Good Taste Comes To Those Who Wait

Growing up with a father who adored football, I was weaned on the strange rituals of winter TV sports, especially when it came to Super Bowl Sunday. The essential ingredients are a large television set, a comfortable couch or chair, and a steady stream of sustenance from the kitchen.

Nobody thinks light and lean when blood sugar is low and half-time hunger hits. But if I can spend an hour in the kitchen one night this week and prepare a few of the recipes below, tempting and low-fat dishes will be ready to kick off. The secret of success is the trusty slow cooker, or Crockpot.

I like to add cooked beans or rice to chili or soup; these help thicken and add rich flavor to the finished dish.

Black Bean Slow-Cooker Soup

This vegetarian black bean soup was inspired by Diane and Paul Von Welanetz, who wrote “The Von Welanetz Guide to Ethnic Ingredients” (Warner Books, 1987).

2 large onions, chopped

6 large cloves garlic, minced

1 green pepper, seeded and diced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 medium fresh jalapeno chilies

4 cups defatted broth, or more

4 cups cooked black beans

1/2 cup Madeira wine, sherry or apple juice

Salt, ground black pepper

Garnishes: wedges of lime, minced white onion, chopped cilantro, minced hard-cooked egg and minced chopped red bell pepper

Combine onions, garlic, green pepper, cumin, jalapeno chilies and broth in large soup pot and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Add beans and return to boil. Transfer mixture to slow cooker set on low and cook, stirring occasionally, 6 hours or until soup is thick.

Puree soup 1 to 2 cups at a time in blender or food processor. (Some soup may be left unpureed, if desired.) Add more broth to thin soup to consistency you prefer. Add Madeira and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with garnishes.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings.

Super Bowl Vegetarian Chili

Served with corn bread, this favorite chili is hearty enough for a pack of rowdy fans.

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 cups coarsely chopped green cabbage

1/2 cup diced red potatoes, with skins

1 (10-ounce) can reduced-sodium tomatoes with juice

2 tablespoons chili powder, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

3 cups cooked kidney beans

1 cup cooked brown rice

5 cups vegetable broth

Salt, freshly ground pepper

1 cup baked corn chips, crushed

1/2 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese

Heat olive oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute, stirring, until soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes with juice, chili powder and cumin and cook, stirring frequently, 3 minutes longer.

Transfer mixture to slow cooker. Add beans, rice and broth. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours or until thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with corn chips and cheese when serving.

Yield: 8 servings.