Fix Me A Snack

This post is a part of a series of 101 ways to flavor plain yogurt. For more information about yogurt in general, go to my Yogurt page.

I forgot to mention last week was that all of the recipes in this series offer ballpark measurements for the ingredients. Feel free to adjust to your own taste and eyeball it. No rocket science going on here.

Also, in case anyone is feeling a little anxious about the regularity of the series, I’ve decided that Thursday will be Yogurt 101 day barring any unforeseen craziness.

4. Butterscotch Yogurt

As you can well imagine, this one has been a hit chez nous. I am of the opinion that all things butterscotch flavored are due for a huge comeback.

1/2 cup plain yogurt
1  tablespoon butterscotch sauce

In a small bowl, stir together yogurt and butterscotch until smooth. Top with whipped cream and/or butterscotch chips, if desired. Serve.

 

5. Cucumber Dill Yogurt

The idea for this flavor sensation came from none other than Dina Rose of It’s Not About Nutrition.

When I served these to my kids my first-grader said, “Hey Mom, these are like the Willy Wonka cups!” She proceeded to gobble two down.

1/3 cup plain yogurt
1/4 teaspoon dried dill
1/4 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Small pinch salt
Half of a cucumber, peeled

In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, dill, lemon juice, garlic powder, and salt until smooth and well combined. Set aside.

Cut the cucumber half into thirds. Using a melon baller, scoop out the seeds of each cucumber section leaving the bottom in order to create a cup. Fill each cup with the yogurt mixture and serve.

 

6. Strawberry Yogurt

I like to use Trader Joe’s low-sugar strawberry jam for this recipe. If you have regular jam, start with 1 tablespoon and add more to taste.

1/2 cup plain yogurt
2T low-sugar strawberry jam (or to taste)

Stir yogurt and jam until combined. Top with fruit. Serve.

These beet chips are yet another example of a supremely healthy snack that I probably never would have prepared if it hadn’t been for this blog. And my preschooler, who loves beets to begin with, said, “These are better than chocolate chips mama!” I kid you not.

She calls these “Swirl Chips”.

2 or 3 medium beets
Salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Wash the beets throughly. Cut off both ends and peel. Keep a towel on hand or do your peeling under running water in order to keep the juices under control.

Slice the beets very thinly (about 1 millimeter) with a mandolin. (This is a rare instance where the mandolin is actually necessary. Uniform thickness in the chips is required in order for them to bake evenly.)

Lay the sliced beets out onto parchment-lined baking sheets. They can be placed close together as they will shrink during baking. Sprinkle with salt, if desired.

Bake for 15-20 minutes keeping a close eye on them after 15 minutes as they burn easily. The beets will still be pliable when done and will crisp up as they cool. Serve. Store in an airtight container. Depending on how dried out the chips are, they are probably good for a few days.

I’m thinking these might be tasty served with Herbed Yogurt Dip.

Note: Beets that were at least three inches wide had less of a tendency to shrivel up during baking.

Yield: several handfuls of chips
Prep-time: 5 minutes
Bake-time: 15 minutes (per batch – one beet fills approximately two baking sheets)

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Apparently there are as many different ways to make Ambrosia as there are cooks who make it. If you’d like, add some banana, subtract the pineapple, subtract the marshmallows, and so on. The only consistent elements I found in my survey of Ambrosia recipes were citrus, sugar, and coconut. But even those are probably up for debate.

2 small blood oranges, peeled, skinned and chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh pineapple
1/4 cup mini marshmallows
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons shredded sweetened coconut

Place the oranges, pineapple, marshmallows, sugar, and coconut in a small bowl and stir to combine. Serve or store in airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within 24 hours.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups
Prep-time: 15 minutes

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I recently authored a page all about yogurt for this blog which reminded me that I still haven’t tasted Icelandic-style yogurt. When I ventured into Stop & Shop last week, what did I see? You guessed it. Siggi’s now has prime shelf space in the refrigerator case. The price is steep at $2.39 for 6 ounces of yogurt. But I sprulged in the name of culinary research.

Icelandic-style yogurt is impressively thick. It stays on the spoon and has the heft of ricotta. It puts the creaminess of Greek-style yogurt to shame.

The ingredient list and nutritional information are quiet impressive. The first thing I thought is that this would make an excellent snack for pregnant ladies jonesing for a protien fix. Although I was always a big fan of whole yogurt when I was pregnant, and this yogurt (good or bad) has no fat. I also gained 50 pounds when I was preggers, so you probably shouldn’t be taking dieting advice from me.

Now, on to the important part: the taste. Compared to the flavored yogurt I’m used to (that is loaded with sugar and additives), the sweetness is quite dim. This stuff actually tastes like tart and tangy yogurt and not an ice cream sundae. It took me a few bites to get used to it. But then I kind of liked it.

Here’s my lastest super fantastic idea…make a list of 101 different ways to flavor  plain yogurt, the unsung hero of healthy snacking. I’ll be making my way to 101 gradually. Today I’m posting the first three.

To help kick off this series of posts, I’ve created a page all about yogurt in general.

1. Applesauce Yogurt

This is what I actually make my  preschooler for a snack these days when time is limited and I’m not feeling inspired. It also is responsible for weaning us off of flavored yogurt. So while the photo is somewhat sad, Apple Yogurt has to be numero uno.

1/2 – 3/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 – 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 – 2 teaspoons honey
Dash ground cinnamon

Put the yogurt, applesauce, honey, and cinnamon into a serving bowl. Serve.

