Green Cooking for Saturday's Playoff Game

Peyton Manning ready for playoffs
Can the Indianapolis Colts come back from their unexpected loss to the Bills in this Saturday's AFC playoff game against Baltimore? While preparing for the game this week, Peyton Manning said, “We're playing at home and hopefully, we'll find a way to grind out a win on Saturday.”

For those of us who are not lucky enough to have a ticket to the game at Lucas Oil Field, we'll be watching from the comfort of our own homes, perhaps on an energy-saving LED TV. Kick-off is at 8:15 ET. The game has been SOLD OUT and will be televised locally on WISH-TV Channel 8.

Even though it's technically after dinner, fans will be hungry. Try these recipes that all have some element of green cooking.

Chickpea and Cilantro Dip with Grilled Pita for the PlayoffsChickpea Cilantro Dip with Grilled Pita and Fresh Veggies

Serves: 4 (can be doubled, tripled, etc.)
Compliments of Bon Appetit

Green Cooking: Take the cooking outside, whenever possible use your grill instead of your oven. Just don't forget a warm coat. Pita can be quickly grilled early in the day and wrapped in foil, serve at room temperature.

Ingredients
1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 small garlic clove, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 (7-inch) pita loaves with pockets, split horizontally
1/2 lb fresh, local vegetables, suitable for dipping.

Puree chickpeas with yogurt, cilantro, garlic, lemon juice, water, and salt in a food processor until smooth.

Prepare grill for cooking. If using a charcoal grill, open vents on bottom of grill and on lid.       Grill pitas on lightly oiled grill rack, uncovered, turning once, until golden, about 2 minutes total.

Serve dip with pitas and veggies. Note: Dip can be made a day ahead and chilled. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Peppery Baked Penne for the PlayoffsPeppery Baked Penne with Vegetables
Serves: 6
Compliments of Thermador, one of the great brands at Fine Lines

Green Cooking: This dish requires no boiling of the pasta before baking, an energy-saving technique. Feel free to add some sautéed chicken if your crowd prefers meat in their entrée. Also, this dish would be improved in flavor, appearance and texture with the addition of vegetables beyond celery and carrots. Try a variety of bell peppers, zucchini and fresh mushrooms.

Ingredients

8 ounces penne pasta, uncooked
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 rib celery chopped (1/2 cup)
1 to 2 medium carrots, grated (1/2 cup)
4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons crushed dried basil
1 tablespoon crushed dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon crushed fennel seed
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes, undrained
Grated Parmesan cheese

Place pasta in large bowl; pour olive oil over pasta. Toss to coat; let stand for one hour.

Set oven to convection at 375°F; conventional oven at 400ºF.

Drain pasta, reserving oil. Place pasta in 3-quart shallow casserole dish. In a large non-aluminum skillet, heat reserved oil; add remaining ingredients except tomatoes and parmesan. Sauté over medium heat until onion is translucent (about 5 minutes). Add tomatoes to skillet; mix well. Pour sauce over pasta to cover completely. Do not stir in. Cook in preheated convection oven for 10 minutes or a conventional oven for 30 minutes,  then stir pasta and sauce together. Return casserole to oven and continue to cook for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring well every 10 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Can be made the day ahead. Cover tightly with foil before reheating.

 

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