Super Healthy Snacks For The Suoer Bowl

The Super Bowl is always a day geared towards snacking .There are platters of buffalo wings, endless pizzas and plates of sliders or pulled pork.These may be tasty but they,re a fumble diet wise.You can still score, but with healthier sandwiches and treats.They're the touchdowns of the day! One of the healthiest game day treats is a sub sandwich.You can start with a base of whole-wheat bread and then add on healthy lean meats like chicken or turkey.For even more of a bonus, think soy cold cuts.These come in a variety of flavors,from pepperoni to baloney and taste pretty much like the real deal.Make a simple dressing of just oil and red wine vinegar as you also layer on shredded lettuce, onion slices and low fat Provolone and American cheese.A warmer dish is vegan chili.This can be made solely with a variety of beans or again with a soy version of beef.You can make it as hot or mild as you want.Serve with polenta, brown rice or whole-wheat tortilla chips. Pizza is another Super Bowl fave.You can make your own with pita bread and fresh tomato quarters along with a minimum of mozzarella cheese. Add some heart healthy toppings such as mushrooms, scallion, artichoke hearts and olives. bruschetta, usually reserved for more formal affairs is another great nibble.Again go for whole wheat Italian bread and mix tomatoes capers and bell peppers to create a topping.You can serve them hot with a light sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.Prefer more South of the border?Then think chicken or tilapia tacos with guacamole and minced fresh veggies to put on top.Hold the sour cream and pour on the home made salsa . finish with fresh fruit kabobs, made from apples, oranges and grapes.Serve these with a honey sweetened Greek yogurt. Make your game day a winner with healthy nibbles and bites.Serve dishes that are bursting with vitamins and minerals.You're sure to touch down with high points for staying away from all that grease ,salt and fat!

Super Bowl Super Foods

This Sunday will be a paean to football and all kinds of snack foods.Unfortunately Americans turn to outside sources as opposed to making their own quick bites.That shouldn't be.You can create a tasty snack filled homemade platter for SuperBowl Sunday. Sam Sifton, one of the New York Times' great food writers , asked this question in yesterday's New York Times Dining section.He came up with a tasty and much better solution than a list of take out phone numbers.He has updated three classic Sunday football dishes, fried chicken ,nachos and clam dip.These are the perfect dishes to serve not just for a football themed day but for parties as well.His fried chicken is heavenly.This is a Coke brined chicken where it's marinated in a mix of The soda ,thyme and hot sauce infuse the meat with a sweet and fiery flavor.The crust is a mix of flour ,cayenne pepper along with onion and garlic powder.It's fried quickly in a mix of peanut oil and lard. If that's not enough Mr Sifton gives us an old classic clam dip and a new one ,nachos.Clam dip was almost a requirement for every party thrown during the 1950's.Thanks to the season being one for fresh clams ,you can make a very fresh dip using the freshly caught seafood along with sour cream.Again cayenne pepper and Worcester sauce give the dip zing.Serve with potato chips for a classic treat or fresh veggies for a healthier twist.Nachos ,another game day must, are made with a shredded pork shoulder moistened with lime juice instead of the usua Ground beef.This is layered over tortilla chips along with more lime infused sour cream.Crunchy radishes not only decorate it but give it a nice pop of sharpness. Cilantro is then sprinkled on for more flavor as is another layer of meat ,sour cream and cheese. Game day dishes don't have to be take out fumbles.They can be hot, fresh and inspired.It's a great way to celebrate a modern American tradition.

The Perfect Marinara

The perfect tomato sauce is a relatively simple goal surprisingly .It doesn't take special prep or fancy ingredients.There are no elaborate machines involved, just knives a pot and a wooden spoon., That's it. Stick to this recipe and you have a sauce for life.

