Monday, January 24, 2011

Super Bowl Eats

For a long time, I wasn't much of a football fan.  But, after hubby and I got a 50 inch plasma TV, we started watching more.  And now that we live in Florida where we actually have football teams, we started watching it even more.  Now, most Sundays during football season I make some kind of appetizer or two that we have during the games.  And with the Super Bowl coming up, I thought I would share some of my favorites.

My first recipe is really simple but SOO good.  You soften a block of cream cheese, spread it in an 8x8 pan, top with chili or refried beans and shredded Mexican cheese.  You can either bake it or nuke it until it's hot and bubbly.  I serve it with tortilla chips.  SOOO yummy.

My next recipe is one I just got on New Year's Eve.  Many people have heard of Texas Caviar but every recipe I've ever found has been a bit complicated.  Someone brought Tennessee Caviar to a party I went to on New Year's Eve and I liked it even better.  It's much simpler and I think it tastes better.  I found several versions online but none that matches this one so I'm not sure of the origin.

Tennessee Caviar

3 cans of black-eyed peas, drained but NOT rinsed
1 C of chopped onions
1 C chppped green pepper (I don't like green so I use yellow, red, or orange)
2-3 Chopped, fresh jalapenos
2 cloved of garlic, minced
8-12 0z. of Zesty Itlalian dressing (I used Light)

Mix all the ingredients together and let sit overnight.  Serve with Fritos Scoops or Tostitos scoops.

Note:  I add chopped cilantro to mine.  I think it makes a great addition.

Another game time favorite is shrimp cocktail and once I tried Ina Garten's new take on it, I never looked back!

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

For the shrimp:

2 pounds (12 to 15-count) shrimp
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:

1/2 cup chili sauce (recommended: Heinz)
1/2 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails on. Place them on a sheet pan with the olive oil, salt, and pepper and spread them in 1 layer. Roast for 8 to10 minutes, just until pink and firm and cooked through. Set aside to cool.

For the sauce, combine the chili sauce, ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Serve as a dip with the shrimp.

Note:  I make my own version of cocktail sauce but hers is good too.

Another thing I love to make for football is chili.  I don't usually follow a recipe when I make regular red chili but I also like white chili.  I saw this recipe on the Food Network and I ROUGHLY follow it.  It's really good.

White Bean and Chicken Chili

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds ground chicken
1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons chili powder
3 tablespoons flour
2 (15-ounce cans) cannellini or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1 bunch (about 1 pound) Swiss chard, stems removed, leaves chopped into 1-inch pieces
11/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper for seasoning
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the ground chicken, 1 teaspoon salt, cumin, fennel seeds, oregano, and chili powder. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Stir the flour into the chicken mixture. Add the beans, Swiss chard, corn, and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 55-60 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half and the chili has thickened. Add the red pepper flakes and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ladle the chili into serving bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

Notes:  I use ground turkey instead of chicken.  I also eliminate the corn, Swiss chard and fennel seeds and use shredded Mexican cheeswe and cilantro in polace of parmesan and parsley.  I usually make it ahead of time and then heat it up in the Crockpot on the day of the game.

So, there you have some of my favorite game time treats.  Enjoy!