And the pressure is on for those hosting a party next Sunday.
Daina Falk knows how to feed hungry sports fans.
She runs the Hungry Fan web site, and she joined us to talk about what she's dubbed "Fangating".
Daina demonstrated some Super Bowl party dishes, and you can find her recipes on her web site, thehungryfan.com
Recipes:
Healthy Jalapeño Poppers
Ingredients
7-8 jalapeño peppers
1 cup Greek yogurt (the less-healthy version calls for cream cheese here)
½- 1 cup Cheddar cheese (or try partially-skim Cheddar for fewer calories)
Sea salt, to taste
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely minced (you can also use Italian parsley)
½ cup whole wheat breadcrumbs (or gluten free crumbs if you're GF)
Preparation Preheat oven to 350°F.
Slice the jalapeños vertically and remove the seeds and membrane.
Mix Greek yogurt, cheddar cheese, salt, cilantro, cumin seeds and cumin powder in a bowl.
Fill the jalapeños with this mixture. Then coat the jalapeños with breadcrumbs. Add some cheese additional on top if desired.
Bake for 25 – 30 minutes. If using cheese on top, broil for a only few short (additional) minutes on low to brown the cheese.
Serve warm and enjoy!
Gorgonzola-Stuffed, Bacon-Wrapped Dates, Dipped in Bittersweet Chocolate
(Recipe makes a dozen).
Ingredients
6 strips of bacon (preferably nitrate-free)
½ of ½ a pint of heavy cream
Cayenne pepper
Gorgonzola cheese (or some variation thereof, depending on how stinky you like your cheese)
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
12 dates, pitted
Toothpicks
Preparation
Preheat your oven to 400° F.
Microwave your bacon for two and a half minutes, just so that it gets crispier when you cook it later on. Let it cool a bit and cut each slice in half, width-wise.
Stuff some cheese into each date and then wrap in bacon, securing with a toothpick so the bacon does not unravel.
Bake in a sided cookie sheet in oven for 15 minutes. (You may find it easier to clean up if you line your cookie sheet with parchment paper).
While the dates cook, simmer heavy cream in a small saucepan. Add in the chocolate and let melt while continuously stirring. The melting process shouldn't take super long so you may want to time it to coincide with the last five minutes of the dates' baking. Make sure to melt away any lumps. You want silky chocolate.
Let the bacon-wrapped dates cool just a bit along with the chocolate. Then dip the dates in the chocolate, being sure to coat entirely and set aside on a plate.
The Hungry Fan's Chicken Nachos
Ingredients
2 garlic cloves, crushed
6 green onions, finely chopped
3 tablespoons organic canola or veggie oil
1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of sea or kosher salt
4 teaspoons of lemon juice
1 cup salsa (your favorite store-bought brand)
½ (12 ounce) package organic corn tortilla chips
1 cup of mature cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 large tomato, diced
1 chicken breast, shredded
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of pitted pimento olives, sliced (optional)
1 cup of spinach and artichoke dip (optional)
Preparation Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Spritz some lemon juice on the shredded chicken. Then season with a couple sprinkles of the salt and pepper and set aside.
Over medium heat, heat the oil in a large skillet. Once the oil is warmed up (this won't take long), throw in crushed garlic and green onions. Stir as they cook for about a minute and then toss in the chicken and stir for another minute or so.
Then take the heat down a bit and add in the salsa, stirring and letting sit over a simmer to keep the mixture warm while you get the chips ready.
Lay down tortilla chips evenly on a baking sheet (preferably with sides). Add the chicken nacho mix on each chip individually (you'll get bonus points for presentation) or pile it on top of a bed of chips, bar style. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove the nachos from the oven and let them sit for a few minutes. Then add the spinach and artichoke dip on top with sprinkle with cilantro (and olives if you desire) for tasty goodness. Enjoy!
