Beat the lines with these revamped Super Bowl recipes

The Super Bowl is not just about the game, the commercials or how much air is in the footballs. It’s also about the delectable spread you lay before your amigos and the carnal pleasure of licking your fingers after consuming way too many Buffalo wings. 

But all too often we sit back after the game in a food-induced haze, the TV light flickering and the full effect of having consumed two servings of frozen mac ‘n’ cheese, 25 cent wings (you get what you pay for in the flavor department) and a few cheap beers — all of it hitting you hard with each labored breath. To avoid the food coma induced by an overabundance of cheap food, consider a homemade dinner made with quality ingredients.  

This menu is a revamp of the classic Super Bowl finger food and dishes — one that will leave you with a night of constant comments on your amazing cooking skills instead of a preservative-laced caloric monster. Classic Buffalo wings, green goddess dip and veggies and a healthy chocolate pudding round out a satisfying, healthy Super Bowl meal.  

Serve alongside sea-salt chips and Samuel Smith’s Organic Apricot Ale (I’m not one for fruity beers, but this has a mellow apricot sweetness, as well as some caramel notes that make for a refreshing, clean finish), and touchdown, you’ve won big. 

CLASSIC BUFFALO WINGS (adapted from Matt Reynolds and Ric Kealoha’s Championship Buffalo Wings recipe): 

Servings: 10

3 dozen chicken wings

Salt and pepper to taste 

32 ounces vegetable oil 

Hot sauce of choice (Recommended: Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce)

Rinse the wings, pat them dry, sprinkle with salt and pepper and let them warm to room temperature. This ensures that the skin is nice and crispy when baked. 

Heat oil to 375 F in a medium-sized, deep skillet. Use a cooking thermometer to maintain a consistent oil temperature. Fry the chicken wings in batches of five, turning once, until golden and cooked through, for 8-10 minutes. Place the fried wings on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels. Once you have cooked all the wings, place them into a large bowl and add hot sauce. Toss to cover, and add more sauce as desired. 

GREEN GODDESS DIP (adapted from Food & Wine magazine):

2 tablespoons Greek yogurt

2 teaspoon white wine vinegar 

1/2 avocado 

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup flat leaf parsley, loosely packed

1/2 cucumber 

1 small shallot, chopped

3 tablespoon olive oil 

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients except the olive oil, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor. Blend until combined. Slowly add the olive oil until the dip is smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve chilled alongside cut-up veggies (such as celery, radishes, kohlrabi or carrots), chips and crackers. 

HEALTHY CHOCOLATE PUDDING (adapted from Mark Bittman’s recipe): 

1 pack of silken tofu (the softest you can get)

8 ounces of semisweet chocolate 

3/4 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Place the chocolate and sugar in a heatproof bowl, and set the bowl over a pot filled with 1 inch of water. Heat over medium-low heat until melted, stirring constantly and taking care not to overcook. Set aside. 

Place drained tofu, cinnamon and vanilla extract in the blender. Add the melted chocolate, and blend until smooth. Spoon pudding into serving dishes and chill for at least an hour. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.