On Super Bowl night, most of the U.S. will be gathered in front of a screen somewhere. It may be at home alone or with groups of friends.

A large part of the fun of a super bowl gathering is the food. The food can be simple or complicated; it only needs to be tasty. This week’s recipes will help with that.

Our first recipe will give you something healthy and delicious to eat before the game starts. It’s fettuccine but with most of the fat and calories removed. The loss of calories isn’t even noticed because the dish is so tasty.

The second recipe is beef pizza bagels. You can change this around to suit your pantry or your tastes. Bagel or mini bagels make wonderful pizzas. You can even make fruit pizzas with bagels. Give it a try.

The third recipe is pecan baked chicken wings. You can’t have a super bowl party without wings. This is a different spin on standard wings.

The last recipe is crispy tortilla bites. This is a great Mexican finger food. You can make it hotter by adding jalapeños or other hot peppers to the mixture. You will keep this recipe for use over and over. It’s easy and delicious.



Healthy Fettuccine



8 oz spinach fettuccine

cooking spray

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced

1 medium yellow squash, thinly sliced

1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/4 cup nonfat, low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

2 tablespoons reduced-fat Parmesan

1 tablespoon light cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cook pasta as directed on package; drain. Set aside. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat; add oil. Add zucchini, squash, bell pepper and garlic. Reduce heat to low; cook until pepper begins to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add broth; cook until all vegetables are tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat; add pasta, yogurt, basil, cheese, cream, salt and pepper. Toss and serve immediately.



Beef Pizza Bagels



4 plain bagels, halved

1/2 pound cooked, lean ground beef

1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup pizza or spaghetti sauce



Spread top of each bagel half with 1 tablespoon sauce. Top with approximately 3 tablespoons cooked ground beef. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cheese.

Place bagels on cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bagel is golden brown. (Or, place bagel in 400 degree toaster oven for 10 minutes.)

Baked Pecan Chicken Wings

1/2 cup pecans

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

12 chicken drumettes

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 cup steak sauce

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar



Preheat oven to 400 degrees.



Place pecans and flour in blender or food processor; blend until finely chopped. Dip chicken-wing drumettes in egg, then coat with nut mixture. Place on rack in baking pan.

Bake for 40 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink near bones. Combine steak sauce, soy sauce, green onion and sugar in small bowl.

Serve chicken with sauce for dipping.



Crispy Tortilla Bites



1 (16-ounce) jar Salsa

1 lb asparagus, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, steamed until tender-crisp

1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup chopped ripe olives

8 (10-inch) flour tortillas

2 tablespoons butter, melted



Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine salsa, asparagus, pinto and black beans, cheese and olives. Place one tortilla on a cutting board; spoon about 3/4 cup filling along one side. Roll up tightly, keeping seam side down. Cut into 4 pieces; place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling. Brush bites lightly with melted butter.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until crispy. Serve warm.



Did you know?



Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato-based sauces – no more stains.

When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead - no white mess on the outside of the cake.

If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it’s still cooking drop in a peeled potato - it absorbs the excess salt for an instant “fix me up.”

Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator it will keep for weeks.

Brush beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.

Place a slice of apple in a hardened brown sugar to soften it back up.

When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn’s natural sweetness.

To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool, salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh – if it rises to the surface, throw it away.

Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.

Don’t throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.

If you have a problem opening jars: Try using latex dish washing gloves. They give a non-slip grip that makes opening jars easy.

Potatoes will take food stains off your fingers. Just slice and rub raw potato on the stains and rinse with water.

To get rid of itch from mosquito bite: try applying soap on the area, instant relief.

Ants, ants, ants everywhere … Well, they are said to never cross a chalk line. So get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march – see for yourself.

Use air-freshener to clean mirrors: It does a good job and better still, leaves a lively smell to the shine.

When you get a splinter, reach for the Scotch tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle. Simply put the Scotch tape over the splinter, then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.

Nnow look what you can do with Alka-Seltzer: Clean jewelry – drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and immerse the jewelry for two minutes.

Clean a thermos bottle- fill the bottle with water, drop in four Alka-Seltzer tablets, and let soak for an hour (or longer, if necessary).

Unclog a drain – clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka-Seltzer tablets down the drain followed by a cup of white vinegar. Wait a few minutes, and then run the hot water.



Karen’s Kitchen is a weekly column by Karen Freeman of Tarboro. Contact Karen at:

kvfreeman@triad.rr.com to exchange ideas, ask questions, submit recipes, tips or suggestions.

Check out her Web site: http://www.geocities.com/kvfreeman27886/