wellness Archives - Simply Better Living

Score Big with these Recipes for the Big Game

With the big game right around the corner, the pressure is on to create lots of tasty appetizers for all of your friends and family. If you’re about to have a stadium full of guests in your home, there is no need to fumble under the stadium noise—we’ve got you covered.

In fact, we have gathered some of our favorite appetizer recipes that will be the perfect start to every quarter. These can be made quickly and (mostly) stress free in either your traditional wall oven or SHARP Superheated Steam Countertop Oven. Before I have company over, I like to get a head start on the cooking by combining the ingredients for each recipe, setting them onto a tray, covering each tray in plastic wrap to keep it fresh, and storing it in the refrigerator.

In fact, this year I’m in luck because my Superheated Steam Countertop Oven has a cavity large enough for a 1/4 Sheet Foil Pan, which is disposable and will allow for a much easier cleanup when all my guests head out after the last quarter. Since I am introducing a foil pan, I find it best to position it on the included crisper tray instead of the included broiling pan in your countertop oven. You could always line the broiler pan with tin foil as well. That will avoid cleanup and missing the commercials too. Touch down on entertaining with these simple to follow recipes, you can thank us later.

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas Recipe

This is a simple but noteworthy recipe made in our Superheated Steam Countertop Oven. I love to make a vegetarian option when I host parties so that way my guests have alternatives if they choose. Plus, it’s an added bonus that I can cut up these quesadillas into bite size pieces to serve easier. I find that I can make quesadillas ahead of time and then the combination of superheated steam with radiant heat allows for the quesadilla to soften and become crispy, like a second helping more so than leftovers.

Ingredients

1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup thawed frozen corn
2 tablespoons finely diced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
1 small clove garlic minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chunky salsa, plus extra for serving
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1-1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
2 large (burrito-size) tortillas
Nonstick cooking spray, for the tortillas
Sour cream, for serving

Instructions

In a medium bowl, stir together the black beans, corn, red bell pepper, red onion, garlic, cilantro, salsa, cumin, and chili powder until well combined.
Place 2 tortillas on a work surface. Spray the bottom side of each tortilla with nonstick cooking spray.
Evenly sprinkle half of each tortilla with ½ cup of the cheese. On both tortillas, spoon half of the black bean and corn mixture evenly over the cheese. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the black bean and corn mixture.
Fold the tortillas in half and press down gently but firmly.
Place the quesadillas on the broiling pan. Place in the oven on the upper level.
Turn on Bake function and set to 425°F.
Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is golden brown. Serve with sour cream and salsa on the side.

Chicken Buffalo Dip Recipe

In high demand is this chicken buffalo dip recipe from “Keeping Up with The Fashions” is a great way to kick off a football game with friends and family. The best part? It can be made quickly in your countertop microwave and induction cooktop.

We’ve modified this recipe and added our own finishing touches, visit the Keeping Up with The Fashions blog for the original recipe.

Ingredients

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese
1 cup of rotisserie chicken
1/2 cup buffalo sauce
1/2 cup ranch or blue cheese salad dressing
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Using two forks, shred the rotisserie chicken ensuring that the chicken is broken up into bite size pieces.
Place chicken in a pan on your SHARP induction cooktop, using medium heat.
Divide cream cheese block into four equal pieces and combine with chicken in pan.
Cook on medium heat for 3 minutes before adding buffalo sauce and ranch dressing. Stir in pan for additional 2 minutes, or until the dip looks smooth.
Once the dip appears smooth, add 1 cup of the Mexican blend shredded cheese. Mix well. Then, once cheese has melted, remove pan from heat and pour dip into a microwave safe serving dish/bowl.
Add remaining cheese on top of dip.
Place in Sharp Orville Redenbacher’s Microwave for 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Serve with tortilla chips or celery and hear the crowd go wild.

Herbed Chicken Drummies Recipe

No football party would be complete without crispy and delicious chicken wings or “drummies”. In my opinion, it is one of the highlights of the game, other than the commercials of course.

One of the best kept secrets to crispy baked chicken wings is in the way you prepare them. I’m serious! Just give it a try. Start off by rinsing your chicken in cold water, then dry each wing with a paper towel. Once the chicken is completely dry (be patient), place them into a bowl and add a pinch of salt, baking powder, and flour. Evenly disperse these dry ingredients, ensuring that it isn’t all on the top wings. This little step makes for a HUGE difference in the long run.

