Adventures in Food
Posts tagged snacks
My favorite on-the-go snack?
Jul 19th
Apples in lemon juice. The temperature topped 95 degrees yesterday when we went to the zoo–the humidity was nearly as bad. For a refreshing treat that’s easy to pack, apples are my go-to snack. I don’t like carrying them whole, but I slice ‘em instead. That avoids the problem of the kids grabbing a couple bites then asking me to carry the rest, half eaten.
I make thin 1/4″ apple slices then squeeze the juice of half a lemon into a freezer bag or a tupperware (above I packed them in my favorite bento box). I toss the lemon in too–sometimes one of my kids asks to suck on that while we walk. Often I’ll also pack peanut butter for dipping (and energy:). I found aluminum foil ash trays at my local party store that make the perfect-sized tray.
Your turn–what’s your favorite snack for hot summer days?
Passing out snacks at the zoo
Fruity animal mini popsicles
Jun 27th
After finding each of my kids digging through the freezer looking for the yogurt popsicles I made last week (they’re all gone), I thought I’ve gotta to make more of these. But instead of yogurt I poked around the kitchen for ideas. My inspiration? Yet again leftovers, along with some candy-making molds from a friend.
The fruit. Yes, leftovers inspire me. Whenever I have fruit that goes uneaten or is a little on the squishy side, I chop it up and save it in the freezer. I toss it into sauces (savory and sweet), swirl it into smoothies, make fruit leather, and now use it in popsicles.
The molds. I’ve never used candy molds before, but since I don’t have popsicle makers or ice cube trays, I figure these would do the trick. I did notice the that molds don’t seem to like the cold. Next time, I’d take out the fruitsicles as soon as they became solid instead of letting them sit. The molds cracked a little bit on the edges but not so much that I couldn’t use them again. The molds happened to be of turtles. Why turtles? I have no idea. You could also follow the same technique though from the yogurt popsicles–no candy molds required.
The recipe. Simple, I thawed frozen strawberries and raspberries in the microwave (you could also let them just come to room temperature on their own), added 2 Tablespoons of water per one cup of fruit (you could also use fruit juice) then poured it into the molds. Instead of popsicle sticks, I used little swords (maybe it was the hot temperatures outside but I was feeling silly; paper popsicle sticks are fine too). So here are our turtle pops. My girls liked playing with these as much as eating them.
Looking for more ideas? Check out these for summer fun with a twist. As part of the Motherboard crew I’ve been clicking through for inspiration myself–I’m going to have to try the tweak on picnics by doing an after dinner dessert mixed in with some stargazing.
Your turn–care to share any ideas for summer fun you’re planning on trying out as the temperatures rise?
Easy fruit leather
May 16th
Fruit leathers are so easy to make I wish I would have tried ‘em sooner! I looked through recipe after recipe to figure out my own version.
Here’s what I wanted:
1)No cooking
2)No sugar (I like ‘em tart)
3)Fast
Here’s what I learned:
1)Part of the reason you have to cook the fruit beforehand is to make it smooth and to dissolve the sugar. Cutting out the sugar helped eliminate one reason to cook. The next? A smooth consistency. A hint from purchased fruit leathers helped solve that: apple sauce (that’s my interpretation for the first ingredient–no matter the flavor it’s always ‘apple puree concentrate’). Using apple sauce makes the leathers smoother and cuts the cost. You’re going to need 5-7 cups of pureed something, mixing apple sauce with strawberries cut the amount of fresh fruit I needed.
2)Instead of sugar some recipes use honey. I wanted another option so I tried agave. It worked perfectly. (I also added in a squeeze or two of lemon juice for a sour punch.)
3)Well, there’s no real way to make fruit leathers fast. Prep fast, yes. Actual drying, nope. I did decide to up the temperature from 140 degrees (that’s what I saw listed again and again) to 170, which seemed to maybe trim the time a bit, but count on this recipe taking the better part of the day (or two). Unattended, mind you.
Basic Steps
Step #1 Cut fruit
Step #2
You need 4-5 cups for roll-ups (pictured) or 6-7 cups for thicker leathers (which will take longer to cook). I used half apple sauce, half cut up strawberries, and I recommend a 1:1 ratio.
Step #2 Blend fruit
Easy, peasy. I squeezed in a bit of agave, fresh lemon juice, tasted, tweaked, done.
Step #3 Pour fruit
Line a cookie pan with parchment (over the edges). Pour.
