She's Cookin' | from the heart » football food

Hoppin’ John and Football

Priscilla — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:43:29 +0000

Eating Hoppin’ John with blackeyed peas is a Southern New Year’s tradition to bring good luck and, with the addition of greens, which represent money, prosperity in the new year. Some suggest that the origin of this “good luck” tradition dates back to the Civil War, when Union troops, especially in areas targeted by General Sherman, typically stripped the countryside of all stored food, crops, and livestock, and destroyed whatever they couldn’t carry away. At that time, Northerners considered “field peas” and field corn suitable only for animal fodder, and didn’t steal or destroy these humble foods.

I enjoy changing it up, but every new year is ushered in with a slightly different version of Hoppin’ John. This year it was a perfectly soft poached egg on a bed of crispy kale and Hoppin’ John popping with vibrant red pepper, sweet corn, and a dash of heat. Posting a Hoppin’ John recipe as my first recipe of 2012 seemed like an excellent idea; not only are blackeyed peas inexpensive, fitting right in with a recession budget and inflated credit card bills from holiday shopping, but they also fit right in with any good intentions you may have to eat healthier in 2012. Did you know that black eyed peas are really beans not peas and beans, whether dried or canned, are packed full of protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. (If you’d like more specific information on the health benefits of beans and legumes visit the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.)

Plus, January is an exciting month for NFL football fans, especially if the team you rally behind has made it to the playoffs. We happen to have an avid New England Patriot‘s fan living in our midst and the past few years have seen me skillfully substituting lower fat, more nutritious fare masquerading as the best football food you’ve ever had. Hoppin’ John Nachos have become a signature crowd-pleaser during weekend marathons; universally appealing to pizza-loving sports fans and the more health and body conscious. The Bowl games may be over, but there’s plenty of football to come. If you’d like to slip a bit of good stuff in with the standard football fare without raising any eyebrows, bookmark or print this easy recipe. Munch away with a clear conscious during the NFL playoffs or Super Bowl which, FYI, is on Sunday, February 5th this year.

Hoppin’ John

1 cup Melissa’s Ready-to-Eat Blackeyed Peas

1 cup frozen corn

1 roasted red pepper, chopped

1 fresh jalapeno pepper*, seeded and diced

4 green onions, chopped

1 T. chopped fresh cilantro

1 T. olive oil

1 t. chili or cajun spice

Juice from 1 fresh lime

salt & pepper to taste

1. Slice red pepper in half, remove core and seeds. Roast in oven or toaster oven at 450 degrees until skin is charred. Remove from oven and place in a paper bag. When cool enough to handle, remove the charred skin and chop the pepper.

2. Seed and dice the jalapeno. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Allow flavors to meld for at least an hour.

*use jalapenos if you like it spicy, green chiles for mild

Shown served on a bed of crispy kale (kale flash fried in a tablespoon of olive oil) and topped with a soft poached egg.

Variations: serve as a salsa with tortilla chips, in place of refried or black beans in nachos or, sprinkled on a fresh green salad for a burst of flavor, color, and texture.

Enjoy

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#1 Dip: Guacamole

Priscilla — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 18:18:14 +0000

I didn’t fact check the stats but I’m pretty sure that a majority of households across the country will be grilling this Sunday for Father’s Day! Whether dad’s favorite is a juicy, medium-rare steak, robust barbequed ribs, or a burgers and hot dogs All-American guy, you’ll want a few simple, but sensational sides to round out the festivities and an appetizer or dip to keep the hungry masses at bay while the aroma of meat sizzling on the grill whips everyone into a salivating frenzy.

Whether its football season or summer backyard grilling, guacamole is the #1 dip and a must-have at our house. There are many different kinds of avocados, but the variety generally preferred for guacamole is the pebbly-skinned Hass. Fortunately, California has ideal conditions for growing the creamy rich Hass avocados and we’re blessed with a year-round supply of the nutritious velvety fruit.

With Don’s emergency hospital stay last week and the upcoming procedure looming, this year’s Father’s Day is heavy with significance. I like to keep the tone light here, so suffice it to say that the Young Baker and I are grateful to modern medical technology for making this a Father’s Day to truly celebrate. Always with a low-sodium and heart-healthy diet in mind, I now make my own chips from corn tortillas - I love the blue corn tortillas at Trader Joe’s for an added pop of color, and I use more lime as a replacement for salt to flavor the guacamole.

Guacamole with Blue Corn Chips

Guacamole is a snap to make and, even at its simplest, packs so much more flavor than pre-made. If you’re in the habit of grabbing a container of the stuff, take a few minutes to put your own signature touch on this #1 Dip.

3 small or 2 large Hass avocados

2 tablespoon red onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped (optional)

dash of cayenne
juice of half lime
salt to taste

4 blue corn tortillas
1 tablespoon canola oil
red pepper flakes

Yield: approx. 1 ½ cups

Stack the tortillas and cut into 6 triangles. Mix canola oil with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes and brush tortillas with oil. Bake in toaster oven set at 300 degrees until crisped, about 5 minutes.

Cut avocados in half lengthwise, give a little twist to separate the halves. Remove the pit. Scoop out avocado into a glass or ceramic bowl. Using a fork, coarsely mash. Add the red onion, jalapeno (if you like it hot), cilantro, and lime. Blend until mixture is creamy but with little chunks of avocado. Add salt to taste and more cayenne if desired. Garnish with the pit, cilantro sprigs, and/or sliced lime.

