IN THE SNACK ZONE KEEP SUPER BOWL FANS IN THE GAME WITH EASY, DELICIOUS FARE.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor

If you're hosting a gathering for Super Bowl XLI on Sunday, tackling party fare is likely high on your agenda.

``Keep it cheap, simple and tasty,'' says Kevin Roberts, a Hollywood native and author of ``Munchies,'' a cookbook designed to ``get guys cooking in our fast-food society.''

Roberts, who hosts a radio show in San Diego and refers to himself as the Food Dude, cooks throughout the football season for his guy sports friends. For sports watching anytime and especially on Super Bowl Sunday, be sure to have a couple of winning eats out and ready to dig into when friends arrive, he advises. He often opts for the ever-popular five-layer dip and a chile con queso dip. ``I also do a roasted garlic and Parmesan cheese guacamole.''

His latest hit is a fast cheesy chicken dip made by combining a package of cream cheese with blue cheese salad dressing, cayenne pepper sauce, crumbled blue cheese and shredded cooked chicken breast, then turning into a pie plate and baking until hot.

Beverage requirements

Also have plenty of cold beer (microbrews and imported beers can be fun) on hand along with the fixings for drinks such as margaritas when guests arrive.

Start cooking early and complete preparation tasks and dishes ahead or the day before so you can enjoy the party -- food, company and game. Many people forget to do so and end up spending the entire time in the kitchen. If you plan to bring out some items at half time, keep them stashed in the fridge until heating up or serving cold.

Roberts brings out chicken wings and a taco salad at half time. Known for his signature chicken wings (which aren't deep-fried), his trick is to boil them for 10 minutes to remove most of the fat and yield tender chicken. ``Then I grill them for 10 to 15 minutes over high heat, turning constantly, and toss them well with a melted butter and cayenne pepper sauce.'' He sometimes opts for barbecue or an apricot sesame sauce instead.

The salad goes together with browned ground beef or turkey (fat drained off), a shredded cheese blend, chopped iceberg lettuce and thousand island dressing.

For the calorie conscious

Although Super Bowl parties cater to guys, there may be some, including women in attendance, who want to eat healthy and avoid overindulging, notes Myra Goodman, author of ``The Earthbound Farm Organic Cookbook Food to Live By.'' Offer a nice green goddess dip with plenty of fresh herbs and serve with a bounty of raw or lightly cooked fresh vegetables for dipping.

Other welcome options include reduced-sodium crackers, baked or reduced-fat chips along with dips made with nonfat yogurt or reduced-fat sour cream. Flank steak, grilled, cut into thin slices and served with sandwich makings like baguettes and different spreads or mustards is another do-able buffet item.

If you have the budget, consider serving grilled shrimp with a fruit salsa -- or skewers of cooked beef wrapped in prosciutto. Whip up a batch of chili with turkey or chicken -- and serve with grated Cheddar, chopped green onions and cornbread. < Instead of chicken wings, consider serving baked or grilled boneless, skinless chicken tenders with low-cal dressing. Or how about grilled strips of chicken breast on skewers with a spicy peanut sauce.

For dessert, offer caramel sundaes with vanilla and butter pecan or other favorite flavor ice creams along with homemade sauce. ``Who doesn't love real caramel sauce? notes Ina Garten in her newest cookbook, ``Barefoot Contessa at Home.'' ``It's so easy to make, and it's sooo good. Make the sauce in advance, and leave it covered at room temperature.''

Sundaes on Sunday

You could expand on the theme, add a few more sauces -- chocolate, fresh berries or pineapple -- and a few ice cream flavor choices along with whipped cream, assorted nuts and cherries and let guests make their own sundaes.

Roberts serves homemade dark-chocolate-covered strawberries for dessert -- as most of his guy friends aren't big sweet fans. ``They'd rather stuff themselves with dips and wings.''

Whatever you're serving, be mindful of food safety. Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Also, remember to cleanup and replenish buffet tables and individual dishes as the food is depleted. Messy-looking platters devoid of food are unappealing. Once the party is over, be sure to get any leftovers into the fridge quickly (within two hours of serving).

Although Super Bowl is the second biggest day for food consumption in this country -- after Thanksgiving-- pick and choose your splurges wisely so you won't end up overindulging -- or sabotaging your diet.

Natalie Haughton, [phone]

[e-mail]

BUFFALO-STYLE CHICKEN PIZZA

2 cups diced cooked chicken breast

1/4 to 1/3 cup (OR to taste) cayenne pepper sauce (such as Frank's RedHot)

2 tablespoons melted butter

2 (12-inch) prebaked pizza crusts OR shells (such as Boboli)

1 cup pizza OR barbecue sauce

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup bleu cheese OR ranch dressing

In a bowl, toss chicken with pepper sauce and butter. Place pizza crusts on baking sheets. Spread with pizza sauce, dividing evenly. Sprinkle evenly with chicken mixture, cheese and celery. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven 15 minutes, or until very hot and golden brown. Drizzle with dressing. Cut into wedges and serve.