Step #4 Bake fruit
10-12 hours at 170. Yup, it takes time, the edges will cook faster then the center, so you can cut them off as they finish, feel with your fingers if the fruit is at the right leathery consistency for your taste. I let mine cook over a couple days so that I never left the oven on unattended.
That’s it. I kept the parchment on the leathers so they were easier to pack in lunches. These leathers were a hit with my kids–my middle daughter who doesn’t like strawberries or apple sauce (but strangely enough loves cut apple slices) downed half the pan and was the first to ask me to make more. My oven has been on non-stop since.
Along with fruit leathers, I’ve been thinking about healthy habits for my family with summer around the corner–I found these over on Motherboard.
Your turn–what are your favorite healthy snacks? Habits?
Peanut Butter-Cinnamon Hummus with Cinnamon and Sugar Pita Chips
Sep 10th
Ingredients for the hummus
1 small can (7.75 ounces) chickpeas (reserve 1 Tablespoon liquid)
1 Tablespoon peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
¼ teaspoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of salt
Directions
Drain the liquid from the chickpeas, except for one tablespoon. Place the chickpeas in a blender and pulse until the beans break into smaller chunks. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until you reach your desired consistency. Add the chickpea liquid in small increments to reach a smoother consistency and less for a chunkier hummus. Serve immediately or chill for later use.
Ingredients for the pita chips
1 12-ounce package pitas (5 loaves)
cinnamon and sugar mix (see directions)
cooking spray
Directions
Using a pizza cutter, cut the pitas into six pieces as you would with a small pizza. Lightly spray a 9 x 13” baking pan with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In an old spice container (or similar container with holes on the lid top) mix ½ cup sugar and 1 Tablespoon cinnamon (or more based on your tastes). Place the pita slices onto the baking pan; lightly coat with the cooking spray. Sprinkle the slices lightly with the cinnamon-sugar mix. Place in the oven and cook for 7 to 12 minutes or until just crisped. Enjoy.
Kid-friendly hummus
Sep 9th
There’s nothing like the flavor of garbanzo beans and cinnamon. Let me try that again, what about peanut butter-cinnamon hummus? Searching through recipes online it’s not hard to track down the main ingredients in traditional hummus. They are: chickpeas (also known as Garbanzo beans), tahini (which is a Middle Eastern sauce made from ground sesame seeds), garlic (lots!), lemon juice, olive oil (sometimes sesame oil), salt and pepper.
That’s it.
And the directions? Put the ingredients in the blender, pulse.
So it’s not surprising that you’ll find numberless variations of hummus, usually on the savory side—red pepper hummus, chipotle hummus, and other pairings. But I wanted to do a more kid-friendly hummus to serve alongside baked pita chips. I was looking for something that would be fun to serve afterschool. Plus, I wanted to tweak the recipe so that I could leave out the tahini. It’s not that I don’t like the flavor, but it seems I’m always buying a jar, I use a whole tablespoon or two and then within a week or so it goes bad. So what to replace the tahini with?
I figured that tahini adds a bit of healthy high fat content with all those ground sesame seeds so why not substitute it with another similar ingredient? Peanut butter. I throw a little peanut butter into all sorts of unexpected places—from chili to stirfry sauces. The roasted nut flavor adds a layer of depth; I was hoping it would do the same for my hummus.
Now I didn’t want the peanut flavor to overwhelm the more subtle taste of the chickpeas so I didn’t use a lot and I also tossed in some sesame seed oil to give it a hummus vibe. But my hummus lacked the umph that garlic would have given it. My solution? Cinnamon. I know, I know, sounds strange, but cinnamon in Middle Eastern foods isn’t a stretch so I thought it was worth a try. The flavors blended perfectly.
I’ll warn you, though, if you’re looking for the traditional hummus flavor, this isn’t it. But if you want to try something a little different that still has the satisfying texture of chickpeas but with a more snacky feel—give this a try.
Serve with baked cinnamon and sugar pita chips and apple slices. Yummy.
Peanut Butter-Cinnamon Hummus with Cinnamon and Sugar Pita Chips
Ingredients for the hummus
1 small can (7.75 ounces) chickpeas (reserve 1 Tablespoon liquid)
1 Tablespoon peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
¼ teaspoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of salt
Directions
Drain the liquid from the chickpeas, except for one tablespoon. Place the chickpeas in a blender and pulse until the beans break into smaller chunks. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until you reach your desired consistency. Add the chickpea liquid in small increments to reach a smoother consistency and less for a chunkier hummus. Serve immediately or chill for later use.