This recipe is not only rich with flavor, but it is simple to make with hardly any mess involved. Talk about another touchdown on entertaining.

Ingredients

1-pound chicken buffalo wingettes (1st and 2nd wing sections)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Place the chicken wings in a large bowl and lightly season with salt, baking soda, and flour. Then add the olive oil, rosemary, thyme, and oregano and toss to coat. Generously season with pepper.
Place the chicken on the broiling pan in a single layer.
Place the tray on the upper level.
Turn on Broil/Grill function. Cook for 30 minutes, or until chicken is golden and cooked through. Serve warm.

Variation: Instead of dried herbs, you can toss the chicken in a BBQ dry rub or Creole seasoning for a spicier end result.

*Note that cooking times will vary depending on the size and density of the chicken, we recommend that FDA cooking guidelines and temperature regulations are adhered to at all times. It is best to use an internal thermometer to ensure that the inside of the thickest piece of chicken is cooked to the FDA recommended temperature.

Fresh Spring Rolls Recipe

These fresh spring rolls are sure to make you the envy of all previous Sunday football hostesses. I typically won’t make spring rolls by hand the day of an event because there is a great deal of preparation and love that is required with the process. With that in mind, this is one of those make the night before kind of recipes. These fresh spring rolls are a mouthwatering delight that will change the game for your guests.

Ingredients

1 box of rice paper (rice wraps)
2 medium carrots
1 large red onion
4-5 mushrooms
1/2 small cabbage
1 medium zucchini 1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1/2 Chili
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp sesame seeds 1 tsp saffron
1 tsp sweet paprika

Instructions

Wash and clean the vegetables, then cut them lengthwise.
Add olive oil, onion, saffron, paprika, and cumin seeds in 9-inch pie pan.
Place pie pan in oven on baking tray on upper level.
After onions have caramelized, add the other vegetables to 9-inch pie pan and place them back in oven on upper level.
Add the soy sauce, salt and pepper, then the sesame seeds and place back in oven.
Prepare a hot water pot for the rice wraps. Dip one by one in the water for about 1 second each. Water should not boil.
Pack each roll using the prepared vegetables and place them on plate.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:

Loaded Mexican Sweet Potato Skins Recipe

This recipe is a nice, zesty appetizer that can make you stand out as a pro host this season. You’ll love these Loaded Mexican Sweet Potato Skins topped with Monterey jack cheese, black beans, corn and tomatoes. The perfect appetizer to start off the big game and can be made in a convection microwave like the Sharp SMC1585BS Convection Microwave Oven!

Ingredients

2 whole sweet potatoes
¼ cup milk (I used 1%)
¼ cup sour cream
2 teaspoons chiles in adobo sauce, sauce only
½ cup black beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup corn (I used frozen and thawed it)
¼ cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
¼ cup tomatoes, diced
chopped cilantro for garnish, if desired
sour cream for serving, if desired

Instructions

Preheat the Sharp Convection Microwave to 400 degrees. (You can use this same method for a regular oven as well).
With a fork puncture a couple of holes on top of the sweet potato to let the steam release.
Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet or cooking stone and place in the oven.
Cook for 40 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Take them out of the Convection Microwave and leave it on.
Once the sweet potatoes are cool enough to touch carefully cut them in half.
Scoop out the center of each sweet potato leaving enough room along the edges, so the potato doesn’t fall apart.
Add the scooped sweet potato into a medium bowl along with the milk, sour cream and adobo sauce. Mash until the mixture is creamy and clump free.
Stir in the black beans and corn.
Scoop the filling back into the sweet potato shells.
Top with cheese and place back into the Convection Microwave. Cook until the cheese has melted about 2-3 minutes.
Serve immediately with diced tomatoes, chopped cilantro and sour cream, if desired.

Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps Recipe

At the start of football season, I was inspired to make these delicious Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps by Paula Dean as appetizers for my friends and family. I followed the recommended ingredients and preparation given on the Food Network’s channel, but baked the appetizers in my Sharp Superheated Steam Countertop Oven and it was a huge hit! Everyone loved how flavorful they were (what a surprise, who doesn’t love bacon after all) and it was a breeze to make.

Please note that this recipe is the property of Foodnetwork.com and instructions have been modified to be compatible with the Sharp Superheated Steam Countertop Oven.