bacon Spread

 

I made this delicious spread last year for Christmas and it was a huge hit! I found the recipe on the Cooking Light website. At only 100 calories for 3 tablespoons, you can feel free to indulge! The creamy cheese, caramelization of the onions and subtle saltiness of the bacon makes this dip seem much more decadent than it actually is.

 

Something to note - you have to cut up A LOT of onions for this recipe (this is what makes it so low cal despite all of the other delicious ingredients). If you are sensitive to the aroma, you may want to wear eye covering. I had to keep stopping because I couldn't stop crying! Also, I prepped the entire spread the day before with the exception of adding the final layer of cheese. If you are trying to get a number of items ready, just having to pop this in the oven is a big time saver. I served this spread with Trader Joe's Rye Crisps and crostinis.

Photo courtesy of Cooking Light

 

 

 

Side Dish/Salad

 

Rosemary Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Shallots

 

This was another great find from Cooking Light! Our main dish last Christmas was a pork roast and these potatoes went wonderfully. I think this dish would go equally well with any number of proteins as the shallots and rosemary really help tame the sweetness of the potatoes.

Photo courtesy of Cooking Light

 

 

Christmas Spinach Salad

 

This is a salad that was inspired by one my friend brought to an event several years ago. I just love the contrast of the pomegranate seeds against the spinach leaves. Unfortunately no photos of this one but I promise it is very simple.

 

1 bag of pre-washed spinach leaves

feta cheese, crumbled (I like the fat free or reduced fat.)

fresh pomegranate seeds (dried can be substituted but it isn't as good)

walnuts, chopped & lightly toasted

balsamic salad dressing

 

1. Fill a large bowl with spinach leaves and top with the feta cheese, pomegranate seeds, and walnuts - use your best judgement as to proportions. You want to garnish the salad - not have the toppings in equal proportion to the spinach.

 

2. Just before serving, toss with dressing or allow everyone to dress their own salads.

 

 

I hope these recipes have given you a place to start when planning your holiday meals and gatherings. The options really are endless! I am a crazy Pin-aholic so please check out my Pinterest page for lots more recipe ideas!

 

 



 

 

Product Placement Wednesday - Trader Joe's Carefully Curated Collection Flavored Olive Oil

Yes, Product Placement Wednesday is back! Think of it as a recurring character in the cast that is my blog rather than a series regular. Too many things to blog about and not enough time to do it! For this "PPW" I have a GREAT item. One you will not want to miss!

Trader Joe's Carefully Curated Collection Flavored Olive Oil

Our friends at Trader Joe's are starting to fill their shelves with their fall seasonal items (pumpkin lovers take note!) and one of my favorites from last year is on the shelves ahead of schedule! I was told that this just arrived this week which was perfect timing as I am running dangerously low on all three flavors. So what are these wonderful flavors? Included in this pack you received Basil, Lemon & Hot Pepper. You can see some of Trader Joe's recommendations via the link above but here are some of my favorite uses:

Basil - Toss with whole wheat pasta, fresh tomatoes and your cheese of choice.

Lemon - Drizzle on a salad of butter lettuce, Parmesan cheese, avocado and blueberries.

Hot Pepper - Try this oil with the Jalapeno Chicken Sausage, brown rice, sauteed tomatoes, and feta cheese.

Keep in mind these are finishing oils - not cooking oils. I have experimented with all of them and the combinations are endless. I recommend adding a bit of nice salt to bring your dishes to life.

You can find the Carefully Curated Collection Flavored Olive Oil either in the olive oil section and/or in the new product section depending on your store. These oils have a great date on them (mine is 2015) so if you cook for a crowd you may want to pick up more than one! They would also make a great gift for the chefs in your life.

What are your favorite combinations with the flavored olive oils? I would love to hear from you!

Online Recipes Tested - Jalapeno Popper Dip

Now that I have discovered the crack that is Pinterest, I have found some fun new recipes that require trying. Of course I will ultimately pin about 1000% more recipes than I can ever hope to make but the ones that I do make will receive a write up here. Since the Super Bowl was last weekend, it only seems appropriate to start with my contribution to that gluttonous evening.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

(Note: The above link goes to the site and original recipe. The recipe below includes my alterations.)

Dip

2 8oz packages cream cheese (reduced fat), room temperature

1 cup light mayonnaise

1 cup light Mexican cheese blend, shredded

1/2 cup parmesan, grated

1 4oz can green chilies, diced

1 4oz can diced jalapenos or 4 fresh jalapenos, seeded & finely diced (I used four large fresh jalapenos and this had good heat but wasn't too hot. Add more it pump up the heat.)

Topping

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup parmesan, grated

1/4 cup light butter, melted

1. Mix the dip ingredients together and spread into a greased pie pan or 2 quart baking dish (I used cooking spray to grease the dish).

