Superbowl Grub

I only watch one football game a year — the Superbowl. Most years, I pick a team based on their mascot or uniform color because I know nothing about the teams. Some years, I just root for the underdog. But this year, I was all for the Saints. And woooo hooooo ... they WON!

New Orleans is sorta like Memphis' sister city: We both have a lively entertainment district (they have Bourbon St., we have Beale). We're both Southern river towns. Our cultures center around the blues. And after Katrina, hundreds of NOLA folks made Memphis a temporary (and in some cases, permanent) home since the Bluff City is only a quick drive from the Crescent City. Not to mention that New Orleans my family's favorite place to vacation.

In preparation for the Saints' victory, I cooked up a batch of my Seitan Hot Wangz. The recipe will be included in my cookbook:

This is an old photo, but they looked the same this time. My friend Greg, who knows absolutely nothing about football and only came for the free grub, helped me devour these little spicy seitan chunks.

You've gotta have chips and dip for the Big Game, so I took the opportunity to make a recipe I've been dying to try since I got Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet — Cheezy, Oozy Guacamole Dip:

Wow! I was always a fan of Mexican layer dips, and this did not disappoint. A creamy layer of refried beans (I used Whole Foods brand) is spread on the bottom and that's topped with lime-laced avocado. The tastiest layer is the Tofutti sour cream mixed with Simply Organic taco seasoning. Green chilis, black olives, and tomatoes rest atop the sour cream, and it's all topped with Follow Your Heart vegan nacho cheese.

I halved the recipe and it still made a ton. Greg and I ate way too much of this on Sunday, and I had some more for lunch today. And so far, the avocado has stayed a lovely bright green. I'm hoping this stuff will last for a couple more days.

That's all for now. Don't forget to enter my Vegan Essentials gift certificate giveaway if you haven't already. Contest ends on Wednesday night.