Healthy Tailgating Recipes
Crowd-Pleasing Marinated Green Beans
Yields: 8 servings
This simple salad is easy to double or triple. Make it the day before the game and refrigerate.
½ large red onion, thinly sliced
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup herb-flavored white wine vinegar or regular white wine vinegar
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 lb fresh green beans, ends trimmed, but left long
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Place the sliced onions in a colander over the sink.
In a small bowl, stir together the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper until combined. Stir in the garlic. Set aside.
When the water comes to a boil, add the green beans. Cover and cook for 5 to 10 minutes or just until the beans are bright green; do not overcook.
Pour the beans and hot water over the onions in the colander. Rinse under cold running water to cool down. Drain well for a few minutes.
Place the beans and onions in a large bowl or large re-sealable plastic bag. Pour the dressing in and mix with the vegetables.
Refrigerate four hours or overnight, stirring or shaking occasionally.
Let come to room temperature before serving.
Courtesy of Debbie Moose, Fan Fare: A Playbook of Great Recipes for Tailgating or Watching the Game at Home.
Black Bean Summer Salad
Yields: 8 side dishes or 4 light meals
This salad is easily doubled to feed a crowd.
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and well drained
5 or 6 green onions, white and green parts, chopped
1 large sweet banana pepper, deseeded and chopped
1½ cups halved cherry tomatoes
6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp lime juice
2½ Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp chili powder
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
In a large bowl, toss together the corn, black beans, green onions, banana pepper and tomatoes.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, vinegar, chili powder, salt and pepper.
Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat them all. Then stir in the cilantro.
Refrigerate from 1 to 3 hours to let the flavors come together.
Note: If using frozen corn, drain it well and lightly sauté in a couple of teaspoons of olive oil before adding it to the salad. This removes moisture that may make the salad watery.
Courtesy of Debbie Moose, Southern Holidays: A Savor the South Cookbook.
Chilled Red Bell Pepper Soup
Yields: 4 small servings
Quadruple this recipe to make soup for a larger gathering. Serve in small sipping cups—cold for games in hot weather or hot for games in cold weather.
1 red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded
½ cup low fat Greek or dairy-free yogurt
¼ yellow onion
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 small/mini cucumber
¼ cup rice vinegar
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
4 large garlic cloves
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Garnish:
Flat leaf (Italian) parsley, minced
Roasted and salted pumpkin seeds
Blend all main ingredients, except garnish, in a high-speed blender into purée.
Serve topped with the parsley and a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds.
Adapted from Daina Falk’s HungryFan.com.
Vegetarian-Friendly Barbecue Cauliflower Nuggets
Yields: 8 appetizer servings
Plant-based barbecue is a home run or touchdown.
1 head of cauliflower
1 cup all-purpose or gluten-free flour
1 Tbsp barbecue spice blend
1 cup nut milk of choice
1 cup tomato-based barbecue sauce
Accompaniment:
Dipping sauce of choice
Preheat the oven to 450° F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Rinse and separate cauliflower florets into small to medium sized pieces.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the barbecue spice, flour and nut milk until smooth.
Dredge each piece of cauliflower in the batter before placing it on the baking sheet.
Bake for 18 minutes or until golden brown. Brush the cauliflower with barbecue sauce and return to the oven for an additional 5 minutes.
Remove the cauliflower from the baking sheet and plate alongside a dipping sauce of your choice.
Adapted from Daina Falk’s HungryFan.com.
Michelada
Yields: 8 servings
Mix this cocktail in a pitcher and serve over ice. Part bloody Mary and part beer, the umami flavor comes from Maggi Seasoning, a bottled condiment available at better grocery stores.
Glass Rimmer:
Lime wedges (plus more for serving)
2 Tbsp kosher salt
½ tsp chili powder
Michelada:
1 (32 oz) bottle of chilled Clamato (about 4 cups)
1 (32 oz) bottle or 3 (12 oz) bottles chilled Mexican lager
½ cup fresh lime juice
1½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp bottled hot sauce
1 tsp bottled Maggi Seasoning
For the glass rimmer, mix the kosher salt and chili powder on a small plate.
Rub rims of pint glasses with lime wedges and dip in salt mixture. Set aside.
Mix Clamato, lager, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and Maggi Seasoning in a large pitcher. Fill glasses with ice, top up with Michelada mixture and garnish with added lime wedges.
Adapted from Judith Fertig’s 500 Mexican Dishes.