2. Mix topping ingredients until even consistency is reached.

3. Cover dip with topping being sure to cover evenly.

4. Bake dip in a 375 degree pre-heated oven for approximately 20 minutes. Dip is done when top is brown and dip is bubbling. (Note: I was cooking this in an older oven with other items and it took much longer than 20 minutes to cook. I recommend checking it at 20 minutes and go with your instincts from there. Also, the center of my batch was not quite as bubbly as the exteriors so be sure to check that area before removing from the oven.)

5. Serve with crackers, baguette or chips. I used a baked blue corn chip from Trader Joe's and it was fantastic.

So my overall review of this dish was that it was fantastic! Can you tell that I couldn't wait to try it - didn't even get the photo off first! It was really easy to make though cutting up the jalapenos did stretch out the prep time. I would still use the fresh over the canned or jarred for that fresh popper flavor. This dip was a huge hit and I don't think that lightening the calories up took anything away from the flavor. I highly recommend this dip for any party but particularly anything sports related.

Have you tried this recipe? Please let me know what you think!

Cooking Club, Part 2

A little over a month ago was the second meeting of Cooking Club! As a reminder, the guidelines we are trying to stick with are as follows:

• Fresh (or fresh frozen) veggies & fruit as much as possible
• Whole grains
• Minimally processed food
• Organic when possible and affordable
• Lower calorie dishes preferred

All the recipes below are linked back to the source if known and we don't take credit for any of them (even though with our tweaks they are NEW recipes!). We are missing Katie's recipe but hopefully she will send it over and I can update the post. Let us know what you think of these recipes as well as those from Cooking Club, Part 1!

Mia’s Contribution: Eggplant Caponata

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for grilling

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons golden raisins

2 tablespoons pine nuts

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes

1/2 cup tomato paste

1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons sugar, plus more if needed

1 small eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/3 cup white-wine vinegar

Coarse salt

2 cubes TJ's basil

2 cubes TJ's garlic

1. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion, raisins, pine nuts, garlic, and red-pepper flakes; cook stirring occasionally, until onion has softened, 4 to 6 minutes.

2. Add tomato paste, cocoa powder, and sugar; cook, stirring, until tomato paste is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggplant, vinegar, and 1/3 cup water.

3. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is tender and mixture is thick, 7 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and more sugar (up to 1 tablespoon), as desired.

4. Serve with crostini as an appetizer or over pasta as a meal.

Note: Raisins were not included in our version of this recipe and it turned out delicious.

Jasmin’s Contribution: Quinoa With Toasted Almonds & Dried Cranberries

1 cup quinoa

1/2 cup slivered blanched almonds

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 vegan vegetable bouillon cube

1/2 tsp salt

1 cinnamon stick

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1. Soak the quinoa 15 minutes in cold water

2. Stir the quinoa with your hand, pour off most of the water and drain through a fine mesh strainer

3. Shake dry in the strainer, then set the strainer over a bowl or pitcher

4. Heat a wide bottomed pan on medium heat and add the oil

5. Stir and toast the sliced almonds until golden, then remove from pan

6. Add the quinoa. Stir and toast until dry and turning color

7. Add boiling water, veggie cube, salt, bay leaf and cinnamon stick, and dried cranberries

8. Bring back to boil, cover, turn the heat to simmer, cook for 10 minutes or until all the water is absorbed

9. Remove from heat and allow to sit five minutes with the lid on

10. Fluff gently with a fork and serve

Note: Cooked chicken was added to our version to up the protein content of the meal.

Rachael’s Contribution: Slow-Cooker White Bean and Kielbasa Stew

1 pound dried white beans (such as great Northern or navy)

14 ounces kielbasa, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/2 inch thick

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 large onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

5 ounces baby spinach (6 cups)

country bread, for serving

1. In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the beans, kielbasa, broth, tomatoes (and their juices), onion, garlic, rosemary, and 1 cup water.

2. Cover and cook until the beans are tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours (this will shorten total recipe time).

3. Just before serving, stir in the spinach. Serve with the bread.

Note: Turkey kielbasa was substituted for regular kielbasa and the spinach was left out.

Gretchen’s Contribution: Easy Lasagna

1 28 oz. jar plain Ragu or other spaghetti sauce

1 ½ lb. browned ground chuck (or leaner beef)

1 6 oz. can tomato paste

1 15 oz. can tomato sauce

1 lb. low-fat ricotta cheese

1 lb. grated mozzarella cheese

Parmesan cheese

Lasagna noodles, uncooked

1. Combine first 4 ingredients to create sauce.

2. In 9 X 13 pan: layer of sauce (1/3), layer of noodles, layer of sauce (1/3), layer ALL ricotta cheese, layer ½ mozzarella cheese, sprinkle parmesan cheese to taste, layer of noodles, remaining sauce, remaining mozzarella cheese, sprinkle parmesan cheese to taste.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 – 50 minutes. If top is dry, add a little more sauce. Let sit about 15 min. before cutting.

Note: Lots of substitutions were made with this dish. Organic marinara was used instead of Ragu. Ground turkey was used instead of ground chuck. Fat free ricotta was used instead of low fat. Low fat mozzarella was used instead of regular. Also the first layer of sauce did not have meat in it and two layers of fresh baby spinach were added after the ricotta cheese and before the final layer of mozzarella. The spinach didn't add much but was an easy way to sneak in some veggies. Next time I would add more spinach. This is also to adapt for vegetarians too. Just leave out the meat!

