Now don’t get me wrong, I love (and I mean love) the go-to Super Bowl snacks as much as the next football-watching, beer-drinking American. But to be honest, I’m getting a little tired of the same ‘ole over-processed, from-the-freezer-aisle finger foods that have been taking over football watching parties since bagel bites and pigs in a blanket were invented. And, for those of you that order in pizza with a side of over-cooked Buffalo wings? How dare you. Wings are meant to be enjoyed in the comfort of a dive bar while drinking $6 pitchers of beer.

To get over the monotony, this year I decided to take things into my own hands. Other than in reference to the commercials, the words creative and original aren’t words one usually associates with the Super Bowl. But by the end of this week, I am determined to make every reader believe this isn’t the case. In fact, I’m excited to say that it may possible to host a Super Bowl party that, dare I say, has just a touch of panache.

Over the next few days, I will be breaking down the week with a total of 5 posts focusing on the main staples of Super Bowl eats:

1. Beer
2. Meat
3. Cheese
4. Carbs
5. Veggie Tray

Now before you say impossible. Just know that I have put a lot of thought and research into this and talked with all types of Football fanatics (i.e. dudes who really enjoy eating) to come up with a menu that is both sports-proof and finger-food-tastic.

Photo: Purchased from Veer.com

I don’t know about you, but after a day of skiing (er, even a few hours of skiing), I’m ready scarf down a pot of chili, several burgers, or a plateful of tacos – pronto. All I can think about at the end of the day, besides ripping off my boots and jumping into the hot tub, is what I’m going to eat. With a little prep time before you head out for the day, you and your skiing posse can clamour home and bite into these tasty pulled pork sandwiches.

Pulled Pork
4 pounds boneless pork butt (a.k.a. shoulder), cut into 4 pieces
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
salt and pepper
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce (I used Christina’s recipe)

Coleslaw
1 head savoy cabbage (you can use green cabbage too)
2 carrots, grated
1 small onion, grated
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2-3/4 cup mayo (I like to go light on the mayo, so start out with 1/2 a cup and work your way up)
salt
cayenne pepper

12 hamburger buns

Pork
1.  Heat oil in a large fry pan over medium-high heat. Rinse and pat dry pork. Cut into 4 chunks and generously season with salt and pepper. Brown each piece in frying pan, about 3-4 minutes per side.

2. Add pork to slow cooker. Pour 3/4 of the bottle of BBQ sauce over pork, tossing so each piece is coated. The BBQ sauce should cover the pork about halfway.

3. Cover with lid and cook on low for 7-8 hours.

4. Remove pork from pan and, using two forks, shred the meat.

5. Turn the slow cooker to high and simmer until the BBQ sauce is thickened to your likening. Add shredded pork back to slow cooker and heat through. Note: If you don’t want to lug a slow cooker to your ski spot, you can make the pork ahead of time and reheat it in a large sauce pan or stock pot.

Coleslaw
Remove tough, outer leaves and cut away the hard, inner core of the cabbage. Thinly slice cabbage. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and season with salt and a few pinches of cayenne pepper. Allow coleslaw to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes so flavors blend. Note: Prep all of these ingredients the night before so all you have to do is combine them in a bowl.

Lightly toast each hamburger bun, pile on pulled pork and coleslaw, and serve remaining BBQ sauce on the side. Enjoy!

During the winter, I get a lot of arugula in my CSA box. I usually prepare it simply by tossing the peppery leaves with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. When I got an especially large bunch of arugula a few weeks ago, I strayed from my usual course and blended it into a vibrant pesto instead. On its own, this pesto is much stronger and spicer than traditional basil pesto. But once it’s tossed with the warm, creamy potatoes, it’s much more mellow. Any extra or leftover pesto is fabulous spread on sandwiches, tossed with warm pasta or dalloped on top of grilled chicken breasts.

