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Its game time! (And time to eat.)
March Madness has descended upon us, and whether or not you are a fan of college basketball, the spirit of athletic competition always provides an excellent excuse for inviting some friends over and cooking up tasty chow. This Thursday and Friday mark the first round of the NCAA tournament games. Fill-out your bracket, place some bets with your pals, then whip up these #1 seed inspired vegetarian treats for the perfect March Madness celebration!
For Wednesday I will do the Midwest and West regions #1 seed recipes. These are Louisville Cardinals Red Roasted Tomato Dip and University of Connecticut Huskies Homemade Pita Chips.
Louisville Cardinals Red Roasted Tomato Dip
Ingredients:
1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic, minced
hot pepper sauce to taste
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh basil
Directions:
In a food processor, mix the sun-dried tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, hot pepper sauce, salt, and pepper. Process until well blended. Add basil, and continue processing until smooth. Chill at least 1 hour in the refrigerator before serving with UConn pita chips and fresh cut veggies.
University of Connecticut Huskies Homemade Pita Chips
Ingredients:
3 Pita Bread Slices
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
Pepper to taste
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Dried Rosemary Powder
1/4 cup dried parmesan cheese (optional)
Directions:
Place aluminum foil on a cookie sheet and then apply a light coat of olive oil on top of the foil. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the slices of pocket pita bread into small triangles and arrange them on the sheet. Make sure that the inner portion of pita triangles is facing up. Mix olive oil, garlic powder, pepper and kosher salt in a small bowl. Apply a thin layer of the mixture on the upper portion of each triangle with a small pastry brush. Sprinkle the rosemary and parmesan cheese over the pita slices. Bake the pita triangles in the preheated oven for about 5 minutes. You may increase the baking time, depending on the thickness of the pita bread. Take the pita triangles out of the oven when they have been evenly baked from inside and are golden-brown in color and crispy. Let the chips cool down to room temperature before serving.
Bonus: Switch the names around so that these dishes (or any other dishes you invent) support your favorite team. Then, print some school logos from online and make creative nametags for each dish. Let the madness begin!
Tomorrow - Great vegetarian recipes inspired by Pittsburgh and the University of North Carolina. Stay tuned...
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