Tailgating Treats

Ahhhh…..my favorite time of year! College football Season is FINALLY here!  The time since last season actually flew by this year, mainly because we had an extra long season :o)  War Eagle!!!

A few things I love about football season are the delicious tailgating foods, getting together with college friends, cooler weather, old rivalries and traditions, and of course….the yummy food of tailgating!
So let’s kickoff the season with some healthy quick and easy apps that you can take to your tailgate party.

Southern Style Deviled Eggs:

7 large eggs, hard boiled and peeled
1/4 cup fat free mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish, no sugar added
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
3 slices turkey bacon
Salt and pepper, for taste
Paprika, for garnishing
Pimentos, for garnishing

Prep:
Halve 7 eggs lengthwise. Remove yolks and place in a small bowl. Mash yolks with a fork and stir in mayonnaise, pickle relish, bacon, and mustard. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Fill egg whites evenly with yolk mixture. Garnish with paprika and pimentos. Store covered in refrigerator.

Not Your Average Hummus Dip (White Bean Dip):

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil, plus 4 tablespoons
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
6 pitas, sliced into bite sized pieces
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Prep:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the beans, garlic, lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, and parsley in food processor. Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped. Season with pepper and move to a small bowl. Cut each pita in half and then small bite sized slices. Place onto a cookie sheet and drizzle with the 4 Tbsp of olive oil. Toss the wedges so all are coated with oil and bake for 10 minutes or until toasted. Serve the pita toasts alongside the bean dip.

Off the Chart Guac (more like an avocado salad):

2 ripe avocados, peeled & diced
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup pitted black olives, chopped
1 cup canned chickpeas, drained, rinsed
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup champagne vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (regular paprika works too)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8 blue corn chips

Prep:
Gently toss the avocados, tomatoes, olives, chickpeas, parsley, vinegar, olive oil, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Crumble the chips over the top. Serve with baked tortilla chips, homemade pita chips, or crunchy veggies.

Footballs on the Green Pasta Salad:

Kosher salt, to taste
8 cups broccoli florets (4 heads)
1/2 pound football shaped whole wheat pasta
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic clove, fresh
1 lemon, zested
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
Freshly grated Parmesan, optional

Prep:
Cook the broccoli for 3 minutes in a large pot of boiling salted water. Remove broccoli from water with a slotted spoon and place into a bowl and set aside. In the same water, cook the pasta according to the package directions, about 10-12 minutes. Drain well and add to the broccoli. In a small saute pan, heat the butter and oil and cook the garlic and lemon zest over medium/low heat for 1 minute. Off the heat, add 2 teaspoons salt, the pepper, and lemon juice and pour this over the broccoli and pasta. Toss well. Season to taste, sprinkle with the pine nuts and cheese.

To toast pine nutes, place them in a dry saute pan over medium-low heat and cook, tossing often, for about 5 minutes, until light brown.

Apricot Sticky Bars:

1 cup dried apricots, divided into half cups
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate, (6 ounces) or semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Prep: (these take about 1 hour to make)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 7×11 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Mix 1/2 cup dried apricots and water in a small saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Chop the remaining 1/2 cup apricots.
Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Then, puree the cooked apricots and any remaining cooking liquid in a food processor. Add egg, egg white, oil, honey and vanilla and process until smooth. Add the flour mixture, 1/2 cup chocolate and the chopped apricots and pulse. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with almonds.
Bake the bars until lightly browned. 20-35 minutes. Do the toothpick trick and if it comes out clean they are ready to come out of the oven. Let them cool in the pan on a wire rack.
Melt the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate in a double boiler over barely simmering water or in the microwave on Medium for 30 to 60 seconds. Spoon the chocolate into a sealable plastic bag, cut off the tip of one corner and drizzle the melted chocolate over the cooled bars. Let stand for about 10 minutes before cutting into bars.

Granola Butter Balls:

2 tablespoons honey, (local is best)
4 tablespoons almond butter, all natural-no sugar added
2 cups granola, low fat (I use the low fat special K)
2 to 4 tablespoons skim/1% milk

Prep:
In a large bowl, mix together the honey and peanut butter. Spray your spatula with cooking spray and stir in granola. Add enough milk to just moisten but make sure it sticks together. Form into balls. Chill. Serve. You don’t need to eat a lot of these because they are higher in fat (from the almond butter) and they also have tons of flavor. You can use peanut butter, cashew butter, or pecan butter in place of the almond butter. I just like the almond butter because of the extra crunchiness.

And here are some tips to help keep you from senseless snacking:

• Keep your mouth busy! When not eating your “meal”, chew gum or suck on a mint. This will help keep you from eat or drinking when you aren’t really hungry anymore.
• Always have some water in hand. This will help cut back on the beer/liquor intake, as well as help with the hangover the next morning.
• Remember, you are there to socialize with friends and then eat, NOT stuff your face and then talk with a few people.
• If burgers or hotdogs are served, go naked (no bun……don’t actually streak).
• Instead of standing by the food table and snacking, fix yourself a plate and take it to a seat.

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