Food

Gridiron Heroes

Snazzy subs and snacks for Super Sunday couch potatoes.

Annabel Cohen
Special to the Jewish News

S

uper Bowl Sunday is finally
upon us. Although this year's
Lions were, shall we say, disap-
pointing, Detroiters still love the game
and we will tune in, turn on and pig out
on Feb. 1 to prove it.
Some of us (not me) will start early,
watching pre-game shows way before
the 6:28 p.m. kickoff at Tampa Bay's
Raymond James Stadium. Some will
actually be in Florida to experience the
spectacle firsthand. Others will host
and attend parties simply to socialize,
watch the highly anticipated television
commercials and sing along with Bruce
Springsteen and the E-Street Band at the
half-time show (that would be me). And,
of course, to eat fun foods with abandon
(again, me).
It would be excessive to serve anything
but casual eats for such an occasion. I'd
venture that pizza and sub shops will
have their greatest sales of the year on
Super Bowl Sunday. And the sales of
salsa, tortilla chips, pretzels and other
such munchies will also rise big time.
There's no reason a football event need
be completely devoid of good nutrition
and a bit of gourmet flair. Here's where a
little imagination comes in.
Making sandwiches is the easiest of
tasks. There's not even cooking involved.
Good bread, good fillings and a good
dressing or sauce are all that's required.
And what's a submarine but a big sand-
wich. Rather than pick up a sub ready
made, design your own — one that's
better than restaurant quality. And serve
those frankfurters — even Coney style
— with a leaner, upscale chili made with
turkey instead of who-knows-what.
No matter what the menu, adding
some homemade specialties will score big
with fans of every ilk.
When the Pittsburgh Steelers and
Arizona Cardinals take to the field for
Super Bowl XLIII, you'll be game-ready
with the recipes below.

Gourmet Submarine
Hollowing the bread makes the fillings
less likely to fall out of the sandwich. It
also make the sub more easy to handle.
For a vegetarian version, add grilled egg-
plant or other vegetables and any cheese
you wish.

1 French baguette, sliced in half length-
wise
Roasted Red Pepper Mayonnaise
(recipe below)
1/2 cup chopped or sliced Kalamata or
other good quality olives
1 cup marinated artichoke hearts,
drained well, chopped
1/2 cup thin sliced red or Bermuda
onion
1 pound thin sliced salami
1 pound thin sliced turkey or chicken
4 sliced Roma or plum tomatoes
1 cup fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Extra long frill toothpicks or short
skewers, to hold the sandwich together

Open French bread so that both halves
are cut-side-up. Pinch out much of the
softer bread leaving nearly hollowed bread
shells. Smooth some of the roasted red
pepper mayonnaise on both sides of the
bread. Arrange all ingredients in the order
listed on the bottom length of bread. Top
with the other half of the bread. Place
toothpicks every two inches or so along
the sandwich. Cut immediately, on a slight
diagonal or just before serving into eight
pieces. Makes 8 sandwiches.

Roasted Red Pepper Mayo

1 cup low-fat mayonnaise
2 roasted red peppers, jarred is fine
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. drained capers
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a
food processor or blender and process or
puree for a few seconds until combined, but
still a bit chunky. Makes 2 cups of sauce.

Fat-Free Spinach Artichoke
Dip With Whole Wheat Pita
Chips

1 can (about 14-ounces) artichoke
hearts, drained well and chopped
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped
spinach, thawed
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 350E Combine all
ingredients in a medium bowl and stir
well. Spray an attractive baking dish with
nonstick cooking spray. Transfer the mix-
ture to the baking dish and bake for 30

minutes, until hot and bubbly. Makes 12
servings.

Whole Wheat Pita Chips

Whole wheat pocket pitas, cut into
wedges
Non-stick cooking spray or olive oil
spray
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
to taste

Preheat oven to 350E Cut pitas in half
and open to fully separate halves. Stack
several pita halves and cut into wedges.
Arrange the wedges on one or more bak-
ing sheets. Spray the chips with the cook-
ing spray and season lightly with salt and
pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the
chips begin to brown. Remove completely
and cool before removing from pan.

Turkey Hot Dog Chili

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onions
1 pound lean ground turkey
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 can (4 ounces) tomato paste
2 cups water
1 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in large saucepan over medi-
um-high heat. Add the onions and saute
until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the
turkey and saute until almost cooked
through. Add remaining ingredients and
stir well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to
simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Remove
from heat and cool for 20 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a food
processor and pulse a few until the meat
is finely ground. Transfer back to the
saucepan and add enough water to make
a thick but spoonable chili. Adjust salt
and pepper to taste and serve spooned
over your favorite hot dog. Makes 1 quart
of chili, or about 12 servings.

Citrus and Nuts Rice Salad

2 cups cooked white or brown rice
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped scallions, white and
green parts
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped orange
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl
and toss well, breaking up the rice if nec-
essary. Makes 8 servings.

Caramel Chocolate Chip
Marshmallow Peanut Bars
Many years ago a work friend sent this
me a version of recipe. I added chocolate
chips, and I thought these were even better.

16 ounces salted dry roasted peanuts
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine
12 ounces peanut butter chips
1 can (about 14-ounces) sweetened
condensed milk (regular or fat free)
2 cups miniature marshmallows
2 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate
chips

Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with
parchment.
Combine butter and peanut butter
chips in a medium saucepan over medi-
um heat. Cook, stirring until the chips are
melted and the mixture is smooth.
Arrange half of the peanuts on the
bottom of the pan. Arrange the marsh-
mallows over the peanuts and sprinkle
the chocolate chips over the marshmal-
lows. Pour the melted mixture over and
spread with a greased spatula. Sprinkle
the remaining peanuts over and top with
another sheet of parchment. Use another
baking dish to press the mixture flat.
Chill for 60 minutes or more.
Without removing the top parchment,
run a knife around the perimeter of the
dish and turn the pan over onto a cutting
board. Remove the bottom parchment
from the bars (the bottom of the bars will
be facing up – it is this parchment layer
you will want to remove). Spray a large
sharp knife with nonstick cooking spray
and cut the bars. Turn the bars over before
serving. Makes 30 bars. E

January 29 • 2009

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