Football Foodie Contest – Grand Prize Winner!

This was Justin’s and my final Football Foodie for the season this past Sunday. We both want to thank all of you who made suggestions and visited us on Facebook. We’ve drawn the winner of the December 17 Panther tickets (versus Green Bay). So without further ado…we’d like to give a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Peter U.….our Grand Prize Winner!! Enjoy the game!
Though we have been doing the foodie thing for over a year, your suggestions and recipes blew our minds. Your novelty and sense of fun are inspirational.
We’re just over the hump of the NFL season, and the Panthers, Steelers and Patriots (who we root for) are all very much in the hunt for playoff spots. The Giants, Forty-niners and Jets (who also have special places in our fan hearts), not so much. It will be interesting to see what happens the rest of the season. At this point, I think it will be the Patriots and the Steelers, and the Rams and the Eagles in the conference championship games. Time will tell.
This week’s cities/teams are were Seattle and Arizona. These two brought a fantastic influx of ideas from you guys, but our Week Four Recipe winner was Erin L with both city ideas. The first pick is simple, and healthy, and a Seattle specialty…
Firecracker Grilled Salmon served with a Cucumber Salad
Main Ingredients

• 4 6-ounce salmon steaks (or fillets)

Ingredients for the Marinade:

• 1/4 cup/60 mL peanut oil (use vegetable oil as substitution)
• 2 tablespoons/30 mL soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons/30 mL balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons/30 ml green onions (chopped)
• 1 tablespoon/15 mL sambal chili paste (or 1 teaspoons/5 mL pepper flakes)
• 2 teaspoons/10 mL brown sugar
• 1-2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 teaspoon/5 mL grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon/5 mL sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon/2.5 mL salt

Directions

1. Combine marinade ingredients in a small bowl until sugar and salt have dissolved. Place salmon in a large resealable bag (or two, if needed). Pour marinade mixture over top, making sure fish is well coated. Force all the air from the bag and seal. Place in the refrigerator to marinate for 1 hour.
2. Preheat grill for medium high heat. Make sure to oil the grill grates well before grilling fish. This will keep the fish from breaking during the cooking process.
3. Remove fish from bag and place on a hot grill. Brush liberally with some of the marinade and discard the rest. Cook over a high heat for about 4 to 5 minutes per side or until done (between 145-150 degrees F.). Time might vary because of the thickness of the fish.
4. Once fish has cooked, remove from grill and serve with the cucumber salad

[Recipe by Sabrina S. Baksh via The Spruce]
Summer Cucumber Salad
Ingredients

• 2 Long English cucumbers
• 1 medium onion
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• ¼ cup water
• 1 Tbsp. sugar (or sweetener of choice)
• 1/3 cup fresh chopped dill
• 1 Tbsp. salt
• ½ cup black pepper

Directions

1. Slice the cucumber in half and then in slices. Slice the onion in thin strips. Mix cucumber and onion in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper
2. Mix white wine vinegar, water, sugar in a small bowl. Pour over the cucumber and onions, and stir well.
3. Sprinkle some fresh chopped dill and stir.

[Recipe from kitchen of Marta Copland]

For the Arizona Cardinals, I was taken with the mix of flavors in this quick, yet delicious appetizer.
Arizona Coyote Caviar
Ingredients

• 1 can (15-ounce size) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (4-ounce size) chopped ripe olives, drained
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 ounces diced green chiles
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 4 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 package (8-ounce size) cream cheese, softened
• 2 green onions, diced
• salsa, heat as desired

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients except cream cheese, green onions, and salsa. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
2. Spread cream cheese on round serving plate. Spoon bean mixture around edges, along with salsa. Sprinkle with green onions. Serve with tortilla chips or melba crackers.

[Recipe from CD Kitchen]
Football Foodies has been fun, and a little fattening for us. Hope you’ve enjoyed it. If you’d like to do it again, give us a shout via the Facebook page. Thanks for reading and contributing to the fun!