Traditional Super Bowl food laden with meat and dairy may work if you’re a linebacker hitting the gym constantly and burning thousands of calories a day. But for those of us on the couch, cheering on the teams or watching the ads, chicken wings, beef chili and mozzarella sticks will only help thicken our middles and harden our arteries.

Instead, keep the health of your Super Bowl party guests in mind and put together a game-day spread based on plants rather than saturated fat.

I’ve done some of the heavy lifting for you and come up with three game-day recipes bursting with flavor, fiber and nutrients.

Both the mini burritos and the black bean dip use the same chili beans, which helps streamline your time in the kitchen. I’d recommend cooking the beans a day ahead, refrigerating them and then creating the burritos and the dip on game day. The dip also stores well, so you could make that ahead, too.

Should you just want to whip up the bean dip or the burritos, halve the chili beans recipe and you’ll be ready to go.

I like to use the locally made Spelt Right pizza dough because it’s tasty, works for people who have wheat sensitivities and is made with organic spelt flour. But you could certainly use your favorite type of pizza dough instead.

I always buy organic ingredients whenever possible. If that’s not feasible for you, at least make sure you buy organic celery if you plan to make the celery sticks with carrot ginger stuffing, since conventionally-grown celery tops the Dirty Dozen list of fruits and vegetables that contain the most pesticide residues.

The good news is that the celery sticks come together quickly and also store well in the refrigerator, so you can make them ahead or create them the day of the party.

CHILI BEANS

3 cups dry black beans, soaked overnight in water

1 large onion, diced

3 garlic gloves, minced

1 tablespoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon dry ground mustard seed

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

Drain beans and place in a stockpot. Add enough water to cover the beans. Then add onion, garlic, sea salt, mustard seed, chili powder, cayenne powder, garlic powder, black pepper and liquid smoke. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, place the lid on slightly askew so steam can escape, and simmer for about 1 hour or until the beans are tender and the water has evaporated.

MINI BURRITO BITES

1/2 cup long grain brown rice

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 cups chili beans

2 packages of thawed Spelt Right pizza dough

Preheat the oven to 475.

Add rice, water, sea salt, chili powder and garlic powder to a pot and place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and place a lid on top slightly askew so steam can escape. Simmer for 1 hour or until all the liquid has evaporated.

Cut each package of pizza dough into fourths. Roll out each section until it is as thin as you can get it. Then cut each section into three or four strips. At the tip of each strip, place 1 teaspoon of rice and 1 teaspoon of beans. Roll the mixture in the dough and tuck in the ends.

Bake the burrito bites in the oven for 7 minutes, or until the crust begins to turn golden brown.

Serve with salsa, guacamole or hot sauce for dipping. Makes roughly 32 mini burritos.

BLACK BEAN DIP

4 cups chili beans (about half the batch or whatever you have left over from the burritos)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon sea salt

Add olive oil and vinegar to a large food processor. Place beans and salt on top and puree until smooth. Serve with tortilla chips and salsa. These beans also make a great topping for nachos or for use in tacos.

CELERY STICKS WITH CARROT GINGER STUFFING

10 cups shredded carrots (roughly 4 to 5 large carrots)

1/2 cup fresh ginger root, minced

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon maple syrup

3 bunches of celery

In a food processor, add carrots, ginger, olive oil, vinegar, tamari, toasted sesame oil and maple syrup, and blend until it forms a consistent paste.

Cut each celery stalk into three or four sections. Stuff each piece of celery with the carrot ginger mixture. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to two days before serving.

Should you have leftover carrot ginger stuffing, it can be thinned with additional olive oil, vinegar, tamari and maple syrup to make a salad dressing.

 

 

Staff Writer Avery Yale Kamila can be contacted at 791-6297 or at: akamila@pressherald.com

Follow her on Twitter at: Twitter.com/AveryYaleKamila