35 Awesome Appetizers for the Superbowl

 

Need some more ideas for delicious, easy munchies for this weekend’s Superbowl? I’ve got you covered. From dips and snacks to sandwiches, salsas and hearty homemade chilis, you’re sure to find something that you and your guests will enjoy! Why not try my Spicy White Bean and Roasted Red Pepper Dip, Oven Baked Onion Rings, or some Soft Pretzels and Baked Buffalo Wings? If you need enough to feed a big crowd, go for my Three-Bean Beef Chili with Honey Cornbread or some Roasted Sausage, Peppers and Sweet Potatoes! Both are simple, scrumptious and will help you keep your healthy New Year resolutions!

 

Click below for a whole bunch of great game day options, and feel free to leave your own suggestions in the comments. Whatever team you’re rooting for, be sure to enjoy the game with good friends and delicious food!

 

Rustic Pear Tart

 

I recently taught a cooking class for a bunch of lovely fellow food lovers, and during the class we made this delicious pear tart. It’s fabulously fragrant with spicy cinnamon, nutmeg and fresh ginger, and is really a cinch to pull together for a last-minute dessert. Not to mention, with some homemade vanilla whipped cream, it tastes like heaven on earth!

 

 

It’s the season of pears, and while most of the year I forget how luscious and purely decadent pears are, I always remember around this time of year to pop a pear dessert in the oven and savor the sweet smell!

 

The ideal pear is firm but fleshy, with a slight softness when handled. The riper the pear the sweeter it will be, so to ripen a hard pear simply leave it at room temperature until the neck of the pear yields to gently applied pressure – that’s a sign of ripeness and readiness to be baked with, cooked with or eaten as is!

 

 

Try this simple pear tart for yourself sometime, and feel free to get creative with the fillings! You can also use strawberries, peaches and blueberries, or apples, just to name a few of my favorites. Either way, the result is a divinely delish dessert that is as fun to make as it is to enjoy with family and friends!

 

Roasted Sausage, Peppers and Sweet Potatoes

 

For the past few weeks, I’ve been spending so much time enjoying the beautiful sights, sounds and end-of-winter weather in Austin that it’s distracted me from this blog! It’s been a nice first January here – except for this sickness that’s keeping me from smelling all the yummy things that come out of my oven.

 

When I’m not feeling my best and need to whip up something easy and healthy, I turn to this simply scrumptious recipe. The hearty, smoky turkey sausage mixed with crisp sweet potatoes and soft bell peppers and onions is a delicious medley in your mouth – and really light on calories, too! Just drizzle the chopped vegetables and sausage with a little olive oil, stir in some fragrant fresh garlic, and sprinkle on salt, pepper and herb de Provence (or, just use thyme and rosemary or any Italian seasoning mixture).

 

Enjoy this meal for weeknights, the upcoming Superbowl, or anytime in between. It’s an easy, mouthwatering meal with only basic ingredients and instructions! Plus, it’ll help you keep your healthy resolutions and feed all those hungry football lovers at the same time!

 

Peppermint Candy Cane Brownies

 

If you celebrate Christmas, chances are the saddest day of the year for you came shortly after the holiday. That’s right – the day it came time to deconstruct your home of Christmas decorations and dismantle the tree. With that goes precious ornaments, fuzzy stockings, and candy canes. Lots of them. So, what to do with all of those tasty peppermint treats? Well, I think the above picture probably already clued you in!

 

 

These decadent and devilishly good candy cane brownies were a well deserved treat, since a girl needs to unwind after the sometimes stressful holiday season, after all! Using my simple recipe for Best Cocoa Brownies, these babies came together in no time, and the peppermint added a pleasantly fresh kick to this dreamy, delicious chocolate confection.

 

If you have some leftover candy canes, try these for yourself and you’ll be glad you did. Then, let’s all pretend to go back to eating our vegetables like good little resolution-keepers!

 

 

Light & Easy French Onion Soup

 

Today is the second anniversary of The Comfort of Cooking, and what better way to celebrate than with one of my favorite comfort foods gone light? Delicious and usually very decadent, French onion soup is the ultimate cozy, aromatic comfort-in-a-bowl meal for this time of year. But, seeing as we all have at least one occasion to slip into skirts or suits for this coming spring, I think it’s high time to skinny up our favorite indulgences. While still indulging, of course!

