Super Bowl healthy food

I was invited to my friend's house for Super Bowl.  Actually he is also a former training client. The food is pot luck style and everyone is asked to bring a dish. I had a busy week so had not planned what I was going to bring.  I wanted to make something that was"somewhat" healthy and would go well with the traditional Super Bowl food. I also wanted to use ingredients I had on hand.

Well after nixing several ideas, I found this recipe I had cut out from a Sunset Magazine.  I had all but one ingredient (the chips), so I did run to the store for them. I liked this dip and it seemed to go over pretty well.  I even shared the recipe on request.

This is not for the faint of heart as it is made with smoked jalapenos (Chipotle Chiles).  One thing I love about being back in Texas is that I am not the only one who likes spicy food.  So if you are a spicy food lover,  try this. If not,  there are plenty of other things you can eat.

The only changes I made to the recipe is first, I used jarred roasted red peppers. I also added a little cumin and drained the yogurt to make it a little thicker. It would be fine if you don't drain it (cheesecloth or a coffee filter works) just not as thick. So here it is. Would love to hear from you if you try it. Oh...forgot to mention, I used baked tortilla chips. Enjoy.

Red pepper chipotle dip: 

Grill or broil 2 red peppers until blackened. Peel, seed, and stem. In a food processor, whirl peppers with ½ cup plain Greek yogurt and 1 canned chipotle chile until smooth. Add salt to taste. Transfer to a bowl.. Chill to thicken; top with sliced green onions. Serve with tortilla chips. 

Making friends and guinea pigs

I have been looking forward to having friends over for dinner since my return to Plano. This weekend, I invited Lori, Toni, Mike and Keith to come over.  At first I planned a Thai Curry, something much more in line with my “normal” meal choices.

One problem with me is in making commitments on my decisions. So, over time the idea went from a Thai Curry to a Greek Shrimp Scampi and on from there. The problem for me is that I try to pre-think what people will eat. Since I don’t eat meat, it is a little more difficult when carnivores are coming over. Well actually, since I am not a true vegetarian, it can also be a challenge when ethical vegetarians come over.

I really wanted to make Salmon or Scallops. That is something I do a lot. But I am on a budget since I haven’t had much work and lots of expense. Seafood is expensive, so I nixed that idea.

In any case, I finally wore myself out planning so decided to make Penne with Vodka sauce, a salad and who knows what else. I had made the Vodka Sauce before using fresh marinara I bought at Central Market and it was good. It was also easy to make.

I also wanted the meal to be in line with healthier eating. Vodka sauce has cream in it, a challenge.  I found a recipe on Jamie Oliver’s site for a light Caesar dressing using 0% Greek yogurt. I thought that might be interesting too and healthier. I have made his recipes with much success.

I recently came across this nifty site where you can put a recipe in and get a very cool breakdown of what you are taking into your body. http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2356/2

 I put in the Vodka Sauce recipe and the outcome took all the color out of my face (which, with my white skin, isn’t really much of a feat).  The calorie count was out the roof. The fat count wasn’t far behind.

So now I had a dilemma. How to improve on it? So I tried. Less Vodka, ½ heavy cream and ½ fat free half and half, about 1/8 of the parmesan in the original recipe and measured portions of pasta.  I tried to find a good multigrain penne but didn’t find one that was right so settled on semolina.

I made the Light Caesar dressing http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/caesar-on-the-light-sideand it needed some fixing up. Instead of minced fresh garlic, I roasted mine. Fresh is so strong and cutting, I didn’t want to use it.  I added a little Dijon mustard and at the last minute threw in some chopped basil.

I added some steamed fresh broccoli to the menu too.  For dessert, I made a Red Wine Sauce to go over peaches and Ice Cream. I chose the ½ fat Dreyer’s Vanilla.

So you might wonder how it turned out. Well I had a fantastic time with my friends. It was so nice to have them and they seemed to have a good time. It lifted my spirits, which I needed.

My opinion on the food; I decided that my best meals are not planned dinner parties. Somehow I am never as happy with the outcome. I am really a “harried cook” when it comes to planned events.

 My girlfriend and fellow foodie Moira in Florida once said, she makes her best meals just cooking at home. I think the same is true for me. I do better when I invite someone for a dinner I had cooked for myself.

The outcome: The sauce was watery. I think the non-fat half and half isn’t the greatest product. I have read that before but took the chance.  The portions were not filling enough, though only one person mentioned that. I was hungry later.

I don’t know how anyone felt about the Caesar but I don’t think it would pass muster with “Real Caesar” lovers.  The yogurt was just a little too tangy.  If I did it over, I would use some non-fat mayonnaise with it to tone it down some, or add honey to cut the edge.   I think I would have preferred a basil dressing for flavor.

I slightly undercooked the broccoli.  For me it would be fine, but not for company. The Dreyer’s light was good. The peaches were flavorless so I added some partly defrosted frozen peaches. I don’t think that was a good idea. I am used to eating half frozen fruit in my cereal, but I don’t think it went over too well.  My friends much preferred Crème de Menthe topping to my home cooked Red Wine sauce.  Go figure. I could have just bought that.

Even though this meal was not on the 4 star list, it was not “bad” I don’t think.  I figure, at least I tried to make it tasty and healthier. Sometimes it works the first time. Other times it takes some trial and error.  

