Snacks Super Bowl 50 style

In all the media hoopla surrounding Cam Newton, there’s been one key omission. The Panthers quarterback does not consume meat. Newton is a pescatarian, which means he eats fish, dairy and eggs, but stays away from meat and poultry. It’s quite a remarkable dietary choice for a 249-lb. athlete and somehow it fits his quirky, unique style.

So even though we’re deep in Broncos country here, we thought we’d take a page out of Newton’s meal plan for a few Super Bowl party food suggestions. (Well that and our blog editor, Shana Goldberg, is vegetarian, so we have a lot of meat-free recipes in the archives.) Kosher-keepers face a tough quandary when it comes to Super Bowl snacks: Go fleishig and feast on mustard-smothered hot dogs, or go dairy and dip into cheesy Nacho goodness? Here are some recipes for those of you choosing the latter route.

RÖSTI WITH MELTED SWISS CHEESE

Parboil 1 ½ pounds of waxy potatoes. Meanwhile thinly saute an onion or a few shallots in 1 T olive oil on medium heat until soft, around 10 minutes.

Peel and grate the potatoes on large holes and mix with onions and 1 tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper.

Heat 2 T of butter in a large iron skillet. Add potato mixture and using spatula press and form into a cake. Brown on high heat for around 15 minutes. When the bottom is cooked, flip over using a large plate or cutting board. Cook for a further 10 minutes.

Preheat over to 350ºF.

Grate 3.5 ounces Gruyere or other Swiss cheese over the Rösti and place skillet into oven until cheese melts. Cut into wedges and serve with sauteed bell peppers and cherry tomatoes. If you’re really hungry, fry an egg sunny-side up and bang that on top too.

ONION LOVERS PIZZA, from Jamie Geller

Prep time: 15 minutes • Cook time: 15 minutes • Servings: 4

1 small Vidalia or sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 cup sliced shallots
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pizza dough (9-ounce)
2 to 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons chopped chives
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Saute Vidalia onion and shallots in olive oil over medium high heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until softened and beginning to caramelize.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450˚F. Sprinkle a rimless baking sheet with 1 tablespoon flour. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pizza dough to a 10-inch circle and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Prick dough all over with a fork. Spread dough evenly with ricotta cheese and sprinkle with salt. Top with sauteed onion mixture, red onion and mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 12 to 16 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly. Garnish with chives and pepper, and slice into 6 to 8 wedges to serve.

SWEET POTATO LATKES WITH TOMATILLO SALSA

1 lb. sweet potatoes or yams (or combination)
2 large beaten eggs
2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. kosher salt
A couple sprinkles black pepper
½ cup – ¾ cup olive oil** (We used a mix of olive and safflower oil)
Sour cream

TOMATILLO SALSA

16 oz. can tomatillos (green tomatoes)
1 head of garlic peeled
1-2 jalapeno peppers (dependent on desired spice factor)**
Handful of cilantro
Salt and pepper

Peel and grate the sweet potatoes. Drain of excess liquid. Mix with the beaten eggs, flour, cinnamon, sugar, salt and pepper.

In a 12-inch or slightly larger non-stick pan begin to heat up the oil. Pat the potato mixture into 3-inch round patties making sure they are well condensed and sticking together nicely. Place 4 latkes in the pan at a time and fry on each side until brown and crispy. Each family likes their latkes at different consistencies from slightly browned to almost black and very crispy. Note that sugar burns quickly and turns things black faster, so flip the latkes often.

Meanwhile, to make the salsa, cook the garlic in the oven at 350°F with a little olive oil until it turns brown. Blend the tomatillos, garlic, chilies, cilantro, salt and pepper.

Serve the latkes with the tomatillo salsa – and a big dollop of sour cream!

AMIT’S TEL AVIV LEEK PATTIES

4 leeks, white part only & cut into large chunks
12 oz. feta cheese
3 eggs
bread crumbs (or matza meal)
oil
lemon quarters/lemon juice

Cook the leeks in water until partially softened. Squeeze dry of all liquid. Roughly blend with feta cheese in a food processor. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Optional: add a bit of minced fresh dill or parsley.) Add eggs and enough breadcrumbs that the mixture looks like chopped liver. Be generous! Let stand for at least 15 minutes.

Form patties and fry in hot oil. Drain on paper towels. Serve with fresh lemons or drizzle a bit of lemon juice before serving.

GO BRONCOS!!!