Arugula Pesto
2 packed cups arugula
1 garlic clove
1/2 scant cup of parmesan cheese, grated
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt

Salad
8-10 small red potatoes
2 cups of cooked grains, such as quinoa, Israeli couscous, orzo or a mix*
2 handfuls arugula

To make the pesto, chop the garlic in a food processor, then add arugula, parmesan and two hearty pinches of salt. Slowly add olive oil and process for about 10 seconds until smooth. (Give the pesto a taste at this point and add additional salt or cheese to your taste).

Cube the potatoes to about 1/2 inch. Fill a small saucepan with cold water, add potatoes and a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, about 8-10 minutes. (If you need to make grains, do it at this point).

Drain potatoes and place in a large bowl. Add grains, arugula and pesto. Depending upon your preference, you may not need to use all of the pesto you prepared. Gently toss ingredients to combine and serve. The arugula leaves with wilt slightly and beautifully.

*I used Trader Joe’s Harvest Blend, which includes Israeli Couscous, Orzo, Garbanzo Beans, and Red Quinoa.

Last month marked the end of my five-year absistence of consuming beef, which I stopped eating it in the first place for enviormental and health reasons. I started eating it again in preparation for my trip to Argentina over the holidays. I wanted to take full advantage of the region’s legendary grass-fed beef, so I eased back into red meat with a half order of Fresca’s amazing Lomo Saltado one week, a petite filet at Epic Roasthouse the following week, and finally a full serving of this delicous pot roast right before the trip. It was a great transition back to meat and I can say that I am happy to be back in the land of cow-eaters!

One 3 1/2 to 4 pound beef chuck roast (I purchased mine from Marina Meats, my favorite local spot for quality meat)
Flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspooon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, sliced
3 garlic gloves, peeled
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup beef broth
4 sprigs of thyme, 4 sprigs of parsley, 1 bay leaf
2 sweet potatoes, 1″ cubes
1 turnip, 1″ cubes
1 parsnip, 1″ cubes

Heat oven to 300 degrees.

Season beef with salt and pepper, then pat with flour. Heat oil in a large dutch oven and brown beef on all sides. Remove beef from pot, cook onions  and garlic for 10 minutes, or until softened. Add broth and herbs, and bring to boil. Add beef, cover with lid, and cook in oven for 2 hours.

Remove pot from oven and add vegetables. Return to oven and cook for 30 minutes.

Remove beef and vegetables from pot and reduce liquid for 10 minutes. Pour over beef and vegetables and serve with mashed potatoes or egg noodles.

Now that my sister and I are all grown up, we don’t wake up at the crack of dawn on Christmas to claw our way through presents. Instead, we like to mosey out of bed, get coffee with mom and dad, and enjoy a lazy breakfast around the fire. And while it’s nice to eat a festive meal on Christmas, none of us want to spend hours prepping an extravagant meal either.

That’s why these little ham and egg nests are just the trick. They’re more special (and tasty!) than your ho-hum scrambled eggs, but they take just about the same time to prepare. Depending upon your family’s taste, try incorporating mixed herbs into the egg mixture, subbing the Parmesan with other cheeses like jack cheese, or kicking it up a notch with a little cayenne. This is just a base to inspire all kinds of variations! Also, stay tuned tomorrow for a perfect side dish of baked apples.

12 slices of prosciutto
6 slices of whole wheat bread, about 1/2″ thick
6 eggs
3 tablespoons nonfat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons Parmesan, shredded, plus more for sprinkling
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat six 1/2 cup ramekins (or a muffin tin) lightly with cooking spray or butter. Line each ramekin with 2 slices of prosciutto, pressing down gently. It’s okay if the prosciutto hangs over the edge a bit (it will just crisp up deliciously!).

Using the base of the ramekin as guide, cut 6 circles of bread. Place a round in the bottom of each ramekin. Bake until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes.  Then, remove from oven.

