Ahi Tuna sliders, and other Super Bowl snacks heavy on taste, but light on calories

As​ Houston​ gets set to host the New England Patriots​ and Atlanta Falcons​ for the 51st​ Super Bowl, preparations will unfold in kitchens across the continent for the annual game day feasts. 

Super Bowl Sunday is considered an unofficial holiday for many, and not just in North America either, as last year's game's drew more than 150 million viewers across the globe according to published reports.

That means there's a lot of hungry football fans to feed.

According to the Snack Food Association, millions of pounds of crowd-pleasing foods get consumed on game day, including 1.25 billion chicken wings, 10 million pounds of ribs, and 11.2 million pounds of potato chips.

But for Vancouver chef Dino Renaerts, the Super Bowl is a great chance to go big on taste — and light on calories.

The Bon Vivant Group chef says avocados are the go-to ingredient.

"I love guacamole," he told host Gloria Macarenko on CBC's Our Vancouver. "I love avocados, so I use them on a lot of dishes, especially with kids — kids like something healthy for them."

Renaerts shared three recipes for snacks that are a little bit lighter and healthier than traditional heavyweight Super Bowl cuisine.

Ahi Tuna Slider with wasabi aioli

Ingredients:

• ​2 - 4 oz sushi grade ahi tuna steaks
• 1 tbsp. of creole seasoning
• 8-10 slider buns
• ½ cup mayo
• 1 tbsp wasabi
• Pickled ginger
• Avocado wedges from Mexico for garnish

Method: Season ahi tuna steak with creole seasoning and salt, in a heated skillet, pan sear Tuna steak for 5-7 seconds on each side. The outside of the tuna will be seared and the center should still be rare. Let cool and slice into even strips. Cut brioche slider buns and lightly toast under broiler till golden. Remove and slather with wasabi mayo, lay slices of tuna on top, add a slice of avocado, and a pinch of pickled ginger. Use a tooth pick to secure the top half of the bun.

Vegetarian/Vegan Chili 

Ingredients (serving 4):

• 1 Spanish onion
• 1 zucchini
• 1 Japanese eggplant
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 large tin of diced tomato
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp ancho chili powder
• Pinch of smoked paprika
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Garnish: 4 peasant bread rolls, 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese, cilantro sour cream, and one Avocado cut into wedges.

Method: Dice all vegetables, and sauté in a tablespoon of olive oil. Add diced garlic, cumin and spices. Sauté until golden, add diced tomato and simmer on low, for 45 minutes. Cut bread rolls, and remove some of the bread centre to create a bowl, place on a baking sheet, add a scoop of chili to each bread bowl, and top with shredded cheese or vegan cheese substitute, place under the broiler until cheese is melted. Add a dollop of cilantro sour cream and a wedge of avocados from Mexico

Breaded Avocado Bites with tomato tortilla dipping sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 avocados
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 jalapeno
• 1 bunch cilantro
• Pinch of cumin
• Pinch of smoked paprika
• 1 lime

For breading

• 1 cup crushed tortillas
• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• ½ cup flour
• 2 eggs

Method: Cut avocados in half, remove pits and scoop out flesh into a mixing bowl. Add grated garlic, seasoning, finely diced jalapeno and chopped cilantro. Mix together crushing slightly until chunky and all ingredients are combined. Using a teaspoon, remove a scoop of the mixture, place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and continue until all of the avocado mixture has been used. Lightly freeze mixture – about 30 minutes. Remove from freezer, and place into flour. Remove and dip in egg then remove and dip in crushed tortilla panko mix until well-breaded. Repeat until all avocado bites are well-coated. Set aside in fridge until ready.  Fry in a shallow pan until golden and serve with tomato tortilla dipping sauce.

Tomato Tortilla dipping sauce ingredients:

• ½ onion
• 1 sml tin of diced tomato
• 1 jalapeno
• Sprigs of cilantro
• ½ cup crushed tortillas
• 1 lime

Method: saute diced onion, add, tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeno, and simmer for five minutes. Add lime juice, season with salt and pepper, add crushed tortillas, and cook until tortillas are tender. Purée with a stick blender until smooth & creamy, chill until needed!

Click here to watch Our Vancouver host Gloria Macarenko sample some of the snacks provided by Chef Dino Renaerts