Fix Me A Snack

I had to swoop in at the last minute and shove the camera in front of the bowl so I could even get a photo of this. ‘nuf said.

1 pint fresh organic strawberries
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream

Wash, hull and slice berries. In a small bowl, pour sugar over berries and toss gently to coat. Add cream and toss gently again. Serve in bowls.

Makes two servings.

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Finally, summer has offically arrived at our house and we are all busy eating our body weight in fresh native strawberries. Having a blog about healthy snacks is the best excuse ever to make my kids labor in the pick-your-own strawberry patch at least once a week.

A handful of fresh organic strawberries
A couple splashes of aged balsamic vinegar (approximately 1/2 teaspoon)

Wash and hull strawberries. Place in serving bowl or on a plate. Pour vinegar over berries. Serve.

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This is recipe that might not belong among the “healthy” recipes that are supposed to grace the pages of this blog. But, at least it’s fresh and homemade. Much better to indulge with these when your sweet tooth can not be denied.

Some people have asked me if they can replace the rice syrup with honey or corn syrup, to which I resoundingly reply “No!”. I really try not to use unusual ingredients unless I feel they are truly necessary. The bon bons would probably turn out fine with another sweetener, but the rice syrup gives the bon bons an oh-so-lovely carmel-like flavor. It is not to be missed.

1 1/4 cup whole almonds
1/3 cup brown rice syrup
1/4 cup organic almond butter or peanut butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed (optional)
1 cup quality chocolate chips

Grind almonds in a blender until texture resembles a course meal. A few larger chunks are fine. Be sure not to grind too long or you will make almond butter. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, warm syrup and almond butter over low heat until well blended and smooth. Remove from heat and add ground almonds, salt and ground flaxseed. With a sturdy spoon, stir until well combined and mixture sticks together and begins to form a ball.

Make one inch balls by hand and place on wax paper. Your hands will get greasy.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. If using a microwave, use 20% power for 2 minutes and check. An additional minute at low power may be required. The chips will hold their shape. Stir with fork. If about half of the chips appear to have melted, keep stirring until all of the chips are melted. This may take a couple minutes. By keeping the chocolate’s heat low, the cocoa butter and chocolate solids are much less likely to separate and the chocolate will remain in temper.

If using a double boiler, be very careful not to let any water come into contact with the melting chocolate or it will sieze. Over low heat, stir constantly until 3/4 of the chips are melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until smooth.

Using a fork, dip the balls in the chocolate one at a time until thoroughly covered. Place in airtight container on wax paper and allow to set for approximately one hour. Serve cold or at room temperature. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. These taste best when they are very fresh, but will keep for a week or more.

Makes approximately 30 balls.

Note: To learn more about tempering chocolate, read Mark Bittman’s article Chocolate Gets Hot But Holds Its Temper. Bittman makes it look easy in the video. I’ve tried tempering a handful times and was successful once. That’s why I’ve avoided the tempering process in this recipe. But I’m still fascinated by it and will conquer it someday.  Print

Kids can easily help make these treats. Put your leftover banana half in the freezer for a smoothie. I use bread instead of frozen puff pastry because a) the ingredient list is a little daunting on puff pastry and b) the instant it starts to cool packaged puff pastry starts to taste like styrofoam. I figure the bread is healthier and more likely to already be in the kitchen.

4 slices soft whole grain bread
4 tablespoons cream cheese
1/2 ripe banana
4 teaspoons semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Cut crust off of bread slices and discard. Arrange slices on a flat surface and roll flat with rolling pin until they are as thin as possible.

Spread 1 tablespoon (or less depending on the size of the slice) over each of the flattened slices. Slice banana into discs 1/4″ (or less) thick and arrange 2-3 banana slices on one half of each of the bread slices. Top with 1 teaspoon of the chocolate chips on each of the bread slices.

Fold over the bread, covering the bananas. Crimp edges closed with a fork.

Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool for 1-2 minutes (more if you are feeding a toddler) and serve.

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For best results, the peanut butter in these squares needs to be homogenized. Minimumly processed nut butters that allow the oil to seperate and rise to the top of the jar don’t work as well. I’ve found a “natural” Smuckers brand peanut butter that works well and has a relatively short list of ingredients.

Brown rice syrup can be found at the health food store or in the health food section of the grocery store. It’s consistency works well here and it is much less sweet than honey or even agave nectar. I find the sweetness of honey overwhelming when it comes to rice crispy squares.

When the mood strikes, feel free to throw in a handful of sweetened dried cranberries or chocolate chips along with the cereal.

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup brown rice syrup
3 cups crispy brown rice cereal
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed (optional)

In a medium saucepan, heat the peanut butter and syrup until smooth and warm, 1-2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add cereal and flaxseed. Mix gently with a rubber spatula until well combined.

Transfer cereal mixture to 8×8 baking pan. Flatten evenly and firmly press mixture into the bottom of the pan with rubber spatula. Cover pan with plastic film and cool in refrigerator for at least one hour.

Cut into squares and serve cold. The squares will hold together at room temperature, but not as well. Store remaining squares in airtight container in refrigerator for up to two days.

Makes 16 squares.

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I had not heard of banana dogs until recently. My kids love them. We actually eat them as a part of breakfast more often than as a snack. This recipe works just fine with bananas that are ripe or nearing over-ripe. I’d try something else if your banana has more black than yellow on its peel as the banana does need to hold its shape.

2 whole grain hot dog buns
1 ripe banana
2 tablespoons strawberry jam or organic chocolate syrup

Cut banana in half lengthwise. Put each banana half in a bun and top with 1 tablespoon jam or syrup. Serve. Makes 2.

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I’ve seen some extremely “picky” eaters gobble up this pudding. The pudding is very sweet even without the agave nectar. When in doubt, leave it out. Enjoy!

1 lb silken tofu
1 heaping cup quality milk chocolate chips
3 tablespoons agave nectar or maple syrup (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Put all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Stir until chocolate has melted. The tofu will break up into bits and not look terribly appetizing, but have faith. Transfer to blender (or use a hand blender) and process mixture until smooth. Scoop into small bowls or ramkins. Cover and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Serve.

Yield: 5 (1/2 cup) servings

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