photo via Hass Avocados
Jen! I wanted to see if you would be posting any HHB Superbowl appetizer ideas. I am having some people over and am tired of the same old recipes, but also want to serve some healthy stuff since starting my new nutrition program two weeks ago. Let me know, and if not I will have to brainstorm a little harder.
Take care,
Rachel
I like watching football, but for me the Super Bowl is really just an excuse to get everyone together for some hard core snacking. I suspect I am not alone in that sentiment. Super Bowl snacks usually are synonymous with fatty, gut clogging fare, but this does not have to be the case. In my heart of hearts, I truly believe that delicious and healthy are not mutually exclusive. I will continue to shout that sentiment to anyone who will listen until I finally go off to that great big salad bar in the sky. In honor of healthy snacks far and wide, here is what I will be serving at this year's Super Bowl Fete:
Crudites
When I told the cater for my wedding that I wanted to have crudites she said, "But nobody really eats that." Au contraire, my caterer friend. People will eat crudites but as with all things, presentation is key. You can't put out some wilted, sad, crushed spirit crudites. Find the most beautiful, colorful, vibrant veggies you can get your hands on and then arrange them on a gorgeous platter (like this one). Make your veggies the centerpiece of the snack table. Surround them with olives, crusty whole grain baguette, mustard, delicious vegan dip, hummus and guacamole. Then, in much smaller bowls, put out some vegetable chips, organic tortilla chips and nuts. If you are feeling like a fancy pants you could even add some grilled vegetables to the mix. Then people can use the baguette to make their own mini veggie sandwiches. By making veggies the star of the show, you will be surprised how quickly they get gobbled up. If you build it, they will eat.
Kale Salad
Yep. I'm am going to keep posting this salad until you love it as much as I do. I've said it before and I'll say it again: this salad is great for parties because it doesn't wilt under its dressing. In fact, it gets more delicious the longer it marinates. Spoiler alert: this salad might even be a contender for this week's Salad Sundays.Baked Potato Bar
I got this great idea from the blog where great ideas go to play…Cup of Jo. A baked potato bar is when you bake a bunch of potatoes ahead of time and then put out all the fixins'. The genius thing about this is, since everyone gets to choose their own toppings, it caters to all different types of eaters. You can have vegan and non-vegan toppings happily coexisting together in peace and harmony (without having to make a butt load of different appetizers). My baked potato bar is going to have vegan butter, Daiya "cheese", sauteed spinach, vegetarian chili, chives, guacamole and salsa. I might even throw some sweet potatoes into the mix because I'm wacky like that.
Vegan Cookies and Vanilla Coconut Ice Cream
One of my favorite party desserts is Make Your Own Ice Cream Sandwiches. (Are you noticing the "make your own" theme in this post?? "Make your own" is fun and it keeps you from having to slave in the kitchen while everyone else is hanging out.) I put out a plate of vegan cookies (like Trader Joe's Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies) and a big bowl of vanilla coconut ice cream with plenty of spoons. Not only are ice cream sandwiches a fun, "feel like a kid again" dessert, but you pretty much have your bases covered in terms of guest preferences. If someone doesn't like chocolate or cookies, you could just throw some ice cream in a fancy bowl with frozen blueberries and…voila! You have a whole new dessert.-♥ J :)
P.S. You can find the recipe for the Field of Guacamole pictured above HERE.
P.P.S. Look at THESE adorable "burger" cookies. Hmmm…I wonder if I could make them vegan...
