Bowers - The Ultimate Sports Fans Cookbook: Festive Recipes for Inside the Home and Outside the Stadium

Skyhorse Publishing

Copyright 2014 by David Bowers

Icons and section intro photos courtesy of Thinkstock

All other photos by David Bowers

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10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

eISBN: 978-1-62873-856-8

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

ISBN: 978-1-62636-407-3

Printed in China

G AME SEASON IS ON! And its time to invite all your friends around to watch the playoffs. Naturally, if people are coming over to watch the big game, youve got to feed them.

Finding food to feed sports fans is an ongoing challengeany given recipe needs to make a lot, be easy on the cook, and not be drippy or messy, since excited people might be jumping up and down while eating it. Ideally, its also extremely tasty, maybe even memorable, and preferably not too totally laden with fat.

Such a menu is really not too much to ask. With this cookbook in hand, youll find lots of simply delicious fanfriendly foods, organized loosely by sport. So, whether youre making Hockey Puck Fudge for the Stanley Cup or Bourbon Barbecue Meatballs for the Super Bowl, youre sure to find a whole lot of crowd-pleasing fare that will have your favorite sports fans roaring for more. And with make-ahead tips and prep ideas... well, you might just get to watch the game yourself.

A sports party that absolutely everyone can enjoy? Thats a real winner.

Key

F OOTBALL FANS COME to the table ready to get rowdy... and eat a lot. Cold weather means that heartiness is the name of the game during bowl season. Its a good time to turn on the oven and fill the house with fragrant foods, hearty pastas, and lots of rib-sticking snacks. And dont be shy about dessert. Just because your guests ate everything on the table before halftime doesnt mean theyre totally full. A little sweetness will move your football party happily into the end zone.

On the Menu:

Ranch Pretzel Party Mix

Crispy Spiced Chickpeas

Quick Grilled Short Ribs

Molten Butternut Squash

All-in-One Lasagna

Veggie Pizza with Fried Potato Cubes

Peanut Noodles with Chicken and Cucumber

Chicken-Coconut Curry

Pecan Toffee Bars

Mini Chocolate Lava Cakes

Ranch Pretzel Party Mix

Addictively crunchy, tangy, and herbal, this party mix will disappear by the handfulif you have a big crowd coming, you wont be sorry if you double the recipe. For ease, however, make it in two batches, or youll have too much stuff to fit on the baking sheets. Making a homemade ranch mix adds intense layers of flavor to the finished mix, but for ease, feel free to use one envelope of ranch dressing mix instead.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

1 10-ounce bag pretzel minis

3 cups crunchy corn cereal (such as Corn Chex)

2 cups mixed nuts

1/3 cup oil

1/2 cup ranch seasoning (see below)

For 1 cup of ranch seasoning, toss together:

1/2 cup buttermilk powder

1/4 cup dried parsley

1 tablespoon dried chives

2 teaspoons dried dill

2 teaspoons dried whole basil leaves

2 teaspoons dry mustard

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the pretzels, corn cereal, and nuts in a large mixing bowl and toss with the oil and ranch seasoning.

2. Pour the mixture onto two large rimmed baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes, stirring the mixture every 5 minutes, until its toasted and hot throughout. Cool and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Crispy Spiced Chickpeas

Looking for a slightly healthier snack food thats nonetheless a totally addictive nibble? Roasting chickpeas at high heat makes them into crispy finger food thats still tender and creamy inside. Chili powder makes a terrific and simple coating, but you can use any spice mix you prefer: garam masala and Cajun seasoning are good, too.

Makes 4 servings

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pour the drained chickpeas into a medium mixing bowl and pat them dry with a paper towel to remove as much moisture as you can.

2. Toss the chickpeas with the olive oil, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, shaking the pan several times, until the chickpeas are just browned and crispy outside, but not burned. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Quick Grilled Short Ribs

People tend to think of short ribs as a food that needs to cook for hours into falling-apart tenderness. But on the grill, you can make super-fast and exceedingly good short ribs in record time: six minutes. In fact, if you overcook, they will get tough as leather! Slice the meat thin and serve with flour tortillas with a lick of plum sauce (available in the Asian aisle of your supermarket) and some finely sliced scallions, and youve got Peking Duck: The Next Generation.