Super Bowl fare

Most years our Super Bowl tradition has been to stay in and enjoy traditional football viewing fare – guacamole and chips, chili with cornbread and all of the fixings, a green salad and something for dessert.  This year we have been invited to a get together and our hosts are basing their menu on the host city of New Orleans.  I volunteered to make something and decided on Shrimp Remoulade (and some of the leftover remoulade sauce will be delicious with our fried oysters on Tuesday.)  Here is the recipe for the shrimp remoulade as well as the guacamole and chili f you want to go that route.

Shrimp Remoulade

• 3 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 bunch scallions, chopped (both white and green parts)
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup tomato puree
• 1/2 cup coarse grainy mustard
• 2 TB horseradish
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 TB paprika
• 1 tsp Worcestershire
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 1/2 lbs jumbo shrimp, peeled except for tail and deveined
• additional olive oil

Toss shrimp with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 400 for 8 – 10 minutes until pink.  Let cool to room temperature.

Mix celery, scallions, parsley and onions in a food processor.  Add all ingredients except olive oil and process.  Add oil in a slow, steady drizzle with machine running.  Chill until ready to serve.  Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.  Serve with shrimp or other seafood.

Guacamole

• 4 ripe avocados
• 1 TB lime juice
• 1 TB sour cream
• 1/2 tsp salt
• dash of pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 2 TB salsa
• 1 small chopped onion
• 1 chopped tomato
• cilantro (optional)

Mash avocados, add remaining ingredients and mash until well combined.  (This is the part of cooking where toddlers excel!).  Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.  This is one of the few recipes I make where I don’t skimp on salt.  Salt and the chili powder are the two “magic” ingredients that you should consider adding.  Let sit in a bowl with the avocado pits in the guacamole until ready to serve.  (That keeps it from turning brown.)

Chili

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3/4 lb of chopped yellow onions
• 1 lb sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 2 lbs sirloin, cut into small cubes
• 3 tsps fresh ground pepper
• 1 12 oz can tomato paste
• 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 TB minced garlic
• 1 1/2 oz cumin
• 2 oz chili powder
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1 TB salt
• 2 TB dried basil
• 2 TB dried oregano
• 3 lbs canned  plum tomatoes, drained
• 1/4 cup dry red wine
• 4 TB lemon juice
• 1 dash Tabasco
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
• 1 can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can light red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cans (5 1/2 oz) of pitted black olives, drained

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot.  Add onions and cook over low heat, until tender (about 10 minutes).

Add sausage meet, ground beef and sirloin cubes and cook over medium high heat until meat is well browned.  Drain as much fat as possible.

Reduce heat to low and add all ingredients except olives.  Stir well and simmer for about 25 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  Add olives and heat through.  Serve with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, chopped red onions and jalapeno peppers (for those who like it spicy) and cornbread (the cornbread from Graul’s is outstanding!).