If you’re anything like me, your resolutions for the new year started to get a bit fuzzy by the second week of January. You are currently eating a cookie from your hidden freezer stash, your produce drawer is a ghost town and there hasn’t been a green in sight since you packed away the last of the Christmas decorations (last week).
Spring is just an extension of the holiday's, one more reason it’s near impossible to stay on your game, and why you’ve benched your best skinny jeans.
This spring, I’m calling in the replacements. I’m tossing the cookies and making the kids part of my assembly line -- which I will warmly refer to as quality time. We’ll scale back on the meat, go light on the cheese, and everyone will applaud our willpower when we go in for seconds on the veggie tray.
Whether you’re hosting a party, or attending one, here is your X and O game plan on bringing home the win this spring.
Vegetarian Charcuterie board
I’m a picky eater. I don’t mean there are a ton of foods I don’t like, I mean I literally pick. I will circle the buffet like a hawk, picking off my prey one by one until I have eaten my weight in six different kinds of chips. A beautiful vegetarian charcuterie will take your focus off the greasy, processed foods, at least for a little while.
Ingredients and Directions:
There’s no right or wrong way to do this. Load up on the veggies and nuts you’ll eat and you can’t go wrong. I made my Charcuterie with hard-boiled eggs, apples filled with yogurt, apple crisps instead of crackers, pistachios and plenty of fruits and veggies.
Avocado dip
(via togetherasfamily.com)
Dips are going to be plenty at the Super Bowl buffet. Queso and seven-layer dips are NOT your friend. Friends would never make your butt look big … ever. This vegan and gluten-free avocado dip is tasty and filling, and you certainly won’t miss the added calories.
Ingredients and Directions:
6 avocados
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1/3 cup red onion
1 cup salsa verde
Mash the avocados, finely chop the onions, dice the tomatoes, and mix the corn, black beans and salsa verde together in a mixing bowl. Either eat right away or let it refrigerate for 1-3 hours before serving.
Turkey Chili
(via snixykitchen.com)
It’s still winter, and I tend to not feel satisfied until consuming something warm, like this gluten-free chili that serves six. While there will probably be burgers, sausages, meatballs and hotdogs around, choosing a meat that’s low in fat is the perfect substitute to less lean meat.
Ingredients and Directions:
1 lb ground turkey, lean
1 15-ounce can black beans
5 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 15-ounce can Kidney beans
3/4 tsp oregano, dried
1 15-ounce can pinto beans
1 red bell pepper, small
1 cup sweet corn, frozen
1 28-ounce can tomatoes
1 yellow onion, small
2 tsp soy sauce or gluten-free tamari, reduced sodium
Spices
1/2 tsp black pepper, ground
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, ground
1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cocoa powder, unsweetened
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp cumin
2 cups water
Heat the oil in a large heavy bottom pot over medium heat. Add the turkey and cook until browned, stirring to break it up as it cooks. Add the onion, red bell pepper and garlic, and cook for a few minutes, stirring until tender. Mix in canned tomatoes, beans, corn, spices, and soy sauce. Add the water and stir to combine. Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer partially covered for about 30 minutes until the chili thickens. (If you're finding that your chili isn't thickening to your desire, try removing the lid completely.) Serve with freshly baked corn bread.
