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Tailgating is quite possibly the best thing to happen to sports since the invention of the ball. Instead of eating fatty stadium food, chew on fresh-grilled stuff! Read on as HG trades tailgating tips with world-renowned BBQ champ Chris Lilly...
CL: Make veggie kabobs that coordinate with team colors for a fun way to boost team spirit and nutritional intake. Try brightly colored veggies, such as bell peppers, that look great and taste delicious.
HG: Okay, which team's colors are purple and white, cuz we LOVE skewered eggplant with sweet onions! Season your kabobs with low-cal marinades (like the ones by Newman's Own and Lawry's) and flavorful seasoning blends (Mrs. Dash's salt-free line is great!). Even add a few hunks of pineapple, mango, and other firm fruits to your skewers (grilled fruit rocks!).
CL: Using a drip pan in your outdoor cooker is a great way to prevent juices or marinades from dripping into the hot coals and causing flare-ups. Take advantage of this pan by filling it with water, fruit juice, and spices to add extra flavor to your food. During longer cooking, the added moisture created from the steam will keep your extra lean cuts of meat from drying out.
HG: Oooh, we're all for flavor without the added calories! Sounds like a perfect time to bust out some pomegranate juice, pineapple juice, or a fun blend like orange tangerine. Mmmmm!
CL: Make your own veggie burgers by combining chickpeas (garbanzo beans), onions, bell peppers, wheat flour, garlic and your favorite spices. For a rich, earthy flavor, try grilling over a flavored charcoal like Kingsford Charcoal with Mesquite.
HG: First of all, YUM! Secondly, in a pinch, you can always bring along pre-made veggie burgers like the ones by Amy's, Gardenburger (their new Gourmet line of veggie "steaks" are fantastic!), Boca, and Morningstar Farms. Amy's Texas Veggie Burger is particularly good off the grill.
CL: Keep the tailgate staples on hand for those who want them, but be sure to include an equal amount of healthier alternatives for those who will appreciate the option. Easy substitutes such as tortilla chips and salsa instead of greasy chips and onion dip, or grilled pork chops or chicken paired with KC Masterpiece barbecue sauce are a delicious, healthy alternative to fatty hot dogs and brats.
HG: KC Masterpiece Classic Blend Barbeque Sauce has only 10 calories per serving (most BBQ sauces have 50 per serving)! And try Guiltless Gourmet Tortilla Chips for a low-cal, low-fat snack everyone'll enjoy -- they come in flavors like Chili Lime and Spicy Black Bean. Also, don't write off hot dogs just yet. Hoffy Extra Lean Beef Franks come in 2 sizes for your guilt-free BBQing pleasure -- there's a 45-calorie, 2-gram-of-fat standard-sized one and a 110-calorie, 5-fat-gram QUARTER-POUND frank (that's a whole lotta dog for not a whole lotta calories!). These puppies aren't in widespread distribution yet, but they're available online.
CL: One of my favorite cuts of meat to cook outdoors is the pork tenderloin. Sometimes the pig doesn't get the love it deserves. This guiltless "extra lean" cut contains less than 3 grams of fat for a 3-ounce serving. That's as lean as a skinless chicken breast. The mild flavor of the tenderloin embraces marinades and spices extremely well. Try this recipe...
HG: Pork... as lean as chicken!?! Give us the recipe ASAP!
Smoked Pork Tenderloin with Michigan Cherry Glaze
PER SERVING (about 3 ounces of pork with 1/8th of the glaze): 224 calories, 8g fat, 791mg sodium, 18.5g carbs, 0.5g fiber, 13g sugars, 18.5g protein
Expert's Note: This recipe combines the earthy flavor of hickory smoked pork tenderloin with a sweet cherry finishing glaze. The tenderloin is cooked indirectly with Kingsford® Charcoal.
HG Tips! For an even lower calorie spin on this delicious dish, swap the cherry preserves for one of Smucker's Sugar Free Preserves (like the Red Raspberry or Apricot). Then each serving will have just 177 calories! Subsequently, you can douse your veggie kabobs in any extra glaze... guilt-free! You can also make this crazy-good recipe ahead of time (minus the glazing), and just toss it on the grill with the glaze at the game.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. lean pork tenderloin
Marinade:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cherry cola
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. minced onion
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
Glaze:
6 oz. cherry preserves
1 tbsp. pure maple syrup
1/2 tbsp. vinegar
1/2 tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Directions:
The night before (or several hours before) the game, combine marinade ingredients and mix well. Place pork tenderloin in marinade, and refrigerate for 4 - 12 hours.
In a small bowl, combine glaze ingredients and blend well.
Build a charcoal fire on one side of the grill, such that the coals are situated on only one side of the grill, leaving the other side void. This will create an area for lower temperature indirect cooking away from the coals. Preheat charcoal cooker to 250 degrees F. Place tenderloin in cooker and cook with indirect heat for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Brush glaze onto pork while still on the cooker. Cook for an additional 10 - 15 minutes. The internal temperature of tenderloin should be 160 degrees F when removed from the cooker. Heat any remaining sauce and serve on the side.
MAKES 8 SERVINGS
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