Julian Moskin explored this in her Recipe Lab Column in today's New York Times Dining section. She corrals the best Italian cook present, Lidia Bastianich  to help her in this quest. Marinara has undergone some interesting transformations since American GIs brought it back after their tour of duty in Italy  during the Second World War. Most Yanks  think it should be with meat (sorry, that's Bolognese) and have also used it for a base for soups and even stews.Use it for it;s original purpose, over any kind of chunky or thin pasta (more on that in the next paragraph).

Chef Bastianich tells us that a good marinara should have only a few ingredients. The tomatoes , which should be San Marzano, olive oil, basil , a bit of chile pepper and oregano. There should be absolutely no tomato paste and no butter - which was a must according to another great chef.,  the late Marcella Hazan. The tomatoes are the key to the perfect sauce. They should be from the San Marzano region of Southern Italy. This area is in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius and the ash rich soil makes for a sweeter fruit. You can use any other tomato, There are San Marzano strains being raised all over the world and these can be used too.You can use any olive oil and as for the basil, go for smaller leaves which have a sweeter flavor.Use firm white garlic too, to get just the right flavor.A more watery sauce is perfect for thin spaghetti or angel hair.Chunkier sauces call for chunkier pastas such as penne or ziti.
For the perfect pasta dish, start with  the perfect marinara a simple sauce , not fancy but packed full of complex flavors melded together. It's makes for a memorable and classic dinner.

The Perfect Cake The Swiss Roll

One of the most perfect cakes is the Swiss roll.This is a simple cake with a complex look. It is a great cake to make for a Sunday dinner or to bring as a  dessert. It can br made in a variety of flavors with a variety of fillings . It is one of the most customised cakes any one can create.'

Swiss rolls came into being during the Victorian Era and was quickly incorporated into teas. Its' origins were not in Switzerland but probably in the Czech Republic or Austria where baking hit its' height during the 1800s.It was also called a jelly roll in American recipe books and magazines.This version was more of a fancy cake made at home for holidays or for  weddings The French Christmas favorite, buche de Noel is  one of the most famous examples of a roll cake. .The  recipe is a simple one. Bake a square of sponge cake let cool, butter on a filling and then roll it. It does take a knack to do the latter. however and you may want help for your first cake.,

Most Swiss or jelly roll cake recipes use a simple sponge cake as a base. A sponge cake has a well beaten batter similar to an angel food cake. It should have the texture of a sea sponge with air pockets laced through it.As for the filling, raspberry seems to be the one of choice .Most bakers use a raspberry jam however you can also use marmalade too for more zing. Some also use a butter cream however a light touch would be a  slightly sweetened whipped cream.. You can decorate it with a simple dusting of  confectioner's sugar or with puffs of cream.If you want a lusher roll then ice it completely but again  use a lighter whipped cream.A regular buttercream may be too much and too sweet in taste/.

The Swiss or jelly roll is an easy but elegant cake to make. It's a nice ending to a dinner party or made as a gift . It's perfection and prettiness rolled together,

Hot Savory Pies

This is the weather that calls for a hot pie- no, not one bursting with fruit but with savory goodness.There's nothing like a pie that explodes with flavor.A hearty slice is the perfect dinner or lunch,especially teamed up with a salad. Quiche is one of the easiest savory pies to whip up.What is great about it is that it can have a variety of fillings.A typical Quiche Lorraine has bacon and Swiss cheese in it.This centuries old dish is staple in almost every brasserie in France.It is easy to make ,simply using a pre made pie shell.It is actually German in origin as is the recipe zweibelkugen.This is an onion rich quiche which can also have ham strips or chunks added.Quiches can also be made with chicken or seafood such as crab.You can also make what's known as quiche lets, small individual pies for a Sunday brunch too.You can vary the ingredients on this, going from tomato basil to four cheese Another hot savory pie is a meat pie.Nothing beats a homemade beef or chicken potpie on a colk night. This takes a little more work than a quiche.You have to make both the bottom and top crusts.What you put in them is up to you.You could easily fill it with a type of thick stew, redolent with potatoes, corn,peas ,and carrots.Meat pies can be made individually too ,using pre made biscuits and muffin tins.For these you can think fun.Experiment with chili or ratatouille. Calzones and empanadas are variations of pies and these, too , are perfect for a weekend night. Calzones are good stuffed with ricotta and ham while the empanadas are open to any filling.Both are easy to make and bake,and you might want to start with them before heading onto meat pies. Nothing beats a hot savory pie on a cold night.Enjoy an egg rich quiches or a gravy laced meat one for lunch or dinner. They are warm and hearty, the perfect meal for these chilly days.

