Food for Thought – Are You Ready for Some Football?

I don’t know how many of you are football fans, but I know at least some of you will be cheering for your favorite team this weekend (go 49ers) and you can’t watch football without some classic football food.  I did, however, make a commitment to eat healthier this year, so I will be serving some variations on the classics.  The first is a recipe I saw the other day on Rachael Ray – Meat-Free Buffalo Wings.  Instead of fried chicken wings you use roasted cauliflower.  Hey!  Don’t knock it till you try it!  Served along side Greek yogurt blue cheese dip, you will never miss the meat.  Next up, instead of chips and dip, homemade hummus with pita wedges and red peppers.  This recipe, which I found on The Food Network, is way better than any store-bought hummus I’ve ever had!

 Meat-Free Buffalo Wings

 Ingredients:

1 cauliflower, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

salt

1/2 cup hot sauce

For Dip:

1 cup Greek yogurt

juice of 1/2 a lemon

3 TBSP chopped fresh herbs (such as dill, chives & parsley)

1 garlic clove finely grated

salt & pepper

1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles (optional)

To Make:

Preheat oven to 450

Place cauliflower florets on baking sheet and dress with olive oil and season with salt.  Bake for 25 minutes or until crispy and carmelized at edges.  Remove from oven, place into bowl and toss with hot sauce.  Serve along side dip.

For Dip:

In a small bowl, combine yogurt, garlic, herbs and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.  Fold in blue cheese if using.

 Garlic Hummus

Ingredients:

2 15 oz. cans chickpeas, drained & rinsed

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

juice from 1/2 a lemon

2 TBSP roughly chopped parsley

2 cloves garlic peeled

1/2 tsp salt (the recipe called for 1 1/2 tsp but I used 1/2 tsp and it was plenty)

1/2 tsp dark Asian sesame oil

1/2 tsp ground cumin

12 to 15 grinds black pepper

1/4 cup water

paprika for garnish

To Make:

In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients except parsley and paprika for garnish, and process on low until smooth.  Stop occasionally to push down ingredients.  If it seems too dry or it is not blending well, add a little more olive oil until it is the right consistency.  Scrape hummus onto a serving dish, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with paprika and parsley.  You can make up to a couple of hours in advance.  Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature.

Enjoy watching football this weekend and may the best team (49ers) win! 😉