Waistline friendly & husband approved game day recipes

by Kirsten Evans

Here is a healthy spin on your favorite game day foods! These football season inspired recipes are waistline friendly and husband approved!

• Black Bean Quinoa Sliders
• Fabulously Light & Tasty Jalapeño Poppers
• Cauliflower Jumbo Tots
• Refreshing Avocado Cucumber Salad or Dip

Black Bean Quinoa Sliders

Black Bean Quinoa Sliders

Yield: 12-14 sliders
Prep Time: 20 min.
Cook Time: 15-20 min.

Ingredients:

Slider

• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1 cup quinoa (tri-color makes for a nice looking slider, but any will do)
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 cups bread crumbs (I use whole wheat bread crumbs, seasoned)
• ½ cup chopped green onions
• ½ cup chopped culantro (very similar to cilantro, but a little stronger)
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 1 bag of arugula
• Whole-wheat rolls or slider buns

Sriracha Yogurt Sauce

• 6 oz. plain low fat Greek yogurt
• ½ cup sour cream
• ¼ lemon wedge for flavor (or one tablespoon lemon juice)
• ½ cup sriracha

Preparation:

1. Boil water and chicken broth together. Rinse quinoa and add to boiling broth. Reduce to a simmer until water and chicken broth is absorbed; quinoa will be tender. Set aside and let cool.
2. Meanwhile, in large bowl, add drained beans. Lightly mash. Add cooled quinoa and bread crumbs (if unseasoned bread crumbs, season mixture with garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste). Mix.
3. Sauté chopped green onions and culantro with olive oil in a nonstick, 8–12 ­inch pan over medium heat. Add to mixture, with egg and egg white. Mix well. Let rest until mixture is moist, not runny.
4. Place ¼ cup sliders about one inch apart on a non-stick cookie sheet. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until slightly golden.
5. While burgers are cooking, prepare yogurt sauce. In small bowl combine yogurt, lemon juice, sour cream and sriracha. Makes about 1 ¼ cups.
6. To serve, add a small handful of arugula to bottom bun, place slider patty on top, add dollop of sauce and top with bun. Lastly, toothpick bun and slider together.

Fabulously Light & Tasty Jalapeño Poppers

Fabulously Light & Tasty Jalapeño Poppers

Yield: 18-24 poppers
Prep Time: 20 min.
Cook Time: 20 min.

Ingredients:

• 12 medium jalapeños
• 8-oz. pkg light cream cheese (soft)
• 8-oz. bag of shredded cheddar cheese (2% milk)
• ½ cup chopped scallions
• 4 large eggs
• 2 large egg whites
• 8 oz. bread crumbs (I use whole wheat bread crumbs, seasoned), or panko crumbs
• 12 slices turkey bacon, cooked

Note: Create a spicier crunch by adding red pepper powder, black pepper and paprika to bread crumb or panko mixture.

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven 400° F. Spray a nonstick cookie sheet with cooking spray and set aside. Rinse peppers, cut tops and then cut lengthwise down the center removing all seeds.
2. In a medium mixing bowl combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, chopped scallions and bread crumbs. Mix and let sit.
3. Cook turkey bacon until crisp. Chop into pieces or crush with hands. Add turkey bacon to mixture.
4. Fill pepper with cheese, packing each tightly. Combine eggs and egg whites, mixing well. Dip peppers in eggs, thoroughly coat peppers, and toss with bread crumbs or panko.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden and cheese is slightly oozing out. Serve hot with sour cream for dipping.

Cauliflower Jumbo Tots

Cauliflower Jumbo Tots

Yield: 24 tots
Prep Time: 25 min.
Cook Time: 30 min.

Ingredients:

• 1 large cauliflower, roasted or steamed to chop into florets, or two 16-oz. fresh bags to steam or roast
• 2 cups of bread crumbs (I use whole wheat bread crumbs, seasoned)
• 1 cup of fresh, chopped parsley
• ½ – 1 lemon for flavor
• 4 large eggs
• 2 large egg whites

Preparation:

1. Steam raw cauliflower 4 – 5 minutes until tender but not mushy. Pour 2 cups of water and 1 cup of chicken broth directly over top of cauliflower.
2. Season with a little salt and pepper, cover with tin foil and place in oven at 375° for 20-30 minutes, until tender.
3. Remove from oven, chop cauliflower into small chunks, not too fine. Be sure to remove any tough stems or cauliflower ends, mainly using floret portion.
4. In a large bowl, combine with all other ingredients. Mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Scoop a teaspoon size mixture and shape in your hands. Place on nonstick cookie sheet about ½ inch apart and cook for 15-25 minutes at 400°, turning halfway through cooking until golden brown.

Refreshing Avocado Cucumber Salad or Dip

Refreshing Avocado Cucumber Salad or Dip

Yield: 10-12 servings
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cook Time: 0 min.

Ingredients:

• 4 medium, soft but not mushy, Hass avocados
• ½ cup culantro
• 2 medium cucumbers
• ½ package of cherry tomatoes
• 2 limes
• ½ cup chopped shallots or red onion
• Salt and pepper
• Garlic powder
• Olive oil

Preparation:

1. Slice and pit avocados, cut into square chunks and scoop into bowl.
2. Slice cucumbers, into 4 long quarters. Remove seeds.
3. Dice tomatoes, culantro, and onion. Mix well. Squeeze lime juice over top, drizzle olive oil, and add salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.
4. Serve as a side item, burger topping or with tortilla chips.