Makes 8 or more servings

CARAMEL PECAN SUNDAES

Water

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 pints vanilla ice cream

2 pints butter pecan ice cream 

Toasted pecans

For caramel, mix 1/3 cup water and sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook, without stirring, over low heat 5 to 10 minutes, until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium and boil uncovered until sugar turns a warm chestnut brown (about 350 degrees F on a candy thermometer), 5 to 7 minutes, gently swirling pan to stir mixture. Be careful; the mixture is extremely hot! Watch mixture constantly at the end, as it will go from caramel to burnt very quickly. Turn off heat.

Stand back to avoid splattering and slowly add cream and vanilla. The cream will bubble violently and caramel will solidify; don't worry. Simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until caramel dissolves and sauce is smooth, about 2 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature, at least 4 hours. It will thicken as it sits.

To assemble the sundaes, place 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream and 1 scoop of butter pecan ice cream in each dish and sprinkle with toasted pecans. Drizzle with caramel sauce and serve extra sauce on the side.

Makes 6 servings

From ``Barefoot Contessa at Home,'' by Ina Garten.

CHICKEN SATAYS WITH PEANUT SAUCE

2 tablespoons curry powder

1 tablespoon ground coriander 

1 teaspoon ground cumin 

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch-wide diagonal strips

1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk

1 1/2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

1/3 to 3/4 cup peanut OR canola oil

Peanut Sauce

Place curry, coriander, cumin, sugar and salt in a small bowl and whisk to blend. Spread spice blend on a plate and set it aside.

Thread 2 or 3 chicken strips on each skewer, completely covering the bamboo, except at the handle end. Don't crowd meat on the skewer; it will not cook evenly. Dip each skewer into spice mixture, coating chicken all over. Place skewers in a baking pan just large enough to hold them comfortably. Let satays rest at room temperature to absorb spices, about 15 minutes.

Whisk together coconut milk, rice vinegar and oil in a small bowl. Pour this mixture over satays and let marinate, covered, in refrigerator at least 2 hours or overnight.

Set up a barbecue grill and preheat to medium-high. Remove chicken skewers from marinade, discarding marinade. Grill satays, turning them once, until chicken is cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes total. Arrange the skewers on a platter and serve with the Peanut Sauce on the side.

Makes 6 appetizer or 4 main dish servings

PEANUT SAUCE: Combine 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk, 3 tablespoons chunky OR smooth peanut butter, 1 tablespoon curry powder and 2 tablespoons sugar or more to taste, in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens about 5 minutes. Season with liquid red pepper sauce (Tabasco) to taste and more sugar as needed. The sauce can be refrigerated, covered, up to 1 week. Makes 1 cup

From ``The Earthbound Farm Organic Cookbook Food to Live By,'' by Myra Goodman with Linda Holland and Pamela McKinstry.

CHEESY SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP

1 cup sour cream

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 (14-ounce) can artichokes in water, drained

1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (about 1 cup spinach after water is removed)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese mix

Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

In food processor or blender, combine sour cream and cream cheese and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Add artichokes, spinach and garlic. Process or chop until well combined, scraping sides of work bowl or blender jar as needed.

In a large mixing bowl, combine artichoke mixture, lemon juice, 3/4 cup shredded cheese mix and salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Transfer mixture to a 1-quart microwave-proof baking dish and spread smoothly.

Cover with a paper towel and microwave on high power 3 to 4 minutes, or until bubbly around edges. Remove dish (it will be hot) and sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup shredded cheese mix over top. Microwave on high 1 minute, until cheese is melted. Serve hot with crisp crackers, raw vegetables, thinly sliced French bread or tortilla or pita chips.

Makes 3 cups

NOTE: OR bake mixture in an ovenproof dish in a preheated 400-degree oven, uncovered, 20 minutes. Add final 3/4 cup sprinkling of cheese to top and bake, uncovered, 5 minutes more, until melted and bubbly.

SALSA GUACAMOLE

SALSA:

1 (14.5-ounce) can organic fire-roasted OR plain diced tomatoes, well-drained

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher OR sea salt

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 small fresh jalapeno chile, seeded and finely chopped

GUACAMOLE:

3 large ripe avocados (about 1 1/2 pounds) pitted and peeled

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher OR sea salt

1/2 teaspoon red pepper sauce

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

For Salsa, in medium bowl, stir together all Salsa ingredients.

For Guacamole, in another medium bowl, place avocados; coarsely mash. Stir in remaining Guacamole ingredients. Spoon Guacamole into a shallow serving bowl; top with Salsa. Serve with tortilla or other chips or assorted fresh vegetable dippers.

Makes 12 (1/4-cup) servings

CAPTION(S):

5 photos

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) Super snacks

Score points with hungry football fans

(2 -- color) SALSA GUACAMOLE

(3 -- color) CHICKEN SATAYS WITH PEANUT SAUCE

Photo by Patrick Tregenza from ``The Earthbound Farm Organic Cookbook Food to Live By,'' Workman Publishing

(4 -- color) CARAMEL PECAN SUNDAES

Photo by Quentin Bacon from ``Barefoot Contessa at Home,'' Clarkson Potter/Publishers

(5 -- color) BUFFALO-STYLE CHICKEN PIZZA