Ingredients for the pita chips
1 12-ounce package pitas (5 loaves)
cinnamon and sugar mix (see directions)
cooking spray
Directions
Using a pizza cutter, cut the pitas into six pieces as you would with a small pizza. Lightly spray a 9 x 13” baking pan with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In an old spice container (or similar container with holes on the lid top) mix ½ cup sugar and 1 Tablespoon cinnamon (or more based on your tastes). Place the pita slices onto the baking pan; lightly coat with the cooking spray. Sprinkle the slices lightly with the cinnamon-sugar mix. Place in the oven and cook for 7 to 12 minutes or until just crisped. Enjoy.
Why aren’t you drinking…Ya-Cool?
Sep 4th
A cousin to drinkable yogurt, this Mexican “cultured dairy beverage” is perfect for packing as a snack or in lunchboxes. My kids LOVE them. Plus, there’s the whole novelty of it. While they might be popular and available everywhere in Mexico, you can’t find them just anywhere in the U.S.
I usually stock up at our Mexican grocers, which is sadly a half-hour drive from our house. Ah well, it’s worth the drive–I grab fresh-made corn tortillas, lime mayo, dried ancho chiles, pinguinos (I’ll have to post about those later–think less sugary, moist Hostess Chocolate Cupcakes). Ya-Cool come in packs of 5 small bottles with an easy to peel off aluminum lid. There are several different companies that make them and plenty of varieties to choose from. My kids’ favorite are the peach and pineapple. I like the regular which has sort of a mild, indistinguishable fruity flavor and strawberry (fresas).
According to the packaging, they are supposed to aid in digestion. I’m not really sure about the health claims, I just know they taste good. Perhaps Activia for youngsters?
Firefly snack crackers
Aug 28th
One of my earliest memories was catching fireflies at my grandmother’s house in Iowa. Like most kids who get anywhere near a lightning bugs, I ran inside and asked for a glass jar. I just had to catch one! My grandmother helped me poke holes in the top of a Ball Mason canning jar. Back outside, I scooped up as many fireflies as I could. In the end, I think my glass jar had a total of three swirling inside. I let two go immediately, but I wanted to keep just one to light up my room.
Whether my captured lightning bug kept flashing into the night or not, I don’t remember. And, of course, since then I’ve learned that lightning bugs really shouldn’t spend too much time “indoors” no matter how many holes you poke! But what I do recall is the fascination and draw of these twinkling little creatures. It makes the outside feel magical at night–especially when all of a sudden one pops up next to you and flashes.
With summer nearly over and the fireflies making fewer and fewer appearances, I wanted to do something special with my kids. We’re having a ‘firefly’ picnic. Our plans are pretty simple–to take time to eat outside a little later at night (8pm) and to use battery-powered candles as light (granted, it won’t be that dark outside), but my kids liked that touch. Oh, and we’re eating our meal under the trees. We’re hoping a few fireflies will make a guest appearance and that the mosquitoes stay away during our “feast.”
Our meal will be a spread of peanut butter and honey sandwiches, juice boxes, chips and carrot sticks (can you tell the kids are ready for school again?), but we’re taking time to create some special firefly snacks—just in case the real ones don’t make an appearance.
Recipe for Firefly Crackers
Servings: As many as you want to make!
Prep time: Depends on how long it holds your kids’ interest
Ingredients
Circle crackers (Ritz or similar variety)
Spreadable cream cheese
Raisins
Kiwis (or pineapple rings)
Directions
Have all of your ‘firefly’ materials on hand ready for assembly.
Body—circle cracker
Wings—circle cracker broken or cut in halves
“Glow”—cut kiwis into thin slices or alternatively, use pineapple rings
Raisins—eyes
Cream cheese—glue
Add a generous dollop of cream cheese to a full circle cracker and spread. Add the kiwi to the bottom half of the cracker and carefully place a wing on either side. Add two raisin ‘eyes’ to the top of the body circle cracker. That’s it! If you don’t have kiwis available, go ahead and use pineapple rings, but you’ll have to carefully cut them in half to create a thin enough slice for the ‘glow’ part of the firefly cracker.
Winner! Revolution Foods Sampler Giveaway
Aug 26th
Credit: Revolution Foods
Thanks for all the entries in the Revolution Foods Giveaway. Heather C, is the winner. Please report back and let MKES readers know what you thought about the Grammy Jammys and other kids’ snacks.