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs until smooth, then add yogurt through pepper. Divide mixture evenly between cups and sprinkle with cheese. Please ramekins on a baking sheet or on top of foil to catch any egg spillage as they cook. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until eggs are set.

Last year, it seemed liked Christina and I had beets coming out our ears compliments of our CSA box. This year, it’s butternut squash…ah, the joys of seasonal eating! Fortunately, butternut squash is super versatile and works in a number of recipes. I especially enjoy a bowl of piping hot butternut squash soup. To enhance the squash flavor in the soup, I wrapped the pulpy flesh (which I normally toss) in cheesecloth, tied it up with twine and added it to the pot along with my broth. I also tried roasting the seeds like I do with pumpkin seeds. I sprinkled these on top of the finished soup for a tasty and eye-pleasing garnish. All in all, the only thing I didn’t use was the tough outer skin.

2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium butternut squash, cut into 1/2″ chunks (see note above about seeds and flesh)
1/2 cup carrots, cut into 1/2″ chunks
1 Anjou pear, peeled and cut into 1/2″ chunks
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried sage, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 quart of chicken broth
nutmeg

Serves 4-6

Heat butter over medium heat in a large dutch oven. Add onions and cook until tender, 5-7 minutes. Add butternut squash and carrots and cook until just tender, 10-12 minutes. Add pear, thyme and sage and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth and bay leave (and cheesecloth bundle of flesh, if desired), cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add a pinch or two of nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper.

Puree mixture in a blender, food processor or (easiest of all) with an immersion blender. Whichever way you choose, be careful when blending hot soup! It helps to place a towel over a blender to allow the hot steam to escape.

Pour individual servings and garnish with a dollop of greek yogurt, creme fraiche, chives, bacon bits or roasted pumpkin/squash seeds.

Making homemade cranberry relish is almost as easy as opening a can, but it tastes so much better than any store bought concoctions full of corn syrup and artificial additives. All it takes is a few simple ingredients stewed over the stove  – for less than 10 minut- and you have a fresh, sweet-and-tart side dish that’s delicious slathered over turkey and the likes. I used fresh cranberries, which are readily available at markets.

2 oranges
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
3 cups cranberries
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Rinse cranberries and discard any soft ones. Set aside.

Zest one orange using a microplane and add to a large sauce pan. Juice both oranges and add juice to the sauce pan, along with the sugar and water. Bring to boil. Add cranberries to sugar mixture and bring to boil again, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 7-9 minutes, or until about 2/3 of the cranberries burst. Stir in cinnamon and remove from heat. At this point, the cranberry mixture may look a little watery but don’t fret! Just allow the mixture to cool and then chill it in the fridge before serving. The cranberries will firm up nicely.

Fun tip: For an easy appetizer, reheat any leftover cranberry relish, pour it into a dish and served it with goat cheese slices and pieces of bread.

At the farmer’s market on Sunday, I got excited to see freshly cut brussels sprout stalks just begging to be taken home. I chose a two and a half foot long stalk covered with nearly three pounds of tightly clustered, bright green sprouts. My hubby Brent, who unlike most normal children loved brussels sprouts growing up, was so confused, then curious, and finally delighted when he saw me lugging this strange, Shrek-like vegetable through the front door and realized it was his favorite veggie.

Since I was now the overzealous owner of pounds of brussels sprouts, I cooked up two batches differently to see which method I liked best. For the first round, I sliced up a pound worth of sprouts and sauteed them over high heat – resulting in a tender, wonderfully textured side dish. Although I ate these sliced sprouts warm, I think they would be delightful chilled in the fridge as well.

For the second version, I high-roasted the brussel sprouts in the oven. It was a much simpler dish to prepare, but still just as tasty because the cut sides of the heads caramelized and created a nice crunch. In both recipes, the lemon juice is key to brightening all of the flavors. Add as much or as little as you prefer.

Let me know which method you like best!