 

 

This recipe, adapted from Sargento’s Easy French Onion Soup, is unbelievably easy and absolutely delicious to warm up to this winter. Plus, using only a tablespoon of butter, low-sodium beef broth and Sargento Deli Style Sliced Reduced Fat Swiss Cheese, it’s light on calories, too.

 

Topped with a slice of French baguette, gooey melted cheese (You can also use provolone, gruyère, or mozzarella if you prefer) and a fragrant, flavorful broth full of white wine and robust herbs like bay leaf and thyme, this is a simple, scrumptious soup you won’t want to miss out on this season!

 

50 Healthy and Delicious Dishes

 

If your 2012 resolution is to eat healthier and fresher, you should know that you don’t need to sacrifice flavor for fewer calories. The options for enjoyable, easy and wholesome meals are endless, and in this post I’m sharing with you 50 ideas for more healthy appetizers, desserts, side dishes and full meals!

 

Whether your goal is to cleanse yourself completely of fatty foods or simply still enjoy the things you love in moderation, you are making a wise choice and a smart one for your body and overall well being. Learning to cook is an invaluable tool in developing a cleaner diet since you know exactly what goes into everything you eat! Many of the meals listed below can be frozen ahead of time as well, including my Turkey and Spinach Stuffed Shells, Hearty Vegetarian Chili with Polenta Cakes and Mom's Curried Butternut Squash Soup. So, really, you’re saving both time and calories!

 

Click below for plenty of delicious, nutritious recipes, including my personal favorites, Artichoke Stuffed Baked Potato Bites, Spiced Chicken with Tropical Salsa and Mini Apple and Cherry Pies. There’s plenty to choose from and inspire you to make 2012 your healthiest year yet!

 

Red Velvet Cupcakes

 

I just love a frilly, festive and colorful dessert. They’re just much more fun to eat, don’t you think? Like savoring an absolutely delicious work of art… Not that these are art, but boy are they delicious!

 

 

To celebrate the just-passed Christmas season, and looking forward to the New Year ahead, I give you one of my favorite colorful and simply mouthwatering cakes. Red velvet. The name just oozes decadence and softness, everything that embodies this tasty, heavenly treat.

 

The cake itself is very moist thanks to a generous dose of buttermilk, and the cocoa powder (use one of good quality; I prefer Valrhona) sends each bite right over the scale of good and into amazing!

 

 

Combined with a bit of frilly, fluffy cream cheese frosting, the flavor of these red velvet cupcakes is a bit of melt-in-your-mouth heaven on earth.

 

As a gift for someone special, a delicious accessory to your New Year’s party dessert table, or simply a kitchen experiment, these cupcakes will definitely please. Until recently, my favorite cake flavor was boring old vanilla, but now that this red velvet recipe has come into my life, that has all changed. Try them for yourself and I think you’ll agree!

 

Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

 

I hope you all had a happy, joyful holiday rich with good food and the company of loved family and friends! I certainly had a special Christmas spending it with my in-laws, cozying up to cups of hot cocoa, making hundreds of homemade ravioli, and spending quiet quality time telling new and old stories. Though my own parents were in my thoughts, it was a treat to be with my husband’s family and I’m looking forward to seeing all of my family again in the coming year.

 

Now, onto to the soup: After a rushed day of traveling back home yesterday, a pot of this comforting, warm broccoli cheddar soup is just what we needed to relax. It’s so simple to whip up, and as you can imagine needs only a handful of basic ingredients. This stuff is seriously lick-the-bowl good with a hunk of crusty bread!

 

Here’s how it’s done… After cooking chopped onions in a bit of butter (is there any better aroma?), swirl in more butter, flour, half-and-half and chicken stock. Let it bubble, then simmer. Toss in the chopped broccoli and a bit of freshly grated carrot, along with grated nutmeg, salt and pepper. Simmer again, and then blend it all into a velvety, smooth consistency with an immersion blender or food processor. Stir in the gooey cheddar, and voila! Rich, hearty and absolutely scrumptious broccoli cheddar soup.

 

Cook it, share it and enjoy it to the fullest while swimsuit season is still far off!