Game Day Foods

 

Cook's Notes: Game Day Foods to keep your guests happy, though you don't need a Game Day to enjoy a yummy appetizer and a comforting bowl of soup.   

Guacamole Dip

Cooking tip: Mashing avocados can be a bit of a pain depending on their ripeness. But I found a little trick in my utensil drawer that does the job just right. I use my pastry blender. It keeps the avocados chunky and mashes super quick. Give it a try. The dip is best made the day it's served.
Ingredients:

• 4 ripe avocados (they should be a little soft and outer shell darkish in color)
• 1 cup Roma tomatoes. diced and drained on a paper towel 
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons  lime juice
• 1/4 cup red onions, diced
• 2 tablespoons prepared chunky salsa mix
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Dash of Tabasco sauce or Worcestershire sauce
• Sriracha

Directions:

• Use a medium-sized bowl and scoop out the avocado mixture. Use a fork to mash avocados and blend in rest of ingredients. Don't skip the sriracha as it gives the dip a good punch of flavor. 
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Creamy Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage and Spinach 

Cook's notes: One of the best things about this soup recipe is its versatility with lots of options: Italian sausage or turkey sausage, green beans or peppers or cubed yellow squash, chicken broth or beef broth, cheese tortellini or tri-color tortellini, spinach or cabbage, spices. Here's my version of this hearty rustic soup, which works well as a main dish. It is also one of those soups that tastes better the second day. Pair the meal with artisan or French bread.

Recipe serves 4.
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 lb. Italian sausage
• 1/3 cup each diced carrots, celery, sweet red pepper
• 1 cup zucchini, diced
• 1-32 oz. container of chicken broth (low sodium and fat-free)
• 2 fresh tomatoes, diced and drained on a paper towel
• 1 can (14 oz. ) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1- 2 cups torn spinach leaves (remove stems)
• 1- 9 oz. package fresh or frozen tortellini
• 1/4 -1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

Directions:

• In a soup pot, brown the sausage and drain off fat. Set the meat aside on a paper towel.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and sauté onions 3 minutes, add in garlic and sauté 1 minute more.
• Add in zucchini, peppers, carrots, celery, tomatoes, spices, cooked meat, canned diced tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
• Add in tortellini and spinach leaves, cook uncovered about 10 minutes, until pasta is al dente.
• Stir in yogurt (I used Fage brand, which is thicker than other Greek yogurt products) 
  

Note: Leftover soup on the second day will need more broth, as the tortellini will have absorbed some of the liquid.