1 pound brussels sprouts, stems and any yellow leaves removed
6 shallots
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons pecorino romano, grated
olive oil
salt and pepper

Serves 4

Sauteed Method

Using a mandolin, hand slicer or (easiest of all) the slicing blade on a food processor, thinly slice brussels sprouts and shallots separately. Heat a splash of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat and cook shallots until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and thyme, cook one minute. Add brussels sprouts and increase heat to medium-high, and cook until tender, about 5-6 minutes. Turn off heat and add lemon juice, walnuts and cheese to pan, stirring to combine. Season with salt and lots of freshly cracked pepper.

Roasting Method

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Cut shallots in quarters and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place shallots in a large baking sheet and roast 10 minutes. In the meantime, cut brussels sprouts in half and place in bowl with garlic. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to combine. Add brussels sprouts and garlic to baking sheet after shallots have roasted for 10 minutes and roast an additional 20-30 minutes, depending upon the size of your sprouts. When sprouts are tender and beautifully caramelized, pour mixture into a large bowl and add remaining ingredients, stirring to combine.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday – hands down. I love all of the yummy, warm food, crazy family members, and the inevitable late afternoon nap after I’ve gorged myself silly on my third helping of pumpkin pie. And I think it’s funny how everybody has their special dish. My mom would never serve turkey without a side of homemade cranberry-orange relish, while my sister absolutely insists on making creamed corn (even if nobody else in the family really wouldn’t miss it – sorry sissy, it’s true!) For me, it’s all about the stuffing.

We’ve tried different variations over the past couple of years – adding chestnuts, pork sausage, mushrooms, and fruit – but they key seems to be the bread. Using high-quality or even homemade bread makes a world of difference in stuffing. Put the Wonder Bread back in the bread box (or trash!), and pick up some delicious foccacia, Italian peasant blend or whole-wheat loaf like I used.

10 cups of bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (I picked up two whole wheat loafs at a local bakery)
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup celery (about 2 stalks), finely chopped
1 cup onion (about 1 medium onion), finely chopped
1 cup tart apple (about 1 medium apple), finely chopped
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons sage, minced
2 teaspoons thyme, minced
1 cup pecans, chopped and roasted
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup milk (I used low-fat)

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Place cubed bread onto baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, until bread is dried out and slightly golden. Add to large bowl and allow to cool. Turn up oven to 350 degrees.

Heat butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add celery, onions, and apples and cook until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in herbs and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour vegetable mixture over bread in large bowl. Add pecans, cranberries, broth and milk and stir to combine.

Grease a large gratin or casserole dish and add bread mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 20-25 minutes, until bread is golden brown. The aromas that start drifting out of your kitchen will have guests clamoring to get a taste!!

Nothing, and I mean nothing, goes better with pulled pork sandwiches than baked beans. I’d even go so far as to say that I’d eat the side dish straight of a can rather than foregoing it all together. But baked beans are simple and inexpensive to make from scratch, plus you are guaranteed to not swallow added crap like high fructose corn syrup by going the homemade route. Try these before reaching for the canned stuff!

Serves 6-8

1 pound dried navy beans (if you don’t have the time or desire to make them from scratch use a 16-ounce can of navy/white beans, rinse and drain)
1 onion, diced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup molasses
6 ounces tomato paste
3/4 cup dark beer
3 tablespoons dark sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon hot sauce (I like Frank’s)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika

If using dried beans, rinse and sort than either quick soak or soak them overnight. I usually opt for the quick soak route. Then bring 6-8 cups of water to a boil add in soaked beans and cook for 30 minutes to an hour, or until desired level of tenderness is reached.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute onion and garlic for 3-5 minutes, until soft. Add onion mixture to a medium bowl then add the remaining ingredients and whisk until blended. Add beans and stir until they are evenly coated. Pour bean mixture into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and bake uncovered until the beans become thick, syrupy and start to bubble, about an hour. Let cool for 10 minutes, season with salt and pepper and serve.