By Judith Yamada, Kitchen Maven
Every year, around this time, when planning my football watching agenda, I try to come up with some easy and delicious tailgate snacks a variety of sports fans might enjoy. Hoping to avoid repetition, I checked over my posted tailgate recipes from last year. And since my alma mater is playing tomorrow night, got my colors ready and picked out some recipes to share. Here are a few sports party food suggestions. Whether you’re packing the food up for your destination or serving it on the coffee table, aside from any needed reheating, they are easily prepared ahead of time, and ready to serve.
Lots more party food ideas are found in my cookbook, “Thrifty Comfort Cooking for Challenging Times”, all (100%) author royalties, from retail sales of the cookbook, go directly to the Oregon Food Bank, Tillamook Services.
Amazon.com: Thrifty Comfort Cooking for Challenging Times: 9780578310763: Berman-Yamada, Judith, Berman-Yamada, Judith: Books
Potato & Green Chile Stew
Economical, quick and satisfying, this stew, adapted from the recipe by Deborah Madison (Food 52), is perfect the day it’s made and even better the next day. Eat with a dollop of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt or prepare with water (instead of chicken broth), pass on the sour cream, and this is a satisfying vegan meal. If you prefer a meaty stew, some diced fried pancetta or shredded roast pork will round out the dish.
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium large onion, dice
2 – 7-ounce cans mild fire roasted diced green chilies
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
2-3 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 large russet potatoes or 1½ – 2 pounds smaller potatoes, peeled and chopped into 2-inch chunks
¾ -1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2-3 cups chicken broth OR water
Sour cream OR plain Greek yogurt to finish, optional
Chopped fresh cilantro OR parsley, optional
Heat the oil in a wide pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the diced chilies, coriander, cumin, garlic and potatoes along with salt and pepper; stir. Cook together for 3 minutes.
Add broth or water. Bring to a boil, and then lower heat to a gentle but constant simmer. Cover and cook until the potatoes are completely soft, about 25 minutes.
Taste for seasoning. If desired, mash some of the potatoes to give the dish a creamy background texture.
Pour stew into bowls; add a dollop of sour cream, and the chopped cilantro, if using.
Serves 4
Adapted from original: Deborah Madison/Food 52
Dungeness Crab Dip
Serve a bowl of this zesty dip, on a plate, surrounded with crackers. This recipe makes enough for a party. If you have leftovers, toss in with some hot pasta the following day.
12 ounces light cream cheese, softened
3 Tablespoons prepared horseradish
3 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley, divided
1 ½ Tablespoons coarse mustard
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
¾ cup light sour cream
1½ cups lump Dungeness crabmeat
Beat the softened cheese with a rotary beater or whisk for 2 minutes or until creamy. Add horseradish, 2 Tablespoons parsley, mustard, hot pepper sauce and lemon juice, and beat for 1 additional minute. With flexible spatula, fold in the light sour cream. Carefully fold in crab meat. Scrape dip into a 3-4 cup serving bowl. Sprinkle top with remaining parsley. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Refrigerate leftovers. Use within two days.
Original: Kitchen Maven
Blueberry Bars
When limiting sugar in a recipe, I find that fruity desserts and treats are the most forgiving and delicious. This one, which I adapted, both simplifies the process and increases the fiber. And they are really good. Fresh blueberries are readily available in supermarkets year-round, and they’re packed with nutrition. Try these tasty bars as part of a brunch, teatime treat, in lunch boxes or as part of your holiday presentation. They take just minutes to prepare and are probably one of the quickest, easiest cookies I’ve ever baked. Enjoy!
9-inch square baking pan, ungreased
½ cup unsalted butter, cut in about 16 small chunks
1 ¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour, measured by spooning method
½ cup granulated sugar
1-2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest, yellow only
1 teaspoon corn starch, NOT corn flour
½ teaspoon salt *
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
1-3 teaspoons ice cold water
1 cup fresh washed blueberries, thoroughly dried
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Freeze butter chunks for 15 minutes.
Combine all dry ingredients, including lemon zest; whisk well.
Cut the frozen butter chunks into the dry ingredients until granules look like coarse sand with some small pea sized bits throughout. When butter is well incorporated, drizzle in the ice water. Mix well. The mixture should be just moist enough to hold together when squeezed between the fingers. Alternatively, put whisked dry ingredients into food processor along with frozen butter chunks and pulse until mixture is as described above. Then drizzle in the water while pulsing the processor. Turn the mixture out to a bowl and stir together thoroughly. Evenly press ¾ of the mixture into the ungreased 9-inch square pan. Scatter berries in one even layer over the pastry base. Top the berries with remaining pastry mixture. Bake on middle rack of preheated 375-degree F oven 30-35 minutes or until pastry is golden. Cool completely (at least 1 hour) before cutting into 12 blueberry bars.
*If using salted butter, decrease salt to ¼ teaspoon.