With football season upon us, Sundays in my house are devoted to football. Snacks are perfect for a day spent in front of the television but a lot of the snack alternatives are not that healthy.  Thankfully, there is Spanish tapas, and these recipes when made  together are fantastically delicious and surprising healthy. Spicy grass-fed meatballs, sauteed lemon mushrooms and oven fried potatoes are the perfect snack food! The secret is to serve it with crusty bread! Not only that because everything is homemade, it will not break the bank!  If you plan on having a big group make more of the potatoes because they are so easy to prepare and just delicious!

Spicy Spanish Meatballs

Ingredients:
1 pound of La Cense ground grass-fed Steak Burger
1 small onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoon olive oil
1 egg, beaten
juice of half a lemon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
salt and fresh pepper

For Spicy Sauce
1 onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon dry sherry
14 ounce pureed tomatoes
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne(or until spicy enough)
pinch of sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
fresh fresh parsley, to garnish

Preparation: Saute onions and garlic, let cool. Place the ground beef in a bowl, add egg, salt, cumin and parsley then add the sauteed onion.Mix well, roll into very small meatballs, place covered into the fridge to let cool.  Meanwhile make the sauce, saute the onions and garlic, add the tomato sauce, dry sherry, then the paprika, cayenne and sugar, season to taste, let simmer for 10 minutes.
To fry the meat balls heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the meatballs for 5 minutes, turning frequently until evenly browned. Place in sauce, heat and serve hot!

Oven Fried Potatoes with Roasted Garlic Dip
Ingredients:
3 pounds Idaho or Yukon potatoes cut into wedges(keep skin on)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
Roasted Garlic Dip
2 heads of garlic, separated with skin on.
2 tablespoon olive oil
5 tablespoons buttermilk
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
salt, pepper and paprika to taste

fresh parsley to garnish
Preparation:  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, roast garlic for 10 to
15 minutes until roasted. Let cool meanwhile, scrub the potatoes and
cut into wedges toss with olive oil and salt. Place in oven and roast
for 45 minutes to an hour, or until crispy and done. You will have to
toss them a few times.
To make the dip peel of the skin of the roasted garlic, and in blender
add all the ingredients and blend. Adjust taste, this deep has a rich
sweet flavor because of the roasted garlic. Just lovely!

Sauteed Lemon Mushrooms

Ingredients:
1 pound of white mushrooms
5 tablespoons of olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic
juice of half of lemon
salt and pepper
4 tablespoons of parsley
lemon wedges
crusty bread to serve with

Preparation: Wipe clean mushrooms, trim bottoms cut into fourths. Heat
olive oil in large pan, add garlic for 30 seconds then add mushrooms
saute over a medium high heat until brown. Reduce to low heat for 4-5
minutes, stirring frequently add a squeeze of lemon juice, season with
salt and pepper and top with parsley saute for another minute. Serve
with a fresh crusty bread. Enjoy!