Deep Fried Feta Cheese Recipe

This weekend is the Super Bowl, but Lulu and his friends are so disappointed that the Niners didn't quite make it (and with Kyle Williams in particular) that they're threatening not to watch the game. Even though the boys are being such party poopers, I still plan on putting out a nice spread. As they say, the game must go on!

This particular dish is my take on the traditional fare of breaded mozzarella cheese sticks. Instead of mozzarella though, I made my fried treats with raw feta cheese. The cheese is from Redwood Hill Farms, and it is just delicious! It has such a strong flavor and really holds up well to being deep-fried. Unlike mozzarella, feta cheese doesn't melt but keeps a very pleasant firm texture. 



To finish the plate, I drizzled a basil dressing on the appetizers for a contrast of color. For the party, I'll probably serve the fried feta cheese on a large tray, but you could also place a smaller portion as I did on a bed of diced vegetables.

Peanut Butter Banana Milk Drink Recipe

This recipe is for the ones who love the good old combination of peanut butter and banana, but with fewer calories. As I've said in the past, I always try to find ways to ensure that my husband Lulu, who is a vegetarian, has enough nutrition in his diet. He's also been exercising regularly lately, so I figured a healthy treat was in order.

I made banana milk that is vegan (Lulu's lactose intolerant too!). The drink is a blend of bananas, soy milk, peanut butter, cinnamon, whey protein and vanilla extract. It's a delicious way to start the day with healthy servings of potassium and protein, which is great for a vegetarian diet. Best of all, Lulu loves it! And if you like this drink, I'll post more whey protein-enhanced beverages soon.

Red Hummus with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

My husband Lulu is still heartbroken that the Giants beat the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game last weekend, but our party for the Super Bowl is still on. At least I think it is. I'm planning on serving a lot of finger foods and this red hummus will be part of our tasty feast.

Though it's bursting with flavor, hummus can look a little dull, so I spiced it up with chile oil and sun dried tomatoes. The preparation is fairly simple and doesn't require more than a few ingredients, such as garbanzo beans, lemons, oil and of course sun dried tomatoes. Roasted or pickled garlic would be great here as well, but since we're going to be entertaining, I decided to omit it.

What are your plans for the Superbowl?

Pumpkin Fritter Recipe

I've been feeding my husband Lulu very healthy food since the beginning of the year. I was thinking he couldn’t take much anymore, so when he came home I decided to give him a reprieve of sorts. I had already steamed some pumpkin that I intended to add to a low cal, healthy canh (Vietnamese soup). As a treat, I took some of the extra diced pumpkin and created dumplings that I deep-fried.

My trick for making fluffy fritters is to replace the standard combination of ice water, flour and baking powder with just cold beer and flour. It gives a nice aroma to the appetizer and pairs well with pumpkin. I also garnished the dish with slices of fried chiles for color.

Granola Recipes (+Nuts About Granola Giveaway)

My friend Sarah runs "Nuts About Granola", and she is very passionate about her products. Sarah makes handmade granola from all natural, local, sustainable ingredients. If you’re lucky enough to try her products, you’ll be Nuts About Granola as well.

Granola is of course delicious on its own, but I've gathered a few recipes using granola in case you feel like cooking. It can be good for breakfast as well as a healthy snack.

We'd like to share the granola love with you, so visit our 25 Days of Giveaways page  for a chance to win Sarah's Outdoor Gift Pack including:

• Organic cotton logo tee
• SIGG logo water bottle
• 1 (12-ounce) bag of Off Road Granola
• 3 (2-ounce) bags of our peanut butter blends

Good luck, everyone!

Make sure you're a fan of PhamFatale Facebook fan page and http://www.facebook.com/NutsAboutGranola?sk=wallwww.facebook.com/NutsAboutGranola, or follow @Phamfatalecom and tweet about this giveaway. To make it easy, you can just copy and paste this tweet if you’d like: "$40 gift pack #Giveaway from @Phamfatalecom and @NutsAboutGranol: http://bit.ly/sp4V7y". Good luck everyone!