Hello all and Happy Friday! Superbowl weekend is somewhat of an American holiday to sports and non-sports fans alike. As in most great holidays, great meals are expected to partake. While “stadium” food usually involves greasy garlic fries, chili covered hot dogs and spicy nachos, those foods do not have to make up your Football Sunday menu.
Below are some of our favorite party friendly recipes perfect for your Superbowl Soiree.
Black Bean Hummus
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup soft silken tofu
2 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 small lime
Salt and freshly-ground pepper, to taste
Ground sweet paprika, for garnish
1. Place the beans, garlic, tofu, tahini, cumin, oil, and lime juice in a food processor. Whirl until the mixture is smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Serve in a bowl, garnished with a sprinkle of paprika. Black Bean Hummus will keep for 4 to 5 days, tightly covered in the refrigerator.
Makes 1 1/2 cups.
Sweet Potato Fries
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges or strips
1 tablespoon olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Toss the potatoes with the oil, salt and pepper, then place in a single layer on a lightly-oiled baking sheet.
3. Bake 20 minutes, then turn and bake another 20 minutes, until soft inside and crisp outside (if you cut the fries very thin, you’ll want to keep an eye on them to prevent burning). Serve hot.
Serves 4.
Sweet Variation: Sprinkle oiled and salted potato wedges with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 tablespoon Sucanat or other natural sweetener. Bake as above. Or sprinkle with Sucanat and cinnamon as soon as they come out of the oven. Or just make the basic recipe and serve fries with this sweet dipping sauce:
Sweet Dipping Sauce: Whisk together 1/2 cup plain or Greek-style yogurt, 1/4 cup maple syrup, and cinnamon to taste. Use as a dip for the baked sweet potatoes.
Spicy Variation: Sprinkle oiled and salted potato wedges with cayenne pepper and/or chili powder to taste and bake as above. Or serve basic fries with this dipping sauce:
Spicy Dipping Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup healthy mayonnaise and 1/4 cup chipotle salsa or other favorite salsa (we love the smokiness of chipotle, but we’ve also tried peach salsa and loved the combo of fruity and spicy. Feel free to experiment!).
Savory Variations: Add one minced garlic clove, 1/8 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese and some chopped fresh parsley to the fries as soon as they come out of the oven.
Add 1 teaspoon dried rosemary to oiled and salted potato wedges and bake as above. Sometimes we sprinkle these with fresh lemon juice just before serving. (This variation is great with our super-quick version of garlic aioli dipping sauce; just add a crushed garlic clove to your favorite healthy mayo.)
Sprinkle oiled and salted potato wedges with 2 teaspoons curry spices (use regular curry powder, or try 1 teaspoon coriander and 1 teaspoon cumin). Or make this dipping sauce:
Curry Dipping Sauce: Whisk 1/2 cup plain yogurt with 1/2 teaspoon curry paste and use as a dip.
Or just sprinkle your baked fries with a good quality vinegar!
Greek Layered Veggie Dip
1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt (see below to make your own)
2 tablespoons fresh snipped chives
1 cup hummus
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup oil-cured or Greek-style olives, sliced
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup green onions, white and green parts, chopped
Fresh or dried oregano, for garnish
1. Mix the yogurt and chives together and spread in a 10-inch glass pie-plate.
2. Spread the hummus evenly over the yogurt. Sprinkle with cucumber, then with tomatoes, olives, feta, and green onions. Sprinkle top with oregano.
3. Serve with pita chips. May also be used in wraps or pita pockets as a sandwich, or served with grilled eggplant.
Serves 4 to 6.
To Make Greek-Style Yogurt: Place the contents of a large container of plain yogurt in a colander or strainer lined with cheesecloth. Allow to drain for an hour. The thickened yogurt remaining in the colander is Greek-style yogurt!
Taco Salad
One 15-ounce can refried beans
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup guacamole (see below)
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
6 scallions, chopped, including the green tops
1 large bag taco chips
1. Spread the beans in an even layer on the bottom of a decorative deep-dish non-metal serving pan. Sprinkle the cheese over the beans. Place in a microwave oven for 30 seconds on high, until the cheese melts.
2. Spread guacamole over the cheese, then a thin layer of salsa. Spread yogurt gently over salsa.
3. Arrange tomatoes evenly around the outer edge of the pan, then make another ring of chopped scallions inside the ring of tomatoes. If making as a main meal, crush taco chips and place inside the rings of tomato and scallion. If serving as an appetizer, place chips in a basket and serve alongside.
Serves 8.
Classic Guacamole
1 ripe Haas avocado
1 medium tomato, seeds and juice removed
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 teaspoon hot sauce
Juice of 1 lime
1. Cut avocado in half and remove pit. Scoop out the flesh and place it in a medium-sized bowl. Mash the avocado with the back of a fork until smooth.
2. Add tomato, onion, hot sauce, and lime juice to the avocado and mix well. Place the guacamole in a covered container and refrigerate until ready to use.
Makes 1 cup.
Baked Artichoke Dip
2 (14-ounce) cans water-packed artichokes, well drained
4 ounces organic silken tofu
3 large cloves garlic
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
2/3 cup plain (or Greek) yogurt
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, or more to taste
pinch of cayenne pepper
more Parmesan to sprinkle on top
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. In a blender or food processor puree the artichokes, tofu, and garlic. In a separate medium bowl whisk together the parmesan cheese, yogurt, salt, and cayenne. Stir in the artichoke puree and pour mixture into a medium-sized baking dish (or multiple smaller dishes). Sprinkle the top with more Parmesan. Bake uncovered until heated through and the cheese on the top starts to brown, about 45 minutes.
Makes 2-3 cups of artichoke dip.
Zippy Coleslaw
1/2 head of green cabbage, shredded (about 4 cups)
1/3 cup rice vinegar
4 carrots, peeled and grated
3 green onions, minced
2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 pinch salt
Directions:
Mix the cabbage, the carrots and the green onions in a large bowl, set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, sesame seeds, and salt. Drizzle over the cabbage mixture, toss to incorporate. Allow to sit 1 hour before serving. Garnish with additional sesame seeds.
Do you have your own favorite game day recipes? Share them with fellow foodies in time for the Big Game on our Facebook page!
Weather conditions are starting to improve in all the growing regions in California, which is a sign that spring may not be too far away! Places that were unusally wet, are starting to dry which is good for the row crops!
For those of you who did not get a bin last week…Cara Cara oranges have developed a bit
of a cult following since their discovery in 1976 on a navel tree at Hacienda Cara Cara in Venezuela, which is where their name comes from! They are thought to be a cross between two very different types of Navel oranges, and have a ruby red flesh and more complex flavor. You’ll find a couple in your bin this week, so you can be the judge!
Lemons are finally a reasonable price and are available for sale, as well asFlat Leaf Parsley, also known as Italian Parsley, both great staples to have around to add that extra brightness to salad, soup or sandwiches.
Sunny Honey, Mt Baker Wild Flower is available for purchase, (this variety will not crystalize as quickly as the Raspberry honey did)
Check out this week’s recipe for a quick and easy arugula salad recipe. You can keep it simple, or make it a little more fancy by adding toasted nuts, or maybe a little cheese! Also, look for more information about the produce in your bin on our Facebook page, & our blog!
Today’s Tip!
Save your empty mustard or jelly jars for homemade salad dressing. It is oh so easy to make, and will keep in your fridge for at least a week, and it sooooo much better for you than anything you can purchase in a bottle from the store!
