What were you doing on Superbowl Sunday in 1985? Some of you weren't even born, but I clearly remember this night. I was wedged on the couch between my 2 older sisters, falling in and out of sleep, fireplace ablaze. I recall seeing flashes of the game and hearing loud voices around me. My parents screamed with delight because our very own, Chicago Bears just took the championship! Everyone was stoked. And even though I had no idea what this game (or this day) was about, I was excited!
In high school I was invited to a Superbowl party. Up until then I've never been asked to a Superbowl party. I didn't even know we had these. Of course I said yes, because what teenage girl would turn down any invitation to any party! So I went, and I was pleasantly surprised! I've never been in an environment like this -this bizarre realm of celebration paired with yummy smells of food and alcohol. It was intense. People were loud and obnoxious, and everywhere I looked there were trays of food! As I fixed myself a plate of sausage, nachos, wings, and pizza, I couldn't help but think of how cool this was!
Which bring us up to speed. Because of my fond memories of Superbowl Sunday, I love cooking for it! However, I don't care for the typical processed, generic foods that are known to be associated with it. So here are a few of my signature healthy recipes that will go great at your game day party!
Cauliflower Hummus
Ingredients
1 head of cauliflower, chopped into florets
1/2 cup of tahini (sesame paste)
1 garlic clove
Zest and juice of one lemon
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 teaspoon each of cumin, smoked paprika, and chili powder
1 teaspoon of Himalayan salt divided
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
Method
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. In a large bowl, combine cauliflower florets, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Place cauliflower on a sheet pan. Bake in oven for 25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes.
3. After the cauliflower has cooled down, place the remainder of the ingredients with the cauliflower in a food processor. Blend until it turns into a smooth paste. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Serve with vegetables and/or tortilla chips
Tzatziki Sauce
Ingredients
1 cup plain greek yogurt
2 tablespoons of dill
1/2 teaspoon of Himalayan salt and black pepper
Zest and juice of half of a lemon
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 clove of garlic
1/2 cucumber, deseeded but not peeled
1 tablespoons of cider vinegar
Method
1. Place cucumber in a food processor and pulse leaving the cucumber in small diced chunks.
2. Add the remainder of ingredients and pulse again about 4-5 times. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Serve with your favorite meatball recipe!
Sugar Free Sassy Bars
Ingredients
3 cups of oats
1 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup Truvia, brown sugar blend
1/2 cup white Truvia
1 cup of natural peanut butter or almond butter
1 cup 100% unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup almonds
Method
1.Place coconut oil and both blends of sweetener in a medium saucepan. Heat up until the coconut oil is completely absorbed in the oats.
2. Place chocolate and peanut butter in a double broiler and melt until both fuse into a paste/sauce consistency.
3. Take a 8 inch casserole dish and line with either parchment paper or foil.
4. Press about 3/4 of the amount of oats into the casserole dish. Layer it with 1/2 the amount of chocolate mixture. Alternate these layers until you run out of ingredients.
5. Refrigerate overnight until serving time and chop into small squares.