Food for Seattle Fans: Cherry Teriyaki Glazed Chicken Bites

For the third and final installment of this week's "Super Bowl Food" series, I make good on my promise to offer Seahawks fans a meal they can call their own.

Due to the large influence the Asian community has had on Seattle (home of the Seahawks), I decided to make a recipe based on chicken teriyaki.  In order to represent the rest of the state of Washington, cherries were thrown into the mix.

Originally, I wanted to use Rainier cherries, but I couldn't find any in the grocery stores, so this recipe uses cherry preserves.

As a non-traditional teriyaki,  there's no need to whip out the hibachi.  You can stay warm and cook these tender bite-size chicken pieces on your stovetop.

Garnish with some toasted sesame seeds and stick a toothpick in them for the perfect Super Bowl appetizer, or toss them in a bowl with rice and veggies for a no fuss dinner. 

Super Bowl Food: Green Chili Empanadas

For the second of my three posts this week on "Super Bowl" food, I'll be sharing a dish representing the Denver Broncos' home state of Colorado.  In the first post of the series, I shared Colorado green chili, which is a popular meal in Broncos country.

That recipe makes calls for two and a half pounds of pork shoulder, so you're bound to have some leftovers.  With regards to the chili world, leftovers aren't a bad thing-- you can stuff them into burritos or just heat up and throw on some rice-- but with the Super Bowl coming up this weekend, you need something economical and tasty to serve your guests.  These green chili empanadas are perfect for that.

Not only are the ingredients for my green chili recipe inexpensive, the only thing left to do is make a little bread, which is dirt cheap.

What's Green, Fragrant, and Consumed All Over Colorado? Chili, Of Course!

Colorado Green Chili w/ Candied Jalapeños, Tortilla Crisps, and Chipotle Pinto Crema

Surprised at the answer in the title?  You shouldn't be.  Green chili ubiquitous across the Centennial State.  What makes this chili so special?  Well, it's all about the chiles.

An Updated Classic: Spanish White Bean Stew

I don't know about you, but I'm a little bit bored of finding the same five to seven tapas at "Spanish" restaurants in the U.S.  If you've been to too many of these places, you might assume Spanish fare has nothing more to offer than tortilla española and patatas bravas.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  A country the size of Texas, Spain has so much regional culinary variation, limiting ourselves to paella and a handful of tired tapas is like saying you've tried Mexican food after only eating at Taco Bell-- it's just plain wrong.

If the chefs at our Spanish restaurants won't step their games up, it's up to us.   With this in mind, I decided to revamp a Spanish classic that much like the region it comes from, is well-known in Spain, but relatively obscure to the rest of the world.

Eat Your Veggies - Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Spanish Chorizo

Even though Brussels sprouts are the runt of the cruciferous vegetable family, these miniature cabbage pack a potent dose of vitamins C and K, as well as cancer fighting properties such as sinigrin, much like the rest of their relatives (broccoli, kale, collards, etc).

Some people despise Brussels sprouts because they've only ever eaten them boiled, which renders the beautifully nutty veggie into a dark and mushy, organic sulfur bomb.  If you fall into that category, consider this a sprout rehabilitation, as you have not really tried a Brussels sprout, but some dastardly perversion.  Not only will we keep a lot more of the nutrients and beneficial compounds of the plant by roasting, you'll  be equipped with a foolproof way of preparing delicious, sweet Brussels sprouts appropriate for casual family dinners, as well as the most formal of dining occasions.