Have you heard about this big football game that’s coming up next week?  It’s this once-a-year excuse to go all out, throw dietary caution to the wind and eat massive quantities of wings, dips and chips.  Or is that only at my house?  From what I understand, this is a nationwide phenomenon.  In case you are suffering from a last minute panic about what to make for the big game, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite football appropriate recipes, starting with this so-good-you’ll-want-to-eat-it-with-a-spoon onion dip.

I know that it’s so simple to grab a packet of powdery nothingness to whip up a batch of onion dip, but who is excited about telling their guests that the dip they are consuming at a furious pace came from a powder?  Astronauts eat food that comes from a powder.  Us earth dwellers should expect better.  This dip is so far beyond powder-based dips that you will never go back.  This takes traditional onion dip and cranks the volume up to Irrationally Good.  You may have to hide your spoons.

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Consider these clementine cakes my apology for throwing that heaping pile of indulgent deliciousness in your direction last week.  When I tell you that these mini cakes are guilt-free, I mean they are completely guilt free.  They also happen to be gluten-free, refined sugar-free and flour-free (ok, flourless but I was on a roll there!). Did I forget to mention that they are also packed with protein and fiber?  I know, it’s too good to be true.

These mini beauties are adapted from a recipe made famous by the Domestic Goddess herself, Nigella.  As strange as it sounds, you puree whole clementines (after boiling the heck out of them!), mix that with ground almonds, a couple other baking staples and you have the most incredibly moist, flavorful mini cakes around.  Dip them in dark chocolate (packed with antioxidants!) and you have all the indulgence without the waistline impact.  Like I said: Guilt. Free.

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Let’s face it, lentils are not sexy.  If all the cool foods like Dulce de Leche and Creme Fraiche got together for a party, Lentils would not be invited.  They are boring looking and even the name lentils sounds like the weird girl in the corner that no one wants to be seen talking to. Lentils are the nerdy, socially awkward, bowling ball-shaped runts of the food world.

To make up for their lack of social prowess, lentils are forced to bring many health benefits to the table in order to get noticed.  They are high in fiber, low in calories (and on the glycemic index!), extremely filling and will soak up the flavors of whatever liquid you decide to cook them in.  Paired with fresh spinach, smoky kielbasa and a mix of fresh mushrooms this lentil soup will quickly become your best friend while helping you stick to your new, healthful resolutions without having to sacrifice flavor!

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I don’t think I can remember a time when some form of spinach artichoke dip didn’t appear on every restaurant menu.  It seems to have become a standard American pre-meal munchie, a quintessential appetizer.  Not that I mind.  Who doesn’t love the thought of eating something healthy (spinach and artichokes) wrapped in mounds of cheese, butter and heavy cream?

This recipe is a healthier version of the restaurant stand-by that you can feel good about serving to friends and family.  Instead of pounds of butter and heavy cream, this recipe uses reduced-fat sour cream and ricotta, plus it ads in some cannellini beans (my current favorite) which ups the fiber content.  Truly a perfect party dish, this guilt-free dip lets you save some calories for where it counts … dessert!

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People, I have to apologize in advance about this dish.  I have been making this bowl of deliciousness every week for the past month and it’s taken me this long to share it with you.  I’ve been a recipe hog.  If we were in kindergarten I’d be given a time-out for not sharing.  Don’t worry, my guilt over keeping this truly perfect weeknight fall/winter dinner recipe to myself is punishment enough.

I hope that after diving into a bowl of this warm, comforting Italian stew you will find it in your heart to forgive my selfishness. If that isn’t enough, hopefully after you discover that it takes literally 30 minutes to make this entire, one-pot meal (30 minutes including the time it takes to chop the onions and the peppers!!) you will begin to understand why I’ve been making it every week. If even that isn’t enough, I suspect that after your family begins to ask for this stew every week without fail, you will come back and thank me.

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Football food is not known for being beautiful.  More often than not, it falls into the Roll-Up-Your-Sleeves messy category and comes with a side of napkins.  This dish turns the tables on the traditional football fare: Buffalo Hot Wings.  These inside-out, fork-and-knife wings may still require a side of napkins but they certainly up the ante on traditional game-time wings.

This more refined version of traditional wings is also considerably healthier.  While most wings are fried and coated with sugary sauces, these babies are baked and can be topped with a hot sauce that contains as few as 5 calories (my personal favorite is Frank’s Red Hot Sauce).  Old fashioned hot wings have become a football food you don’t have to feel guilty about enjoying!

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Is the summer really almost halfway over?  I’ve been so busy studying for this little exam that I’ve hardly had time to notice, let alone enjoy, the weather.  Though I did enjoy the pleasure of a particularly vicious mosquito attack … but that’s another story.  Ah, the joys of summer in the city!

When it’s hot outside and life is hectic inside, the last thing you want to do is spend hours in the kitchen.  Forget about hours, even 20 minutes seems like an eternity when it’s sticky and soupy outside.  Summer calls for nothing more than a few minutes of actual standing-in-front-of-the-stove kinda cooking.  Summer is the era of simple salads and simple slaws.  This chicken salad fits the bill perfectly.  No goopy mayo, this light, tart salad with crisp green apples is the perfect summer meal.

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