 

2. Cornbread with Yogurt and Honey

I was recently drooling over the Lee Brothers Southeren Cookbook  and stumbled upon a mention of someone’s favorite after-school snack having been cornbread topped with sugar and buttermilk.

I made some cornbread – et voila!

 

1 cup crumbled cornbread
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons buttermilk
Honey (to taste)

Place cornbread in a serving bowl and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt and buttermilk until smooth. Spoon the yogurt mixture over the cornbread. Drizzle honey on top depending on your preference and the sweetness of the cornbread. Serve.

Note: If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you could just try some regular milk or make a substitute.

 

3. Peanut Butter and Jelly Yogurt

This idea came directly from the one and only Dina of It’s Not About Nutrition and it is a winner. My preschooler loves it.

1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)
2 teaspoons strawberry or grape jam

In a small bowl, heat peanut butter in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. (Note: I was heating peanut butter that had been refrigerated. If yours is room temperature, start with only 10 seconds and check to see if has softened.) Mix peanut butter into yogurt. Sprinkle on sugar. Dollop jam on top. Serve.

Thanks Dina!

A guide to BPA-free canned goods from re-nest via The Kitchen.

U.S. Children: Generation Snack from NYTimes. A huge study was just released that found “Parents are raising a generation of snackers — kids who eat almost constantly throughout the day as they graze on cookies, salty snacks and fruit drinks.”

These moist, sweet, and satisfying muffins take my whole family to our happy place. They are great stand-ins for cookies; in some ways they’re even more enjoyable!

This recipe was inspired by one from Nook & Pantry - a very yummy looking blog.

For the muffins:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup finely shredded carrot
1/4 cup raisins, chopped

For the filling:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 large egg yolk
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

In a small bowl, make the filling by mixing together the cream cheese, egg yolk, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, sugar, brown sugar, and oil. Stir in the flour mixture until combined. Then add the carrot and raisins. Stir to incorporate.

 Spoon the muffin batter into a well-greased mini muffin pan, filling each cup only half way. Then place one teaspoon of the filling in each cup. Cover the filling with the remaining muffin batter.

Bake for 13-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the largest muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins in the pan for 5-10 minutes before gently moving them to a cooling rack. Serve. Store in an airtight container for up to 48 hours or freeze in an airtight container in a single layer.

Yield: 24 mini muffins
Prep-time: 30 minutes
Bake time: 13 minutes

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Not too long ago, Serious Eats was kind enough to share a recipe from Thomas Keller’s cookbook Ad Hoc at Home. I have been looking at roasted nuts recipes for a while now and was feeling a little overwhelmed. But Keller’s recipe for Candied Pecans is everything I was looking for. The honey is roasted along with the nuts so it is hardened; my husband does not enjoy nuts that get his hand all greasy. In addition, the amount of honey is small. Therefore, the nuts aren’t converted into sugar bombs. Lastly, and most importantly in my book, the nuts are roasted a long time at a low temperature. From what I gather, this makes for a crispier nut.

Keller’s recipe calls for pecans only. While I used a mix of cashews and pecans just for kicks, I’m planning on going with only pecans next time. They are utterly flakey and smooth. If I close my eyes, it feels like I’m eating a croissant.

1 1/2 cup raw pecans
1-1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1/8 teaspoon salt, plus more to finish

Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

Spread nuts out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 5-7 minutes. Transfer warm nuts to a medium bowl. Quickly drizzle the honey and salt over the nuts and stir until they are well coated.

Return the coated  nuts to the parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, rotating once. I took them out of the oven when it smelled like the honey was starting to caramelize – a tiny bit smokey.

Remove the nuts from the oven, sprinkle on a pinch of salt, and quickly separate any clumps as the honey will harden as the nuts cool. Allow to cool completely and serve. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups nuts (easily doubled)
Prep time: 5 minutes
Bake time: 1 1/2 hours

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A friend of mine emailed yesterday asking what I knew about soy. She had read that it might inhibit nutritent absorbtion and contain harmful levels of isoflavones (a.k.a. phytoestrogens). I tried to find some answers to this question a while back and came up with nothing conclusive.

Should I be recoiling in fear when I pull this container of tofu out of my refrigerator? I did another quick search today and here’s what I came up with:

From the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Soy fact sheet (updated Mar 2008) including Side Effects and Cautions. Sounds like soy supplements might be a bad idea, but otherwise generally okay.

From Nutrition Data Blog (which I find to be a seemingly grounded and balanced source of nutrition information) I found two articles cautioning against labeling soy as an evil food: Phytoestrogens: Helpful or harmful? and Soy isn’t affecting men’s hormone levels…but something is.

For those of you who need even more (!)…from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is a summary report on the Effects of Soy on Health Outcomes (Aug 2005). I gave it a skim and it seems to sing the same tune: not enough conclusive evidence at this time.

Now if you enjoy freaking yourself out with non-mainstream approaches to medicine and nutrition, you’ll probably have other sources of information saying radically different things. But it looks to me like soy is basically okay as far as my family goes. Next year I’ll probably have an entirely different approach or hopefully none at all.

Turns out you can have a delicious smoothie and sneak some tofu into your diet. I started experimenting with this because tofu contains a bit of Iron, and Vitamin C boosts the absorption of said Iron. So this seems like an easy way to get a little extra Iron into our low-meat diet. Miraculously, my kids loved it.

 

1/2 cup silken tofu
1 medium ripe banana
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Put the tofu, banana, strawberries, blueberries, and maple syrup in a blender and puree until smooth. Serve.

Yield: 2 cups
Prep-time: 10 minutes

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