Remember the $50 Bison Sampler Giveaway from High Plains Bison? Jennifer M. reported back. Here’s her review:
It came last week! It was really well packaged, with dry ice and individual frozen boxes. The dry ice wasn’t even half gone when it got to me, so everything was nice and cold. I got a box of hot dogs, a box of ribeye steaks, and a box of sausage with provolone and pepperoncini.
I don’t eat red meat, but my husband and six-year-old daughter do. I cooked up the sausage according to the package directions, which was very easy to do. They ate almost the whole (big) package in one sitting–there were two left over, and they each had one for breakfast first thing the next morning. They both declared it to be the best sausage they’d ever eaten and immediately asked that I order some more.
So it’s a big hit, especially since I”m really happy about the nutritional content as well!
Keep reading MKES for future giveaways and cool recipes your whole family will enjoy–even picky eaters!
Jolly Pumpkin’s Edamame Spread
Aug 20th
Photo credit: esthereggy
Great as a dip or spread–we here at Jolly Pumpkin serve it with our grilled pizza dough!
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds shelled edamame (fresh when in season or frozen)
1 cup fresh spinach- washed, stems removed
¼ cup parmesan cheese-grated (optional)
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 clove garlic- crushed
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Fresh mint to garnish
- In boiling salted water blanch the beans until tender. Transfer to an ice bath to stop the cooking process.
- Place beans in a food processor and pulse until course chopped- transfer half of the beans to a mixing bowl, leaving the other half of the beans in the food processor.
- Add the olive oil, parmesan cheese, spinach, lemon zest and juice, garlic salt and pepper to the beans in the food processor and puree until smooth.
- Add the pureed beans to the course chopped beans and gently fold together. Taste and re-season with salt and pepper if necessary.
- Transfer to a serving bowl- drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and garnish with fresh chopped mint
Chef Q&A: The Jolly Pumpkin’s Maggie Long
Aug 20th
Photo credit: esthereggy
The concept for the Jolly Pumpkin Café & Brewery has literally been stewing for years. The eatery located in downtown Ann Arbor is the brainchild of chef, and managing partner, Maggie Long and brewer extraordinaire Ron Jeffries. Jeffries has been crafting his artisanal sour beers in Dexter, Michigan for years and now has a restaurant and brewery in Traverse City along with the café, which opened in September of 2009.
Long says the philosophy behind the food at the café is fresh, organic. For example, her oldest daughter volunteers at an area farm where some of the ingredients come from for the café. And the sourdough pizza is fashioned with a sourdough starter that Long received from a fellow foodie whose held onto it for 130 years. Beyond the fresh ingredients, Long says that the aim of the café is “welcoming.” “We want everyone to feel comfortable here, especially families,” explains Long. “I love to see families here and I’m honored to provide food for them that is both healthy and delicious.” She notes that the menu includes kid favorites like chicken strips, but that the strips are made from locally raised chickens and breaded in organic cornflakes.
For a taste of Long’s organic creations, you can try this recipe from the Jolly Pumpkin café’s appetizer menu; this edamame spread is served alongside fresh, grilled sourdough pizza.
What three ingredients do you always keep stocked in your pantry?
Quinoa, organic peanut butter—it’s gotta be crunchy, and honey from the farmer’s market. Those are the staples in my house. It doesn’t mean I put those all together!
Your favorite meal to make or serve?
That’s a hard one. I absolutely love Tamworth hogs. A braised pork shoulder is my favorite meal–slow cooked. Tamworth is a heritage breed of hog and it’s a flavor not to be missed. It’s a darker meat and it has a ton of flavor.
We all have a favorite indulgence, for a foodie like you it must be something spectacular?
Ron introduced me to Alan McClure of Patric Chocolate, a small chocolate maker in Missouri. I’m not usually a fan of dark chocolate but the stuff this guy puts together is absolutely amazing. My favorite is the 70% Madagascar chocolate bar with little cocoa nibs in it. It’s addictive.
What’s one of your worst cooking mistakes?
Anything that I burn. Once, I burned the mac ‘n cheese sauce—totally toasted it. I tried to fix it, but you can’t. I use really good pasta and really good cheeses, but nothing can take that scorched flavor out.
There are so many great Michigan-made food products, what is your pick?
For me, anything seasonal. Rosewood Farms makes a phenomenal tofu.
What do you suggest for first-timers to Jolly Pumpkin? What menu item should they make sure to try?
I make a smoked tofu salad that’s really good. There’s spinach, cherry tomatoes, shitake mushrooms, shaved broccoli, a sesame vinaigrette and, of course, smoked tofu. The flavors meld really well. The sourdough pizza is always good too.
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