Armchair Quarterbacks Unite!

Super Bowl's over and like any other get-together - sports or otherwise - there are certain foods required to celebrate in a proper fashion. You know what I'm talking about, don't you? I thought so. I love Super Bowl food and knew I had better make some plans before the weekend hit and I'm glad I did. But isn't it hard sometimes to always keep your heart and your health at the forefront? Do you get tired of passing on your favorites and feeling sorry for yourself? Well, fear not my friends I've got some options for your next event.

Buffalo wings, although delicious, can total to an astonishing 1,188 calories per serving - and you know you won't eat just one serving, right? I found a recipe by Chef Rocco DiSpirito where the wings have been replaced with low-fat chicken tenders, store-bought low fat buffalo sauce, and reduced-fat blue cheese dressing slash the calories by more than a third. Sound good? They were wonderful! My Buffalo wing loving husband said so!

Buffalo Wings

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2-1/2 cups whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
• 4 large egg whites
• 12 oz chicken tenders
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Non-stick cooking spray
• 1/2 cup spicy Buffalo wings sauce
• 1/2 cup 3-Grams-of-Fat Blue Cheese Dressing or store-bought reduced-fat blue cheese dressing

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 450@F.
• Place a wire rack on a foil-lined baking sheet, and set it aside.
• Put the flour in a shallow dish.
• Put the Panko in another shallow dish.
  
• In a medium bowl, whip the egg whites with a whisk until they are extremely foamy but not quite holding peaks.
• Working in batches, dredge the chicken tenders in the flour, shaking off any excess.
  
• Add the chicken to the egg whites and toss to coat them completely.
  
• Add the chicken, a few pieces at a time, to the bowl of Panko and coat completely.
  
• Spread the chicken out on the wire rack.
  
• Season the chicken well with salt and pepper, and spray it lightly with cooking spray.
• Bake the tenders until the breading is golden and crispy and the chicken is cooked through, about 14 minutes.
• Using a pastry brush, brush the chicken fingers with the Buffalo sauce.
  
• Arrange the chicken fingers on a platter, celery sticks, and serve with the blue cheese dressing for dipping.

Did you notice the serving size? Yeah ... 3 OUNCES ... this recipe serves 4 and uses 12 ounces of chicken ... got it? Yeah ... one little piece of chicken - that's it ... but it's so good ... eat it slowly, savor it. They have a great crunch, a great flavor, and if you only eat a serving size, your heart will thank you.

Nutrition Facts

• 7.5g fat                       
• 308 calories    
• 31g protein
• 29g carbohydrates
• 59 mg cholesterol
• 4g fiber
• 798mg sodium

One of my favorite dips is most certainly not heart-healthy, but I found a recipe that gives me the same flavor without all the fat and again ... my husband and family loved! Of course, I wouldn't dare tell them what's in the recipe - trust me - it's better they don't know! Here's the recipe, if you dare:

Spinach-Artichoke Dip
Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons margarine
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups Silk Original or Unsweetened, warmed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1-2 cloves garlic, to taste
• 2 14-ounce cans artichoke hearts, well drained
• 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1/3 cup grated soy or dairy Parmesan cheese

Note: I added diced water chestnuts to the garlic, spinach, artichoke mix before I blended them.

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  
• Lightly coat a 2-quart baking pan with cooking spray.
• Melt margarine in a saucepan set over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes.
• Slowly whisk in warm soymilk.
• Add salt, cayenne and pepper and cook until very thick, about 5-7 minutes.
  
• Remove from heat.
• Place garlic, artichoke hearts and spinach in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
  
• Stir spinach into soymilk mixture.
• Spread mixture in prepared pan and sprinkle with Parmesan.
  
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until heated through and bubbly.

Serve with fresh vegetables or chips.

No serving size was listed so I suppose we are to know how much is in a serving size, right? Two tablespoons? A quarter cup? Your guess as good as mine but I can assure you it isn't as much as what you might think ... remember ... moderation is the key to keeping your heart healthy!

Now, how about those luscious cheese stuffed potato skins? Yummy, right? Of course, but the fat from the cheese, sour cream, and butter make heart conscience eater go into cardiac arrest! Need a healthier version? Here you go ...


Potato Skins

Quick Info:

• 16 Servings
• Contains Dairy
• Contains Red Meat
• Heart-Healthy
• Diabetes-Friendly

Nutritional Info (Per serving):

• Calories: 55, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 144mg, Dietary Fiber: 0.5g, Total Fat: 2.5g, Carbs: 4.5g, Cholesterol: 6mg, Protein: 2.5g
• Carb Choices: 0.5

Recipe Source: Oxmoor House
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 1 h 16 mins
Total Time: 1 h 31 mins

Ingredients

• 4 potato(es), baking variety
• 3 slice(s) bacon, pre-cooked - NOTE: I used heart-healthy Canadian bacon, diced and heated in a frying pan sprayed with butter-flavored cooking spray
• cooking spray, butter-flavored
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper, black ground
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup(s) cheese, Colby-Jack, reduced fat, shredded
• 1/3 cup(s) dressing, reduced-fat ranch

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 425º.
2. Pierce potatoes with a fork (do not wrap in foil). Bake potatoes at 425º for 1 hour or until tender. Cool potatoes 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat bacon slices according to package directions until crisp; crumble bacon. Set aside.
4. Cut potatoes lengthwise into 4 wedges. Scoop out as much potato pulp as possible without tearing potato skins. Reserve potato pulp for another use.
5. Arrange potato skins on a foil-lined baking sheet. Coat both sides of potato skins with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with pepper and salt. Bake at 425º for 13 minutes or until lightly browned. Sprinkle skins evenly with bacon and cheese; bake an additional 3 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve immediately with dressing.

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 potato skin and 1 teaspoon dressing).

Have you noticed the serving size? Hmmm ... that's what gets us, isn't it? The potato skins ... yeah, ONE piece, that's it. That is a serving size. So how many did you plan to eat?

About 3 cups

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking/Cooling Time: 20-25 minutes

Level of Difficulty: Easy

The bottom line remains the same ... think before you eat ... eat in moderation ... adjust your recipes with lower fat choices, replace fatty milks with soymilk or if you prefer lower fat cow's milk, use baked chips or vegetables instead of greasy chips and don't be afraid to make substitutions to keep your ticker ticking.