Every Super Bowl party has that one annoying person who shows up with something healthy and this year, I was that girl. Or at least that’s what I was worried about, until everyone dove into the buffalo cauliflower bites. “These are a vegetarian’s dream,” Haley, my friend Brooke’s niece, said. Relief! She was ecstatic because like me, she doesn’t eat meat, but the smell and allure of buffalo wings —  especially piled high on a platter on Super Bowl Sunday — can really mess with your senses.

Enter these buffalo cauliflower bites, which will satisfy all those cravings. They’re soft, easy to pick up and shovel in, and of course nice and spicy, too. Even better? They’re not messy and tough to eat like buffalo wings.

I first spotted these dazzlers on my younger brother’s instagram feed when he whipped ’em up for his girlfriend. I asked him for the recipe and… voila. He even gave me an alternative for the usual blue cheese dipping sauce — Greek yogurt! (I added some mustard powder and wasabi powder to kick it up a bit, and it was perfect.) Super Bowl might not be for another year, so perhaps you can whip ’em up for a President’s Day gathering tonight… or to finish your House of Cards binge this coming weekend.

And what a ceviche it was! If you’ve never “cooked” ceviche, it’s as simple as throwing the fish in a container with lime juice and letting the citrus “cook” it in the fridge. The outcome is light, sweet, and summery.

But you’re still wondering about the “scorching” part, aren’t you? That’s where the serrano pepper comes in. After his first bite, B described the heat as “challenging” while I think I used the term “glorious.” However you say it, serranos are hot. Jalapenos might be a safer bet, should you not be up for the high level spice. But like, YOLO.

Similarly I’m not a fan of cilantro, but I used it as a garnish because it adds a bit of color and pizazz. I also love the flavor of the smoky salt I used, which came recommended by the chef Jane Coxwell. I cooked her green apple macadamia quinoa as a side dish for this dinner party and will be posting that recipe soon. Stay tuned!

because sometimes all you have is a can of beans and a lemon and you’re ravenously hungry

because sometimes you don’t want hummus or guacamole

because sometimes you just feel like blending something up

and because sometimes you don’t need a good reason to eat some healthy, delicious white bean dip

I scoured for recipes until I found this delightful one — with a super helpful step-by-step photo tutorial — on White on Rice Couple‘s blog. [I’ve bookmarked a number of their other recipes as well — so it’s worth clicking around their site.] I followed their instructions to a T, and you should too.

I asked the guys at the Whole Foods sushi counter which rice papers they use to wrap their spring rolls, and one of them walked me to the Asian food aisle where I picked up the ones pictured below. You can make two rolls from each paper, and since there are about 100 papers in the package, you will have plenty to test on/mess up/throw away (as I did) and still have plenty to store in a ziploc bag for another night of spring roll making (as I also did). The other beauty of making your own spring rolls is that you can put whatever you want in them, and there is no exact math. You want some loaded with peppers and others with cucumbers? Knock yourself out. Want to add shrimp? Go for it.

And what’s that delectable looking sauce in the center of the tray? Why that’s Noah’s Knockout Sweet Chili Drizzle — you remember that one, right?!

Your turn now! The ultimate stuffed veggie spring roll recipe: White on Rice Couple

I’m here all week.

Anyway last weekend I was so lucky — my 4 best friends from high school and I went away to one of their parents’ lake houses for some quality girl time. Since we were going to stay in the house all weekend — we were just going to gossip and drink anyway, no need to go out for that — we didn’t have any outfits to plan, only meals. Girls gotta eat! I (naturally) offered to take care of dinner and Darcey — one of my girls — said she’d bring some appetizers.

I wasn’t planning on breaking out the Official TV Dinner Camera (my iPhone), but this dip blew me away. It has a perfect little sweet zing to it, and since there’s corn and beans, it’s healthy, except for the fact that you’re shoveling it in with handfuls of salted tortilla chips. Nobody’s perfect. I’d even make it in a bigger portion next time and serve it as a side dish, perhaps to a barbecue meal.

I ate around the feta cheese cause I don’t eat dairy — but you should dig in and enjoy without hesitation — and when you do, thank my friend Darcey. And her Aunt Sue!