It’s Super Bowl Sunday in the United States this Sunday where the New England Patriots will face off against the Seattle Seahawks. The American football game has found favour locally in some quarters, and award-winning blogger Jessica Hylton gives ideas for healthy, delicious snacks for the celebration.

Quinoa Pizza Bites

Easy Quinoa Pizza Bites are like mini delicious and healthy pizzas, and great for Super Bowl or other parties!

Prep time 5 mins

Cook time 15 mins

Total time 20 mins

Serves: 12

Ingredients

1 cup cooked quinoa

1/2 cup shredded cheese +

2 tablespoons of cheese

1 egg

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground pepper

3 tablespoons of marinara sauce

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

3 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Marinara Sauce, for dipping

Instructions

How to Cook the Quinoa

Mix 1/2 cup uncooked and washed quinoa with 11/4 cups

water and a pinch of salt.

Bring to a boil first and then lower heat. Cook the quinoa for about 15 minutes until fluffy. You should get about 11/2 cups of cooked quinoa (you only need 1 cup for the recipe, so you could always make extra pizza bites or use it another time).

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Grease a 12 mini muffin tin pan.

Mix all of the ingredients together.

Put a tablespoon into each muffin tin, packing them in.

Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Remove from oven and top with remaining 2

tablespoons of cheese. Broil for about 1 minute (please watch them, they burn easily).

After broiling, allow to cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes and then remove from pan.

Serve with marinara sauce.

Cheesy Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

I could not stop eating these Cheesy Buffalo Cauliflower Wings; they are crispy, filled with flavour and spicy!

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

40 mins

Serves: 3, about 30 to 35 pieces

Ingredients

1 small head cauliflower

1/4 to 1/2 cup hot sauce

1/2 cup sharp shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup flour (whole wheat flour works fine, so does white flour)

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup panko bread crumbs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, hot sauce and cheese together. Set aside.

Remove florets from the cauliflower (don’t use the stem).

Chop the cauliflower into smaller pieces, typically the size of chicken bites. Toss the cauliflower in the mixture made earlier until well coated.

Season the panko bread crumbs with remaining salt ground black pepper and red pepper.

Toss the cauliflower in the panko bread crumbs, half at a time until coated. Spread out on a sprayed or greased baking sheet, and spray the ‘wings’ with the cooking spray again to help with colour and crisping.

Bake for 22-25 minutes.

Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Serve with a dipping sauce (I used a barbecue sauce)

Black Bean Salsa

This Black Bean Salsa is the easiest dip you’ll ever make! It’s loaded with a variety of delicious flavours and it is bound to be a hit at your next party!

Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

Serves: 1 dip

Ingredients

1/2 cup corn

1/2 cup black beans

1/4 cup bell pepper

1 tablespoon sliced jalapeños

1/2 cup tomatoes

1/4 cup red onions

1 tablespoon parsley

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Pinch of salt

Juice of one lime

Instructions

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and toss. Ideally, let it sit for 30 minutes so that the lime brings out the best flavours, but you can serve it immediately with tortilla chips.Jessica takes a break but will return to Thursday Life in time to share Valentine’s Day foodie ideas.

Notes

I personally add more jalapeños but wanted to ensure this was at a tolerable heat level for everyone.

LEFTOVERS

If you have any leftovers, you can add them to a tortilla with some cheese and tomato salsa and make a quesadilla.