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Each year around this time, friends call me for Super Bowl recipes. They are tired of ordering hoagie trays, mini cheesesteaks, Chinese food or deli sandwiches. The solution is to serve a tasty assortment of dips with bagel chips, chunks of bread and crackers. It’s also nice to have a big pot of chili simmering on the stove.
Don’t forget an assortment of cheeses, which should be brought to room temperature before serving. Since the Super Bowl is an all-American tradition, why not serve all-American cheeses? Choose from Maytag Blue and Wisconsin and Vermont cheddar.
I also like to serve raw vegetables in a basket lined with a linen napkin. Endive and Treviso leaves are good because they serve as scoops for dips.
Speaking of dips, they have evolved since the 1950s when someone mixed a packet of Lipton’s dehydrated onion soup mix into sour cream. (Yuck!) Now it’s easy to make an onion dip from scratch.
Guacamole is another favorite with football fans. There are a few culinary schools of thought about this Mexican treat: Some like it chunky, some prefer smooth. When Laura Bush offered her recipe, culinary historians and foodies were shocked when she substituted lemon juice for lime — it’s just not done. Lime is the classic acid used in this creation.
Hummus has recently made its way into more restaurants — always featured on Middle Eastern menus but new-American bistros are offering it, too.
Spinach and Artichoke Dip, served hot or at room temperature, is a snap. I always use defrosted, frozen chopped spinach.
Finally, let’s talk chili. Many years ago, my Texas-born butcher gave me a recipe for this Southwestern dish. Ground beef is never used when making it in his native state. Instead, Texans dice chuck steak. Still, vegetarians and carnivores alike love my meat-free chili.
Onion Dip
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of butter
2 large onions, peeled and chopped
1 (16-ounce) container of sour cream
Garlic powder, to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Heat the oil and butter over medium-high in a large skillet. Add the onions and sauté for about eight to 10 minutes. Remove to a mixing bowl. Let cool at room temperature.
Place the sour cream in a serving bowl. Add the onions, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Blend well. Chill.
Makes about two cups.
Note from Phyllis: Several sliced scallions may be added to the dip.
My Guacamole
Ingredients:
4 ripe Haas avocados, halved and pitted
4 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime juice
Tabasco sauce, to taste
1 small red onion, diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tomato, seeded and diced
Directions:
Scoop the avocado flesh from their shells. Place in a large bowl. Add the lime juice, Tabasco, onion, salt and pepper and toss well.
Cut the avocado into small dice with a knife. Add the tomatoes and mix well. Add more salt and pepper, if desired.
Makes about three cups.
Note from Phyllis: This is a chunky version. Place the avocados in the food processor and pulse carefully for a smoother version.
Hummus
Ingredients:
2 (15-ounce) cans of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Kosher salt, to taste
3 fat cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup of tahini
Juice of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons of water
Directions:
Place the ingredients in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until coarsely pureed. Taste for seasoning and chill.
Bring to room temperature before serving.
Makes about two cups.
Note from Phyllis: Tahini is sesame paste that can be found in supermarkets and gourmet shops.
Substitute canned small Northern white beans for the chickpeas, if desired.
Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Ingredients:
3 packages of frozen, chopped spinach, defrosted
1 (15-ounce) can of artichokes, rinsed, drained and sliced
1 (16-ounce) container of sour cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Chopped fresh dill
Directions:
Squeeze out as much water as possible from the spinach with your hands. Place in a mixing bowl and add the artichokes, sour cream, salt and pepper. Blend well. Sprinkle with the dill. Chill until ready to serve.
Makes about two cups.
Vegetarian Chili
Ingredients:
Vegetable oil, to coat the pot
1 large onion, peeled and diced
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
2 (15-ounce) cans of small Northern white beans, rinsed and drained
2 (15-ounce) cans of red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 (28-oiunce) cans of chopped tomatoes with their juice
2 (15-ounce) cans of white corn, rinsed and drained
1 (16-ounce) package of frozen edamame or Lima beans
1 cup of dry red wine
Chili powder, to taste
Cumin, to taste
Tabasco sauce, to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Shredded cheddar
Directions:
Heat the oil over medium-high in a large pot. Add the onion and carrots and sauté for about eight to 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, except the cheese, and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook for about 45 minutes. Taste for seasoning.
Place the cheese in a bowl and serve on the side.
Serves six.
Note from Phyllis: This is a thicker chili. If thinner is preferred, add some water or more red wine.
