25 Super Bowl Recipes, Part 4: Low Carb

And onto day five of our Super Bowl recipe round-up: Low Carb!

I think more chips are sold SB weekend than any other week of the year. But it is possible to have delish, satisfying snacks on the table that don't max out your carb allowance for the month, all in one sitting! Here are a few.

Just about any dip you can find is low carb, it's the crackers and chips they're usually served with that makes them high carb. Use a crisp veggie instead, and it's instant health food!  :) But skip the usual, boring carrots and celery on a plate; think jicama, bell pepper strips, ribs from hearts-of-romaine. And to make them even more appealing, place them in vertical glass containers, like the beautiful table shown here, from Sugar Plum Sisters.

Bacon-Avocado Sammies from non nom paleo. Don't these look yummy?! 

Zucchini/squash Pizza Bites, from yours truly. The "crust" couldn't be simpler: it's just slices of summer squash or zucchini, lightly baked before being topped with your favorite pizza stuff, and broiled. (Inspired by Kalyn's Kitchen.) Shown here in both pepperoni and vegetarian versions.

Deviled Eggs. Did you know that deviled eggs from the grocery store sometimes contain sugar? Yuck! Much safer to make your own. I like 'em simple and classic, like this take from SimplyRecipes.

Garlic-Herb Cheese Spread or Dip, also from this site. Tastes sort of like Allouette. Again, to keep it low carb, serve with veggie dippers.

Green beans and pine nuts; four-part harmony

This is such a simple dish to throw together, but it feels just a bit more elegant than an everyday side dish. There's something about the mingling of these four simple ingredients that just works. And it goes great with so many main dishes: fish, grilled steak, pork chops, roasted chicken.

And when I say it's simple to "throw together," I mean it. You won't need to dirty a single measuring cup or spoon! I was tempted to give you nothing more than the photo collage, but I thought you might want a little more to go on. Enjoy!


Green Beans and Pine Nuts
Serves 2; scale up as necessary

2 handfuls of fresh or frozen green beans
a splash or two of olive oil
a pat or two of butter
1 handful of pine nuts
a shake or two of salt

If using fresh green beans, snap off the ends and break them into pieces of whatever length you like.

Pour water into a small saucepan, to a depth of about 1"; bring to a boil. Add the green beans. If they're frozen, stir till the water returns to a boil. Turn the heat down a couple notches and simmer until the beans are done to your liking. Recommended: while they are still bright green, but pleasingly tender when you bite one.

Drain the beans and leave them in the colander for the moment. Return the saucepan to the heat and pour in a bit of olive oil; add the butter and the pine nuts to that. Stir over medium heat, until you can smell the pine nuts, or until they begin to turn toasty brown.

Add the beans back into the pan and stir to coat them with the sauce and the nuts. Add a little salt. Serve immediately.

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