What to eat and drink while watching the Olympics

Quite a few of you were looking for ideal Olympic-watching foods in our Free Range chat on Wednesday. Looking to the flavors of Brazil for inspiration — think papaya, passion fruit, coconut and dulce de leche — we pulled together a slew of ideas from the Recipe Finder.

International Salsa. It’s an international competition, so serve a dip with flavors found around the world. This one is a crowd pleaser — blending salty, savory and sweet — and makes a whopping nine cups. Eat with tortilla chips or Brazilian cheese puffs (pão de queijo).

Fruit Salad With Mint. Go tropical and use a mix of ripe papaya, mango and pineapple, but don’t shy away from adding a local nectarine or two.

Fish With Coconut Ginger Sauce. A colorful dish from Brazil that comes together quickly.

Watermelon Mint Smash, pictured above, left. Cachaca, the Brazilian sugar cane-based spirit, mixes very well with fruity watermelon.

Cangibrina, pictured above, right. This cachaca-based drink is made spicy with ginger and aromatic with juniper berries.

Dulce de Leche Macaroons. These cookies are a snap to make. Although we’re partial to hazelnuts, you could swap in a few Brazil nuts and cashews instead.

Passion Fruit Flan. Made from passion fruit concentrate, this dessert has a texture of smooth cheesecake.

Gluten-Free Key Lime Pie. A bonus dessert: It’s quick to put together, but needs to set overnight in the refrigerator. Make it during a commercial break on Friday to enjoy a slice while you watch more of the games over the weekend.

Source: washingtonpost.com