Product Placement Wednesday - Crate & Barrel Cheese Markers

I heart cheese. I will eat it on just about anything but my favorite way to enjoy cheese is on it's own. No bread, no crackers. That being said, I love a good cheese plate and always have one at any function I put together. Until recently, I would use little metal cheese signs that had names of particular types of cheeses (cheddar, stilton, etc.). The problem with these signs was that there were so many cheeses unaccounted for by the pre-selected names. Then I found these little gems!

Crate & Barrel Cheese Markers

These cheese markers are the perfect way to both personalize and add some personality to your cheese board. The markers themselves can be customized with a dry erase marker, grease pencil or even a crayon to describe your delicious selection. Since all of those writing utensils easily wipe off the porcelain base, you can label unlimited cheeses!

I think the cheese markers are perfect for all of your holiday functions or even as a hostess gift! They come in a set of 6 so the biggest question is how to narrow the selection down to only 6 cheeses! Trader Joe's here I come!

The Bachelorette Dinner, Part 2

A couple of weeks ago, dinner for our weekly viewing of The Bachelorette had a theme that many of you are probably familiar with - leftovers! Amie and I both surveyed our kitchens and ended up with an amazing meal that required only the purchase of crackers.

Stuffed Yellow Squash

1 large yellow squash

1/4 tomato, diced

1/4 red onion

8 oz ground beef (we used the frozen Kobe burger from Trader Joe's but you can use any you like)

1/4 cup feta cheese (light or fat free is fine)

butter

1. Cut yellow squash in half and hollow out each side. Discard inside of squash or save for another recipe.

2. Cook ground beef as desired. We were using a burger patty that had been cooked the day before so the only prep was to crumble.

3. Caramelize the onion using butter in a skillet.

4. Combine ground beef, tomato, and caramelized onion.

5. Stuff squash with beef and vegetable mixture.

6. Sprinkle with feta cheese.

7. Warm through in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.

Serves 2

The stuffed squash could easily be made vegetarian by substituting a vegetable protein or even just additional vegetables.

Orzo and Vegetable Salad with Lemon Yogurt Vinaigrette

Please Note: Measurements are approximate.

1 cup orzo

1/3 cup carrots, diced

1/3 cup asparagus, chopped

1/3 cup green beans, chopped

1/3 cup English peas

1/8 cup pistachios, shelled

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

herbs de provence

1/2 lemon, juice only

2 tablespoons non-fat Greek yogurt

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

1. Prepare orzo according to package instructions.

2. Blanch carrots, asparagus, green beans & peas.

3. To make vinaigrette, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, yogurt, and herbs de provence. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Combine orzo, vegetables, pistachios, and vinaigrette.

Serves A LOT. Can be kept refrigerated for several days.

We enjoyed our meal with an appetizer plate of leftover salami, sausage and cheese from Trader Joe's. This was accompanied by gherkins and Rosemary Raisin crackers also from Trader Joe's.

The Bachelorette Dinner, Part 1

As you may recall, Amie and I love our Bachelor Monday dinners! Past dinners can be found here: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, & Week 8. With the new season of The Bachelorette in full and very annoying swing, we are back to our whipping up our weekly dinner delights! Due to schedule conflicts, we did not cook for a few of the first episodes and I am a week behind in posting as well. So without further ado, enjoy our most recent "recipes"!

A couple of notes about this week's dinner:

1. It it by far one of the easiest dinners we have made and it was so delicious!

2. It includes another great use for Greek yogurt as previously discussed.

Roasted Chicken Greek Pitas

1 package/2 patties Trader Joe's Roasted Chicken Patties (8oz of cooked chicken or other chicken patties can be substituted)

1 dozen cherry tomatoes

3 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

1 whole wheat pita

Homemade Tzatziki (recipe below)

1. Heat chicken patties per their instructions (I use the microwave) or prepare chicken as desired. Dice into cubes.

2. Slice whole wheat pita in half in order to make two "pockets".

3. Fill pita pockets with chicken, tomato and mint.

4. Serve with homemade tzatziki.

Homemade Tzatziki

1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt

juice from 1/2 a lemon

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small cucumber, diced

1 clove of garlic, minced

chopped mint, salt & pepper to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

2. Enjoy!

Sweet & Spicy Salad

2-3 handfuls Trader Joe's Wasabi Arugula

1/3 cup fat free feta

Trader Joe's Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar (regular champagne vinegar with a little orange juice would probably be a fine substitution)

Olive Oil

Salt

1. Combine wasabi arugula and feta in a bowl.

2. Whisk together vinegar, olive oil and a dash of salt.

3. Toss and serve.

We enjoyed our meal with an appetizer platter of meats, cheese, etc from Trader Joe's and The Cheese Store of Silverlake.

Even though these blog entries are not specifically about The Bachelorette, is it just us or do you all want to throttle Ashley too?