Hot Baked Dishes

A cold weekend night demands a hot baked dish.It's a great meal to come home to, especially after shoveling or just sleighing.This kind of dinner is versatile too.You can try a hearty shepherd's pie one week and baked cannelloni the next.Either way, they're a great way to warm up an empty stomach. Lasagna is one of the most popular baked dishes.Kids go mad for it and it 's guaranteed you'll have few leftovers afterwards.The recipe is basic, starting with layers of wide noodles alternating between ricotta cheese and sauce.Some add chopped meat or for a vegetarian spin ,layers of roasted eggplant ,carrots and asparagus.You can also try the Greek version of moussaka.This is made with eggplant ,red wine and a variety of spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg .A béchamel sauce is then poured over it and then it is served.A real crowd pleaser is shepherd"s pie.This really isn't layered so much as it is topped off.A crispy mashed potato covers a rich lamb or beef stew. These are the most popular however there are other baked dishes that are equally delicious. Manicotti or stuffed baked crepes are another perfect oven dish.Like lasagna, this can have variations.Usually stuffed with ricotta cheese, they can also be filled with spinach.You can also fill them with ground beef too.Cannelloni is similar too ,made with roman cheese.A mid century classic is tuna casserole.Not many make it these day,heaven only knows why because it's just as good as any other dish.The ingredients are egg noodles,tuna, mushrooms and mushroom soup?Noodle casseroles don't have to layered like the others.Simply mix in a buttered pan and bake. The weather outside may be frightful but a baked dish inside is delightful.Make any baked dish from lasagna to shepherd's pie ,from moussaka to tuna casserole for a tummy warming dinner.It's the perfect antedate for a chilly weekend dinner.

Oatmeal Your Winter Friend

One of the most versatile cold weather dishes is oatmeal.It makes for a great start to the day along with being a neat and unusual ingredient for main meals.It is also loaded with all that good stuff to keep you healthy and happy during these bitter cold snaps.Best of all this centuries old classic is one of the easiest to use. We actually have the Egyptians to thank for this grain however it was the Scots who truly integrated it into their cuisine.Oats were a main ingredient in the New Year's dish ,haggis.In this country oatmeal was and still is the healthiest breakfast there is.It lowers cholesterol as well as helps to keep the heart healthy.It also lowers blood sugar and regulates diabetes.A hot bowl of oatmeal is one way to chase the chill.You can get the already flavored or make your own using either cinnamon or maple syrup for sweetening.You can also add fruits such as sliced banana or dried cranberries or blue berries.A weekend treat is oatmeal cookies.They"re not only fun for the kids to make, they're also good for them too.Add to the goodness by using whole wheat flour instead of usual white and brown sugar instead of the refined. Now here's a surprise - oatmeal can also be used as a savory dish - and not only in haggis.There are several recipes from breakfast to dinner that features this grain.You can try it with a poached egg for breakfast,breaking the yolk so that it mixes with the grains.You can also add mushrooms and onions to it as a side.For a quick lunch add any shredded cheese to plain oatmeal.For a thickener you can add oats to a watery curry to make it thicker.Oatmeal bread is one a fun thing to do on a snowy day and two, a great way of making a sandwich healthier.You can use other all natural ingredients like dark wildflower honey and whole wheat flour along with tossing in some sunflower seeds too. Oatmeal is one of the best 'winter' foods to have.It is versatile ,going from breakfast to bread along with being super healthy.Make it a cold weather must have.