NFL Super Bowl XLVIII - What is going to be on your menu?

NFL Super Bowl XLVIII

This Sunday, February 2nd 2014, is Super Bowl Sunday. As a woman, I can say I would follow my boyfriend to parties just for the food and commericals. I could never quite understand why men chose this day to celebrate with a abidance of food.

So it got me thinking, what can I bring that tastes good, looks good and other people will like. I am watching what I eat and I don't want to ruin it all with a calorie filled 4 hour period. Beer, wings, pizza, you name it, I shoveled it in my face. 

I was looking for ideas on how to make my favorite foods "healthier". So I thought I would share these recipes so you too can make a healthier dish.

Personal Pizza with Garlic, Spinach & Mozzarella

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup natural salt-free tomato sauce
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 2 or 3 medium cloves garlic, passed through a garlic press or very finely minced
• 2 whole-wheat, sprouted-wheat or gluten-free pitas
• 1 cup loosely packed spinach or other winter greens, finely chopped
• 2 oz fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced into rounds
• 2 tbsp minced fresh basil leaves

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a small bowl, combine tomato sauce, red pepper flakes and garlic; stir to mix well.
3. Place both pitas on a baking sheet. Using a pastry brush or spoon, evenly divide sauce mixture between pitas, leaving a 1/4-inch border around edges. Sprinkle with spinach, then arrange mozzarella rounds over top of greens, dividing both evenly.
4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until greens are wilted and mozzarella is melted. Remove from oven, sprinkle with basil, dividing evenly, and serve immediately. If you’re enjoying 1 pizza, loosely wrap remaining pizza in aluminum foil or store in a sealable container for up to 2 days in refrigerator. Reheat in a warm oven or serve at room temperature.

Spinach & Chicken Sausage Pizza

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 oz spinach leaves
• 1 14.5-oz can, no-salt-added diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 whole-wheat thin pizza crust 
• 2 fully cooked, all-natural, deli chicken sausages, sliced into 1/4-inch thick pieces
• 3 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup)

PANTRY STAPLES:

• Olive oil cooking spray
• Ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Coat a skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium low. Add spinach and cook until wilted, about 4 minutes. Season with pepper, to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Place 1 cup tomatoes in a fine mesh strainer and press out as much liquid as possible. Spread tomatoes onto pizza crust. Top with spinach, sausage and mozzarella. Bake 10 minutes, or until sausage is lightly browned and cheese is melted. Rest pizza on a cutting board for 5 minutes, slice into 6 equal pieces and serve.

Spicy Buffalo Wings

(Makes 8 servings – 1/2 pound each)

Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 cup Frank’s Hot Sauce (or any clean hot sauce you like, low sodium is best)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 cup honey (if you prefer a less spicy wing) or 1/4 cup (if you prefer a more spicy wing)
• 2 teaspoons molasses
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 cup clean BBQ sauce (optional)

Chicken Ingredients:

• 4 pounds chicken wings
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. If you purchased your wings frozen, be sure to allow ample time for them to defrost.
3. Line a large casserole dish (you may need 2 dishes depending on the size you have) with foil. You will be wrapping the chicken completely in foil, so allow enough to completely cover the chicken all the way around.
4. Place your wings in the foil and be sure they are single layered.
5. Pour the oil over the chicken and mix the chicken in the dish to completely coat it with the oil.
6. Sprinkle the chicken generously with garlic powder and onion powder. The given measurements are only suggestions. You could certainly use more or less if you like.
7. Pack the foil around the chicken so that it is sealed on all sides.
8. Bake in oven for 50 minutes.
9. While the chicken bakes, combine all sauce ingredients in a medium mixing bowl with a whisk. (Be sure to whisk again just before pouring over your chicken.)
10. Remove the wings from the oven, open the foil (don’t burn yourself with steam), and pour off any liquid in the bottom of the foil.
11. Pour your sauce over the chicken.
12. Turn your oven to broil.
13. Place the chicken back in the oven Uncovered, for 10 minutes. Watch the wings carefully. If they need to be removed in less than 10 minutes, do so. You just want to brown them a bit and get the sauce to sear just slightly on to the meat.
14. Remove from oven, allow to cool and place in a serving dish, being sure to pour any sauce left behind in the dish over the chicken.