Serve surrounded with blue corn chips. I like to have a dab of guac and a bit of salsa in each bite, and have found that serving them together prevents the inevitable “salsa on the shirt” incident.

How simple is that! And, you’ve made your own crispy, fiber-packed blue corn chips with less fat and salt than any packaged brand.

Enjoy

I’d love to know: What’s your favorite twist on guacamole?

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Post tags: Father's Day, football food, guacamole

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Cowboy Chili

Priscilla — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 18:19:09 +0000

Get ready to rumble! The NFL playoffs have begun and if you are, or reside with, a football fan, the TV will not be silent for the next two weekends, then there’s a weekend off for the Pro Bowl in Hawaii before the Super Bowl XLV on February 6 in the gleaming new Dallas Cowboy’s stadium in Arlington, TX. So, if you haven’t already, its time to make a beer run and break out the chips and guacamole, hot wings, and the mother of all football food: chili!

There are few foods that are as all-American as a hearty bowl of chili. Versatile and popular, this American classic is easy to make and lends itself to artistic interpretation and endless variations. From Texas to Cincinnati, from New England (Goooo Patriots) to California there are as many styles of chili as there are cooks. Cincinnati chili is a regional style characterized by the use of unusual spices such as cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and chocolate, and the absence of chili peppers or chili powder. There are white chilis and the traditional red, tomato based chili. Then, the question is beans or no beans, this is a hotly debateed chili issue and according to the International Chili Society, beans have no place in a pot of chili. Finally, you must decide on the type of meat; chicken (white chili), ground beef, ground turkey, a combination or, no meat at all for a vegetarian version.

While you’re deciding on what kind of chili you want to make (football is not a requirement, chili can warm your tummies on the coldest of winter days), here’s my family’s favorite and a super simple crockpot variation.

Cowboy Chili

1 ¼ lb. ground turkey

2 15 oz. organic pinto beans

1 15 oz. organic black beans

1½ cup coffee*

3 T. chili powder

1 can tomato paste

1 28 oz. can organic diced tomatoes

¼ c. Pace Picante sauce or salsa

1. Brown the ground turkey in a skillet, breaking up the meat into bite size pieces as it cooks. Drain off liquid or use a slotted spoon to transfer the ground beef to your slow cooker. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes or add a few dashes of hot pepper sauce if you like your chili to have some heat.

2. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine. Because of the sodium in canned beans, I don’t add salt and, especially where kids and special diets are concerned, I prefer to let diners add their own salt, pepper, and hot sauce.

3. Cook on low for at least 6-8 hours or longer. That’s it! Serve with your favorite chili condiments: shredded cheese, chopped onions, tortilla chips, crackers, and hot sauce.

Notes: Buy organic if you can. I find that canned organic beans have less sodium than other brands – don’t know why, but for example a can of a common grocery brand of pinto beans has 530 mg of sodium per ½ serving while the TJs brand organic pinto beans have 270 mg. of sodium per ½ cup serving.

* Coffee: After all these years, I’m finally giving up my secret ingredient! The idea of using coffee as part of the liquid probably came from an article on the different styles and origins of chili and what stuck with me all these years was that, back in the day of cattle drives, wranglers would spend weeks on the range; the camp cook whipped up hearty food from dried and salt-cured provisions and nothing went to waste, so coffee leftover from the wrangler’s breakfast was often thrown into the pot of beans. I swear it makes for the most full-flavored, robust chili ever.

Enjoy

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Post tags: beans, chili, Cowboy Chili, featured, football food, how to make chili, tomatoes

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Meatball Sliders

Priscilla — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 19:21:50 +0000

It comes as no surprise that meatballs were declared “Dish of the Year” by Bon Appétit magazine – “with a return to homey, comforting cooking this year, meatballs made it big, appearing on restaurant menus and kitchen tables everywhere”. In fact, as a regular happy hour patron it seems that no restaurant menu seems complete without a slider of some sort – from Kobe beef sliders to pulled pork.

I recreated Meatball Sliders in the TM Kitchen after enjoying many restaurant versions and am sharing the recipe here because they’re affordable, easy to make, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a child or an adult who won’t inhale them – an ideal dish for the home cook!

Meatball Sliders

I bake the meatballs- its easy, less mess and uses less oil.

1/2 lb. ground pork

1/2 lb. ground beef

1/2 c. grated romano cheese

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/4 c. fresh bread crumbs

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1/4 c. Italian parsley, chopped

1/2 t. red pepper flakes

1 t. salt

1/2 t. ground pepper

1/2 c. Italian bread crumbs

15 small rolls

Prepared Marinara sauce

1/2 c. grated cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (375 if convection).

In a large mixing bowl, combine the meats, cheese, egg, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, pepper flakes, salt & pepper. Use fork or your hands to mix all ingredients well. Form into 15 2-inch meatballs. Roll them in the Italian bread crumbs. Spray cookie sheet with oil and bake meatballs for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, split the rolls horizontally and lightly toast in toaster oven. Heat the marinara sauce in a small saucepan.

Serve meatballs on the rolls topped with marinara sauce and sprinkle with Romano cheese.

Serves 4-6 (as a main course)

Must go to the store now, Patriots losing miserably to Baltimore and will have to find solace in food.

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Post tags: food porn, football food, meatball recipes, meatball sliders, party food, Superbowl

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