Summer is now in full swing, and with exciting sporting events taking place right across the season, you’ll have plenty of opportunities and plenty of excuses to play the part of ‘host with the most’ for all your friends and family. Putting the game on, finding a comfy spot and having food and drinks at hand means you and your loved ones can enjoy some quality time at home without interruptions, cheering on your favourite team from the comfort of your sofa.
With all your friends and family round, you’re bound to have lots of hungry mouths to feed. That’s why we’ve paired up with lifestyle blogger Sally Bee to bring you some sofa snack inspiration and recipes to keep you fuelled while you support your team during the big game.
Sally’s created some mouth-watering treats for you to tuck into that are both easy to prepare and perfect for eating on your comfy sofa – so you can be ready for the football or the latest TV episode you can’t wait to watch. Whether you’re looking for meal ideas or some quick snacks and dips to go with them, Sally has provided healthy ideas packed with taste and nutrition to make sure you don’t go hungry as you relax and unwind.
Take a look below at Sally’s simple recipes, perfect for snacking on a sofa you love.
Mexican pulled pork with chipotle slaw
This dish is a slow cooked dish. So a slow cooker ideally should be used. You can get this cooking the morning before the match starts! Then tuck in with friends!
Ingredients
- 1.2kg boneless pork leg joint, fat removed (about 1kg lean meat)
- 1tbsp ground cumin
- 2tbsp ground coriander
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
- 2 chillies, finely chopped
- 2 tsp runny honey
- 390g tin black beans in water, drained
- 250g quinoa or rice to serve
- Fresh coriander sprigs, to garnish
- 6 tbsp low-fat Greek yogurt
- Zest and juice 1 lime
- 2 tsp chipotle paste
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 250g red cabbage, shredded
- 250g green cabbage, shredded
- 2 small carrots, grated
- 2 sticks celery, sliced
Method
Preheat the slow cooker. Add the pork, cumin, coriander, garlic, tomatoes, chilli and honey, then cook on low for 6 hrs
Meanwhile, combine all the slaw ingredients in a medium bowl, then cover and chill.
When the pork is cooked, lift it out of the sauce on to a board and set aside (reserve the sauce). When it’s cool enough to handle, use two forks to shred the meat into strands. Skim any fat from the sauce, then add the beans and shredded pork and mix to combine – reheat if necessary.
Cook the quinoa/rice according to the pack instructions, then divide among 6 plates. Top with the pork mix and garnish with coriander, then serve with the slaw on the side.
Lighter smoked haddock chowder
Serves 2
This dish is a flexible feast. Perfect for making ahead of time and bringing out and heating up ready for the Iceland match! It’s filling when you are starving but seems light when you’re just a bit peckish. It must be magic!
Ingredients
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
- 2 waxy potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced
- 500ml gluten free vegetable stock
- 2 undyed smoked haddock fillets (about 100g each), skinned and cut into chunks
- 418g can creamed corn
- 4 tablespoons skimmed milk, or to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
Method
Put the onion, garlic and potatoes in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Pour over the vegetable stock and simmer for about 8 minutes until the potatoes are soft, but still have a slight bite.
Add the chunks of smoked haddock, the creamed corn and half of the milk (if you prefer thinner chowder, add more milk). Season with a little black pepper.
Simmer gently for 5–7 minutes, until the haddock is cooked (it should flake easily when pressed with a fork).
Sprinkle over the parsley and serve.
Can be chilled and reheated in time for the big match!
Guacamole
Who doesn’t love Guacamole! With dipping chips of sliced up pitta bread it’s the perfect sofa snack to have. With added veggies from the courgette, this is a high on taste, low on fat spicy Guacamole and you will love it. Just don’t drop it on your sofa!
Ingredients
- 1 large courgette, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 large ripe avocado, cubed
- 1 handful parsley, coarsely chopped
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ½teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco, or more to taste
Method
Place the courgette in a microwave-safe dish, cover with a damp paper towel and microwave on High until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain in a sieve, pressing lightly on the zucchini to extract any liquid.
Transfer the courgette to a large bowl; add the avocado, parsley, onion, garlic, lime juice, hot sauce and coarsely mash until combined.
Spicy butterbean hash
Serves 4
A very simple, fun and filling breakfast dish with a bit of a kick! Have this at any time of the day or night.
Ingredients
- 1 x 400g tin butter beans
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 4 lean rashers of bacon – all visible fat cut off
- 2 tins of chopped tomatoes
- 4 preserved jalapenos, chopped
- Slurp of Tabasco sauce (to taste)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 fresh eggs
Method
Pre-heat the oven 200 ̊ C
In a large non-stick frying pan, heat the olive oil over a medium heat.
Add the chopped onion fry off for 4-5 minutes
Next add the bacon, garlic and chopped tomatoes and butterbeans
Season with the black pepper, chopped jalapenos and Tabasco sauce
Stir together to combine and let simmer over a low heat for 10-15 minutes.
Now transfer mixture to a shallow baking dish and pop in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes, until bubbling and al the flavours have fused together.
Take out of the oven and make 4 scooped holes in the mixture.
Crack in the eggs and pop back in the oven for a final 6-7 minutes.
Serve with a slice of brown-nutty bread. Delicious!
Pesto & British tomatoes on toast
In summer the British tomato carries a smell from heaven – so when you fancy a sofa snack to eat while watching England play, have a nibble on your sofa on this!
Ingredients
- 2 slices of wholemeal toast cut from a large bloomer
- Small amount of butter
- 4 large “on the vine” tomatoes
- 2 tsp of red pesto
- Drizzle of olive oil
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4.
Slice the tomatoes across the middle and lay the 8 halves on a baking tray.
Drop a quarter of a tsp of pesto on top of each tomato and drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil on top.
Bake for 20 minutes in the middle of the oven until tomatoes just softening. If the pesto starts to get too brown lay some tin foil over the top until they are cooked.
Meanwhile, make the toast using a little butter, lay the tomatoes on top and tuck in.
Fruit and nuts
If you like to eat a healthy diet have plenty of healthy snacks on hand!
- Any one piece of fruit or a palmful of small fruit such as grapes or strawberries
- Nuts and raisins – an egg cup full is enough to lift your blood sugar levels without putting on weight
- Blanched whole almonds (egg cup full)
- Sunflower and pumpkin seeds (egg cup full)
- Dried cranberries (egg cup full)
- Soft mixed dried fruit (egg cup full)
- Pomegranate Seeds (egg cup full)
- Soft figs (egg cup full)
- Brazil nuts (egg cup full)
- Soft dried dates (egg cup full)
- Five dried apricots
Sally Bee
We’re super excited to be working with food and lifestyle blogger, Sally Bee. If you haven’t heard of Sally before, she’s a motivational speaker, author and journalist who provides health and wellbeing tips and advice to her followers. Learn more about Sally Bee here.
