Oh Wow, already time to go back to school! Here are some healthy (ish) and yummy snack recipes to send your kids back to school with energy and full tummies. I hope you and your kids enjoy them.
Cherry Chocolate Energy Bars
In a mixing bowl mix 1 stick of softened butter ½ agave nectar or honey and ½ cup of natural peanut butter (make sure to mix the PB well before adding)
Add 1 egg, ½ cup packed brown sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract and mix
In a separate bowl combine ½ cup whole wheat flour, 4 ½ cup of rolled oats, 1 tsp baking soda and a dash of salt
Carefully add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and combine
Chop up 1 cup of dried cherries and add them to the mixing bowl
Add 1 cup of mini chocolate chip and mix a final time
Grease an oblong baking dish and turn out the dough, flatten with a spatula and more with your grease hands
Add 3 cups of fresh fruit (any combination) and 3 Tbsp agave nectar or honey to a blender or food processor. Blend into a puree
Cover a baking sheet with freezer paper (shiny side up) and spray with cooking spray
Pour puree over the paper and flatten and even out with a spatula
Bake in a 170 degree oven for 6-8 hours, until completely dried out
Cut into strips and roll up. Secure with a piece of double sided tape at the top
Store in an air tight container
Jazzed Up Chex Mix
Melt 1 stick of butter in the microwave and add 2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder (if you like a stronger flavor your can add 2 tsp of onion and garlic powder), stir to combine.
In a very large bowl add 1 box of the corn chex, 1 box of rice chex, 1 box of golden grahams, 1 bag of plain goldfish crackers, 1 bag of cheddar goldfish crackers and 1 bag of pretzel goldfish crackers. Stir to mix up
Pour the sauce over the crackers and stir to evenly coat
Pour out on 2 baking sheets and bake in a degree oven for 25 (stiring every 8 min to prevent burning
1. I recommend using a filet or sirloin steak for this. Salt and pepper each side of the steak.
2. Melt 3-4 Tbsp butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the steaks for 2 min on each side
3. Place a wire wrack on a baking and sheet and put the steaks on top. Finish them off in a 400 degree oven for 8 min. This gives you a nice medium rare steak (depending on the thickness) If you like it more well done sear and bake for a few more mins.
4. Allow the steaks to rest for at least 10 min before cutting into them to keep the juices in.
Leek Mushroom Cream Sauce 1. Clean and slice 5-6 button mushrooms and saute in butter over medium heat until soft, then set aside.
2. Thinly slice about 1 cup of leeks and saute in butter until soft and add to the mushrooms.
3. In a sauce pan melt 1 Tbsp butter and stir in 1 Tbsp flour to form a roux. Let the roux cook a min or so to remove any floury taste.
4. Then add 1 cup milk and 1 tsp salt and stir. Allow it to thicken. Add the mushrooms and leeks and allow to thicken a little more.
5. Top your steak and enjoy!
**If you have left over sauce, it is really good over egg noodles! Just add a beef bullion cube and water or some beef broth to thin out the sauce and serve over cooked egg noodles.
Bacon Brussels Sprouts
1. Clean and cut the sprouts in half and remove a few of the outer leaves
2. Melt 1-2 Tbsp bacon grease and toss over the sprouts (Another great reason to always save your bacon grease. I keep a mason jar of it in my fridge for just such occasions)
3. Spread the sprouts onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and bacon bits
4. Roast in a 425 or 450 degree oven for 10-15 min, until the edges start to brown.
Stuffed Chicken, Artichokes with Hollandaise and Spinach Salad
Stuffed Chicken
1. Thaw a boneless skinless chicken breast per person. Place between 2 layers of plastic wrap and pound until flat.
2. Remove the top layer of plastic wrap and sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. At one end place a thin slice of cream cheese and a few leaves of spinach
3. Fold the other end of the chicken over the top of the cream cheese and spinach and try to seal the edges as best you can.
4. Sprinkle the top with salt, pepper, basil and oregano.
**You can use toothpicks to keep it together while baking if necessary.
5. Place in a buttered baking dish and top each with a dollop of butter
6. Bake at 350 until the internal temp is 165 (30 min or so depending on size and thickness of chicken breast)
Spinach Salad
1. Wash spinach leaves and add to a bowl
2. Boil 2 eggs, peel and slice and add to the bowl
3. Slice 3 button mushroom and add to the bowl
4. thinly slice 1/4 of a red onion and caramelize in an oiled skillet over medium heat until brown and add to bowl
5. Sprinkle in bacon bits
6. Make dressing - 1/4 cup oil, 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp sugar and a pinch of pepper, Shake and pour over salad. Toss and enjoy!
Artichokes with Hollandaise.
I got this method of cooking artichokes in the microwave from the site below
In this post I'm sharing several recipes that I would consider healthy options. I like my food to taste good though, so hopefully you will see a healthy balance (pun intended) of both with these recipes.
Mango Flounder
1. Salt and pepper each side of your flounder fillets and lightly dredge (cover) with flour, fry in a small amount of hot oil on each side until lightly crisp and flaky.
2. For the Mango Salsa: dice sweet pepper (or jalapeno if you like a kick), onion, mango and cilantro. Combine in a bowl with lime juice and salt to taste.
Cilantro Lime Couscous
1. Make couscous according to package instructions
2. Add lime zest, lime juice and chopped cilantro
3. Stir to combine
Raspberry Pork
1. Salt and pepper both sides of each pork chop and saute in a skillet until lightly browned.
2. Allow pork chops to rest 10 min before serving
3. For raspberry sauce: in a saucepan place 1 package of fresh or frozen raspberries, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar and 1 tsp sage. Turn on medium and allow to simmer until reduced to a thick syrup
4. Strain seeds and pour over pork chops
**Substitute fresh raspberries for seedless raspberry jam to avoid straining seeds
Lemon Rosemary Quinoa
1. Cook quinoa according to package instructions
2. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and rosemary
3. Stir to combine
Bakes Zucchini and Tomatoes
1. Thinly slice zucchini, tomatoes and onions
2. Place in an oiled baking dish with lemon zest, lemon juice and salt
3. Bake at 350 for 30 min. (if you prefer roasted bake at 425 for 20 min)
What the Kale Salad 1. Rinse and remove kale leaves from center stem, shop into bite size pieces and add to bowl
2. Rinse and chop romaine lettuce and add to bowl
3. Add: chopped broccoli, broccoli slaw, sliced almonds, sunflower seeds and dried cranberries
4 For dressing combine the following ingredients in a blender and blend for 30 sec.
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup oil (vegetable or canola)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp celery salt
(pinch of onion powder for added flavor)
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp horseradish
Pearled Couscous salad
1. Make basil and herb pearled couscous according to package instructions
2. Saute diced zucchini and onions until tender
3. Add to couscous and refrigerate until chilled
4. Add diced cherry tomatoes and Italian salad dressing
5. Stir and serve chilled
