We packed away our faux Christmas tree over the weekend, one of the last few reminders of the holiday season, now officially over. I always start out the new year with specific resolutions, mostly surrounding health and wellness, and this year is no different. I plan to continue to attempt a regular fitness routine and a healthy diet, in hopes of losing some of the weight I’ve been hanging on to the past few months. Diet is integral to weight loss and weight management, so I’m constantly battling my passion for healthy eating with the gourmet foodie within.
Growing up, this time of year was often characterized by Sunday afternoon football with a side of delicious, calorie-rich finger foods (in abundance, might I add). With the Super Bowl less than one month away, I thought I’d take a different approach to the traditional game-time celebration. My foodie husband and I love ethnic foods, but we often don’t have many excuses to prepare such elaborate meals, many of which require specialty ingredients that can be difficult to find.
Planning the menu proved to be difficult, but not impossible. We collaborated and finally agreed upon the following dishes:
Tzatziki and Fresh Vegetables
Hummus and Whole Wheat Pita Bread
Chocolate Ganache and Fresh Fruit
With a brand new Walmart just 15 minutes from our house, I found nearly everything I needed to create our East Meets West Foodie Celebration. Unlike our neighborhood store, the Irvine location has a HUGE grocery section with an impressive produce department. Most of the sauces and spices I needed could be found in their Ethnic section. I also found whole grain and organic foods to compliment the menu, including an all-natural, ready-made hummus! The total cost? Just under $50!
If you’ve never made Thai Chicken Satay before, I highly recommend using an established recipe with your first venture. We used a very simple one from About.com (Don’t forget the Satay Peanut Sauce to compliment the dish).
The Tzatziki is a long-time favorite of mine, created by my husband. Here is the recipe:
- 1 8 oz container plain Greek strained yogurt
- 1 cucumbers - peeled seeded and diced
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 lemon to taste, juiced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
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Combine all ingredients in a bowl and serve or chill.
For dessert, I made my favorite Chocolate Ganache to a dipping consistency for fresh fruit. Here is the recipe:
- 1 8 oz container plain Greek strained yogurt
- 1 cucumbers - peeled seeded and diced
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 lemon to taste, juiced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
-
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and serve or chill.
While the prep for these dishes takes some time, we love the mix of ethnic flavors, the incorporation of fresh fruits and veggies, and the convenience of being able to eat while watching a game, if desired.
Our game time celebration is totally non-traditional…what do you serve during football season? I’d love to hear about your favorite finger foods!
Recipe, Images: Rockin’ Mama unless noted
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