Maybe some recipes will never be as good without the fat. I remember hearing a popular nutrition guru say, if you are trying to lose weight, just because you ate one unhealthy meal doesn’t mean you give up. It would be like getting a flat tire and then slitting the other 3. You move forward from where you are.

So, I will either try these recipes again or find some better healthy choices. I find it a worthy and healthy pursuit.

Hummus and the Lemon Secret

You might assume since I am a vegetarian that I love hummus. Actually, I don’t always love it. In fact, had I not dated Sam, a Lebanese man, I could have done without hummus for the rest of my life. Garbanzo beans have never floated my boat.

There are some good things about Garbanzo beans, they are high in fiber. The beans are also high in molybdenum, manganese and folate. They have a healthy dose of of tryptophan an amino acid known, among other things,  for making you sleepy. Still, I wasn't much of a fan,

I find them somewhat grainy. In my opinion, there are much better tasting legumes than garbanzo beans

Then I started dating Sam. Both having family roots in the Mediterranean, we shared a love for similar foods, similar but not exactly the same. For instance, I love Kalamata olives. Sam had me try his favorite black olives. All I can say about that experience was, YUK.  I guess you just had to be Lebanese to really appreciate those salty and extremely bitter olives.

In spite of the olive experience, I agreed to try Sam’s hummus. He told me the secret was the lemon in it. Secret or not, it was delicious.  I dated Sam many years ago and since that time, I have tried a lot of hummus, but none that compares to his. Ziziki's in Dallas had some good hummus but the best part of it was the grilled and garlic buttered pita bread.

My mother and I stopped in a Greek restaurant in  Royal Palm Beach after shopping one day. With our meals, they served hummus as a starter and there it was, a hummus as good as Sam’s.

Now, let me mention that I have made more than a few attempts to make a hummus like Sam’s without much luck. One reason was that the hummus was never smooth, always grainy. Then there was the garlic. It was always too strong.

Since I tried the hummus at It’s Greek to Me, I have gone there many times with my sister. We both love the hummus. Interesting enough, when talking to the owner, he mentioned his secret was the lemon. There it was again, lemon!

I really wanted to make my own hummus that was as good as those I have liked. I spent a lot of time looking at other recipes, trying to find “the secret” to a smooth hummus.  I found a recipe that stated that when it was made from fresh cooked garbanzo beans rather than canned, the hummus was much smoother. I printed the recipe and tried it myself.

Now, as always, I didn’t really follow the recipe exactly. I only made a small batch of hummus and used the recipe as a template. I really loved it.  I didn’t use fresh garlic, but I did want some garlic flavor, so I added powdered garlic to taste.  The Himalayan salt is not really required. I happened to have some Pink salt, so I used it, but normal salt or kosher should work just fine.  Oh and one other change, I didn’t use paprika because I didn’t have any. What I did have was smoked paprika. It is very strong and smoky flavored so I just used a little bit. If you can find it, it does add some depth to the flavor of the hummus but I am sure the paprika will be fine too.

I bought some nice flat bread, chopped up some radish, grated some carrot, cut a few slices of avocado and sliced some romaine. I topped the flatbread with the veggies and hummus folded it over and thoroughly enjoyed eating it. Of course, had I had some Kalamata olives, I would have probably sliced some up and put them on the sandwich as well.

The garbanzo beans were not really hard to make after they were soaked. Rather than sit around for 2 hours watching the beans cook, I brought them to a boil in a saucepan with water, then dumped the whole batch into a small Crockpot and let it cook on low for hours until they were cooked.

Here is the original recipe. It costs very little to make and you will have a tasty healthy food and it’s lemony! I hope you will get the chance to try it. I am not sure where the recipe came from, so I am unable to give credit to the author.

Classic Hummus Recipe using Dried Beans

Hummus is one of the easiest snacks, appetizers, dips, or spreads to make. Just throw all your ingredients in a food processor and blend.  I love hummus and I make it using both canned garbanzos and dried garbanzo beans. However, if I have the forethought I always use dried because the hummus turns out smoother, fluffier and tastes better. It’s really not much more work than using a can, it just takes a little more preparation and advanced planning since you have to soak the beans overnight and boil them. Plus there isn’t any added sodium or preservatives when you used dried beans. The recipe has just a hint of spiciness and no garlic because I don’t like to have garlic breath, of course if you want garlic or more spice go ahead and add. Here’s the recipe:

6 oz organic dried garbanzo beans soaked overnight

1/4 cup organic cold pressed olive oil extra virgin

1/4 cup organic tahini (no salt added)

1 Tbsp organic ground cumin

1/2 Tbsp organic ground paprika

1/4 tsp organic cayenne pepper

3/4 tsp himalayan crystal salt

1 – 2 Tbsp fresh organic  lemon juice (~1/2 a lemon)

1/4 cup of water + more if needed

After you soak your beans overnight, bring them to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Simmer for about 2 to 2.5 hours or until the beans are soft and tender (which is whenever I remember that they’re sitting on the stove). Turn heat off and cool slightly. Add beans to food processor with slotted spoon, add all other ingredients, blend until smooth. Add more water if needed. Serve however you see fit.