Great Eats for Super Bowl 2016

A collection of 10 snacks, dips, and meals for your Super Bowl party.

Go Panthers!  I'm originally from North Carolina so guess who I'm pulling for this year?  Besides the football, my favorite thing about the Super Bowl (or any sporting event) is the food.  So here is a collection of great recipes to serve at your Super Bowl party (or any get-together).

10 Great #recipes for your #SuperBowlParty  [Tweet this]

First, let's start with relatively healthy and delicious finger foods.  Finger foods are great to serve during the big game.  You don't need utensils and don't even need to take your eyes off the action while you stuff your face.

Keep your eyes on the game w/ #fingerfood #SuperBowl2016  [Tweet this]

Spicy Edamame     -

Cucumber Bites      -

Sun-dried Tomato Spread

Now come the dips.  Again no need for utensils just grab a chip or a vegetable and dip away while watching the game.

Grab a chip or veggie and dip away w/ these #dips for #SuperBowl2016  [Tweet this]

Blue Cheese Buffalo Chicken Dip

Beer Cheese Nacho Sauce

Loaded Baked Potato Dip

Hummus

Finally, I give you meals.  These meals are simple, easy to prepare, and even easier to eat.  Everyone loves chili and you can't go wrong with it (in Hawaii it's often served over rice).  My last two meals (Kimchi Fried Rice and Loco Moco) are local style grinds and they are absolutely delicious.  All of these meals can be prepared in big batches ahead of time and kept warm until everyone is ready to eat.

Enjoy local style grinds for #SuperBowl2016  [Tweet this]

Chili con Carne

Kimchi Fried Rice

Loco Moco

I hope this collection gives you some delicious ideas for what to serve during Super Bowl 2016.

Enjoy.

linked to:  Full Plate, Freedom, Foodie Friends, Pretty Pintastic,Best of the Weekend, 2 Cup, Tickle my Tastebuds, Whimsy, Wonderful

Follow Joy Bee's board Joybee Whats for Dinner blog posts on Pinterest.

Read more ...

Best of the Month November 2015

A recap of my most popular posts from November 2015.

I'm finally back after my winter/holiday break from blogging.  It was great to turn off the computer and just relax.  Now that the holidays are over I'm back and it's time for my best of the month November.  It's interesting to note all of my most popular recipes, from this month, are vegetarian.

All #vegetarian recipes are my BestoftheMonth Nov 2015  [Tweet this]

November was a good month.  All of my recipes received at least 200 views and I polished and re-posted some old (but great) recipes.  All 3 of my re-posts got many more views and are my top three best of the month.

2013's best of November:

Black Bean Soup

A creamy, flavorful, and meatless soup made with black beans and spices.  Filling enough for an entree.  Now has 926 views, 73 +1s, and 34 'yums'.

BlackBean #Soup: BestoftheMonth Nov 2013  [Tweet this]

2014's best of November:

Green Pea Soup

Healthy and easy, frozen, green peas pureed in a flavorful broth for a creamy and delicious, vibrant green, soup.  Now has 612 views, 40 +1s, and 6 'yums'.

GreenPeaSoup #vegan: BestoftheMonth Nov 2014  [Tweet this]

Now back to this year's best of the month:

Parmesan and Garlic Roasted Broccoli

A deliciously simple vegetable side of roasted broccoli flavored with parmesan, garlic and a dash of lemon juice.  This is a re-post of the same recipe from 2013.  It only had 58 views and now it has 1230 views 103 +1s, and 366 'yums'.  It's one of my favorite vegetable side dishes.

Parmesan&GarlicRoastedBroccoli #veggiesides: BestoftheMonth Nov 2015  [Tweet this]

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Coconut Oil

A Simple side dish of mashed sweet potatoes with coconut oil.  That's it and it is delicious.  This is another re-post recipe from 2013.  It now has 655 views and 68 +1s, and 35 'yums'.

MashedSweetPotatoes w/CoconutOil #veggiesides: BestoftheMonth Nov 2015  [Tweet this]

Green Bean Salad

Crispy green beans in a honey mustard vinaigrette with sliced almonds.  A simple and quick vegetable side for any meal.  Another re-post from 2013.  Now has 497 views, 35 +1s, and 13 'yums'.

GreenBeanSalad #veggiesides: BestoftheMonth Nov 2015  [Tweet this]

Spicy Edamame

Young soybeans, in the pod, sauteed in ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and sriracha.  A spicy, salty, and nutritious snack.  490 views, 38 +1s, and 71 'yums'.

Spicy Edamame #healthysnacks: BestoftheMonth Nov 2015 [Tweet this]

Hoisin Baked Tofu Vermicelli

A vegetarian rice noodle salad with vegetables, herbs, and sweet and salty baked tofu.  258 views, 46 +1s, 7 'yums'.

HoisinBakedTofuVermicelli #vegetarian: BestoftheMonth Nov 2015  [Tweet this]

Check out my Bests of November from previous years:

Linked to:  J&J, Lou lou girls, whimsy, wonderful, Tickle my Tastebuds, full plate, Freedom, Pretty Pintastic, Best of the Weekend

Follow Joy Bee's board Joybee Whats for Dinner blog posts on Pinterest.

Read more ...

Dark Chocolate Energy Bites

Healthy snack bites made with cocoa, nuts, seeds and dates.  No processed sugars.

