Touchdown!

You can tell we are finally getting into our groove here in Cali because we are now having get-togethers on a regular basis. Super Bowl Sunday was no exception. And with the Super Bowl event comes a lot of game-time food, stepped up a notch of course. We had an absurd amount of food, which is exactly the way we like it. A few of the dishes have been featured on the blog before, such as Buffalo Potatoes and the Most Amazing Queso Ever in "Let's Go, Raiders!" We also had the old stand-bys of guacamole, salsa, and veggies and hummus. The new additions were sliders, brats, and spinach-artichoke dip with pita chips. The sliders were simply little hamburgers on little buns with cheese and the standard ketchup, mustard, and mayo. The spinach-artichoke dip was a healthy version of the traditionally terribly tasty but terribly bad-for-you dip. The brats were the big seller of the night having been soaked in beer and topped with beer-cooked onions and sauerkraut. I can guarantee that noone went home hungry.


Baked Artichoke Dip (101cookbooks.com, Heidi Swanson)

We switched up this recipe a bit by not pureeing all of the artichoke hearts, merely chopping 1/4 of them into tiny pieces to add more texture to the dip. In addition, we added about 1 cup cooked spinach for more nutritional value and an extra punch of flavor.

2 (14-oz.) cans water-packed artichokes, well drained
4 oz. organic silken tofu
3 large cloves garlic
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
2/3 cup plain (or Greek) yogurt
1/4 tsp. fine grain sea salt, or more to taste
pinch of cayenne pepper
more Parmesan to sprinkle on top

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. In a blender or food processor puree the artichokes, tofu, and garlic. In a separate medium bowl whisk together the parmesan cheese, yogurt, salt, and cayenne. Stir in the artichoke puree and pour mixture into a medium-sized baking dish (or multiple smaller dishes). Sprinkle the top with more Parmesan. Bake uncovered until heated through and the cheese on the top starts to brown, about 45 minutes.


Amber Ale Brats with Onion and Sauerkraut (Grilling with Beer)

8 fresh bratwursts
2 bottles (24 oz.) malty amber ale
1 Tbs. minced garlic
2 cups sauerkraut
2 large yellow onions, peeled and sliced
2 Tbs. applesauce
1 to 2 tsp. fennel seed (to taste)
1 tsp. group black pepper, or more to taste
1 Tbs. molasses
dijon mustard

1. Simmer brats with 14 to 16 ounces amber ale (just enough to cover) and minced garlic in deep skillet placed over hot grill. After 20 minutes, remove from beer and place brats on grill to brown.
2. Mix remaining amber ale, sauerkraut, onions, applesauce, fennel seed, pepper, and molasses in skillet placed over medium heat. Simmer uncovered until most of ale has reduced and onions are very soft. Serve brats on toasted or grilled buns with Dijon mustard, topped with several spoonfuls of well-drained sauerkraut and onion mixture.