Teriyaki Chicken Wings with Hot Mango Dipping Sauce

Chicken Wings Ingredients
1/2 c reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/2 c reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 c mirin (Japanese rice wine)
1/3 c Stevia In The Raw Baker’s Bag
2 tbsp defrosted orange juice concentrate
2 garlic cloves, sliced lengthwise
3/4-inch fresh ginger, in 3 slices
16 chicken wings, about 3 1/4 pounds

Directions
1. In small saucepan, combine all the sauce ingredients. Boil sauce over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Cool sauce to room temperature. If desired, remove garlic and ginger, transfer sauce to tightly covered container, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 425° F. Line baking pan, 15” x 11” or larger, with foil. Coat two (10” x 10”) wire racks with cooking spray and set in the pan, overlapping them.

3. Cut off first joint of chicken wings and discard. Arrange wings in prepared baking pan in one layer, smooth side up. Bake wings for 10 minutes. Brush wings on both sides with sauce and bake, smooth side up, for 5 minutes.

4. Brush with sauce again and bake, underside up, for 5 minutes. Brush wings a third time and bake, smooth side up, for 5 minutes. Brush wings again, and bake, underside up, for 10 minutes. Reduce oven to 400° F. Brush tops of wings with sauce and bake, topside up, for 10 minutes.

5. Arrange wings on serving plate. Discard any remaining sauce. Serve accompanied by Hot Mango Dipping Sauce.

Dipping Sauce Ingredients
1 c diced fresh mango
2 tbsp brown mustard
2 tbsp orange marmalade fruit spread
2 packets Stevia In The Raw
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 /8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 /2 tsp salt
1 /8 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp chopped scallions

Directions
1. In mini-food processor, whirl all sauce ingredients except scallions together until smooth. Transfer sauce to bowl and garnish with scallions. Makes eight (two-tablespoon) servings.

TexMex Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 (12 ounce) jar of your favorite salsa, no sugar added
• 1 (15 ounce) can black olives, chopped
• 1 (15 ounce) can non-fat, refried beans, no sugar added
• 3 avocados
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 large roma tomatoes, chopped
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, loosely packed

Directions:

1.  Combine the beans and the salsa in a pot and warm while stirring constantly. Once they are warm  and well combined, remove from heat and pour the beans into your serving dish.
2.  Make your guacamole using the avocados, lime juice, garlic powder and onion powder. Add salt to  taste. Layer the guacamole over the beans.
3.  Top with olives and tomatoes next and finish with the fresh cilantro.
4.  Serve with your favorite, clean corn chips or whole grain crackers.

Pita Chips

INGREDIENTS

• 4 6-inch whole-wheat pitas
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• PREPARATION

1. Position oven racks in middle and lower third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Coat 2 large baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Cut pitas into 8 wedges each and separate each wedge at the fold. Place the pita wedges, rough-side up, in an even layer on the prepared baking sheets. Brush with oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, garlic powder and salt.
3. Bake the pita wedges, switching the baking sheets halfway through, until golden and crispy, 6 to 10 minutes (depending on the thickness).

Bret Johnsons Turkey Chili 

1 lb of Lean Ground Turkey (93% Lean)                         

1 Can of Diced Tomatoes (No salt added preferred)

8oz can Whole Kernel Corn                     

1/2 diced onion               

2 Cloves garlic minced

1 Can Black Beans 1 Can Kidney beans

1/2 package Chili Seasoning Mix (30% less sodium)

Directions

Brown turkey with onion and garlic, drain. Add diced tomatoes and Chili seasoning, mix well. Drain and rinse Corn, Black and Kidney beans in colander and add to meat mixture. Bring to boil and simmer 20 minutes.

Well I hope I was able to provide you with some healthier ideas. if you are going to a Super Bowl party, bring a bottle of water, eat before you go, bring healthier snacks and just have fun.

Don't forget about my next challenge group starting in February. Its for The 21 Day Fix. Fill out below if you have any questions. 

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