I've been seeing these everywhere recently.  Everyone raves about how healthy, simple, and tasty these types of energy bites are.  I've always been skeptical until I tried them myself.  They really are great.  Yes, they are simple, healthy, and delicious.  There is no baking involved in this snack just blitz in a food processor and you can have these ready in 15 minutes or fewer.  The bites are made up of unprocessed sugar from dates, protein and fiber from nuts and seeds, and healthy fat from coconut oil.  They, of course, don't taste exactly like candy but for all the health benefits are a delicious snack that will help curb sugar cravings and keep you full.  A great option for mid-day or late night snacking.  I made these for a friend who has stopped eating refined sugar and she raved about how delicious and sweet they are.

Put down the candy bar for #healthy Dark Chocolate #EnergyBites  [Tweet this]

Energy bites are very versatile too.  Don't feel like rolling them into balls?  Press the mixture into a square or rectangular pan and then cut into squares or bars.  My husband loves to take the bars with him while hiking for quick and easy fuel.  You can vary the flavors too. Just be creative. Something as simple as using roasted instead of raw nuts will enhance the flavor.  Vary when you add and how long you process each ingredient for different textures. Use different kinds of nuts, seeds, flavorings, and dried fruit...half the fun is experimenting.  I add finely ground coffee or espresso powder to the mix sometimes for a little wake-me-up caffeine.  When I'm making these for hiking I try to add more calories with healthy fats from nut butter and coconut oil.  The possibilities are as endless as your imagination.

Get creative w/ #DarkChocolate #EnergyBites  [Tweet this]

Dark Chocolate Energy Bites

Prep time: 15 minutes
Servings:  20-30 balls

Ingredients:

10 dates, pitted (if dry soak in warm water for a few minutes then drain)
1/2 cup almonds (raw or roasted whatever you have)
1/2 cup pecans (as above)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds (as above)
2 Tbsp flax seeds
1 heaping Tbsp dark cocoa powder
1 Tbsp Chia seeds
1 heaping Tbsp coconut oil

Start with the dates.  Chop in a food processor until they form a sticky ball.  Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until chopped and mixed to your satisfaction.  If it's not sticky enough add a few more dates, too sticky add more nuts and/or seeds.

Scoop out a spoon full at a time and roll into balls.  Alternatively, dump into a parchment lined square pan and press out until flat, then cut into squares or bars.

Makes 20-30 balls depending on the size.  A great sweet treat when you want a snack and great fuel to help get you through the day (or a hike...no need to buy expensive and not very tasty energy bars)

Vary ingredients for more flavors and nutrition.

Enjoy.

For more healthy snacks check out:

Ginger Lime Muffins  -

Cinnamon Raisin Bran Muffins

Candied Pecans      -

Linked to:  Lou Lou Girls, Whimsy, Tickle my Tastebuds. Full Plate, Pretty Pintastic

Follow Joy Bee's board Joybee Whats for Dinner blog posts on Pinterest.

Read more ...

Spicy Edamame

Young soybeans, in the pod, sauteed in ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and sriracha.  A spicy, salty, and nutritious snack.

This is my new favorite game day snack.  I love having salty and spicy snacks/munchies when I'm drinking (alcohol) and I do a bit of that while watching my favorite teams play.  Even when not drinking these beans are a great snack.  The recipe is very customizable to your individual tastes add more or less of any ingredient as you prefer.  Use any hot sauce, minced chilis, or none at all.  It always turns out great. Spicy Edamame also makes an excellent side dish.

Spicy Edamame is my new favorite #gamedaysnack  [Tweet this]

If you've never eaten soybeans like these you should definitely give them a try.  You only eat the beans inside the pods (the pods are tough).  So what you do is put the whole pod in your mouth and kind of suck/squeeze the beans out of the pod.  The beans are tender and buttery and you suck the spicy salty oil off the pod with the beans.  Just 1/2 of a cup is considered a serving but I've been known to eat it all by myself.

You gotta try this Spicy #Edamame #snack  [Tweet this]

Best of all, this is a nutritious snack.  There are 5 grams of fiber and 10 grams of protein in just 1/2 a cup.  As well as many other health benefits of soybeans, ginger, and garlic (they are all on The World's Healthiest Foods site click to check them out).

Spicy Edamame is a #healthysnack  [Tweet this]

Spicy Edamame

Servings:  2-4
Cook time:  about 10 minutes

2 cups frozen edamame (in pods)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp minced ginger
1-2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp sriracha

Boil the edamame, in enough water to cover them, for 5-8 minutes then drain.

While the edamame is boiling, simmer the garlic, and ginger in the oil over low heat.  Then add the drained edamame stirring and tossing to coat with the oil mixture.

Pour in the soy sauce and sriracha and turn up the heat so that the liquid boils off while mixing to coat well.

Turn off the heat and remove edamame to serving dish (with an empty trash bowl on the side).

To eat you just suck the tender beans out of the spicy coated pods (make sure you suck all that spice and oil off the pods and don't forget to lick your fingers too--it's so good) and discard the pod.

Enjoy.

For more healthy snacks check out:

Hummus           -

Cucumber Bites      -

Sun-dried Tomato Spread

Linked to:  Pretty Pintastic, Show off, Best of the Weekend, 2 Cup, Lou Lou Girls, TicklemyTastebuds, Wake Up, Full Plate, Freedom, Foodie Friends

Follow Joy Bee's board Joybee Whats for Dinner blog posts on Pinterest.

Read more ...