Super Bowl Food
You can still make food fun without derailing your weight loss efforts. Try one of these recipes or enjoy your old favorites (just remember the 3 bite rule).
Add peppers to a saute pan with sesame oil (or oil of your choice) over high heat. Cook until peppers are blistered and top with sea salt.
Slice chicken sausages vertically and stuff a mozzarella cheese stick into each of them. Place in baking dish and cover with marinara sauce. (Add sautéed garlic, onions, and mushrooms if you have time and are feeling fancy.) Bake at 400F for 45 min.
INGREDIENTS
3/4 English cucumber, partially peeled and sliced
1 tsp salt, divided
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
Sliced veggies for dipping
DIRECTIONS
Grate the cucumber, toss with 1/2 tsp salt, transfer to mesh strainer over a bowl to drain, set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, white vinegar, and olive oil.
Squeeze grated cucumber dry with a towel and add to garlic mixture. Stir in yogurt and white pepper, combine thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate a couple hours.
Stir before serving. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes: I doubled the recipe and used larger low carb flour tortillas with more filling in each. For the chicken, the first time I shredded the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken, and the second time I cooked the chicken breast in my slow cooker for 5 hours on low heat and then shredded it using two forks. Both ways work well. The taquitos can be prepared ahead of time and frozen.
1/3 cup (3 oz) cream cheese (low fat is fine, avoid fat free)
1/4 cup green salsa
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic, or garlic powder
3 Tablespoon chopped cilantro
2 Tablespoon sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 C grated pepperjack or plain jack cheese
small flour or corn tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray or olive oil
FOR THE FILLING
1. Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir.
2. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic.
3. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions.
4. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.
(You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.)
FOR THE TAQUITOS
1. Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.
2. If using corn tortillas, work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave, wrapped in damp paper towels until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If using flour tortillas straight from the fridge, it helps to warm them in the microwave so they’re easier to roll.
3. Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1 inch from the edges. Roll up tortillas and place seam down on a baking sheet, not touching one another. Spray lightly with cooking spray, or lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. Dip in sour cream, or our favorite: Creamy Lime-Cilantro Ranch.
FOR THE FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the taquitos through rolling them out and placing them on the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze until solid, then transfer to a large freezer bag. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425 and place the taquitos on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
