Saturday, January 31, 2015

Icebox Banana Crunch Pops





Numerous health resolutions are attempted on New Year's Day of each year with zeal and determination; however, as the winter months drag on, it is easy to give up on maintaining exercise and good eating habits.

One way to prep and keep healthy snacks abundant is to utilize your freezer more, and pack it full of Grab 'N Go' goodies!

This was a great idea presented on Brunch with Bobby Flay...provided you like bananas, granola, Nutella, and crunchy treats in general! 

Tip: Use real popsicle sticks, not the skewers I had to resort to!

Icebox Banana Crunch Pops


Equipment:
Popsicle Sticks
Parchment paper
Baking sheet with parchment

Ingredients:
Fresh bananas, peeled and halved
1/2 c almond/peanut/cashew butter
2 Tbls honey
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Granola, bought or your own
Nutella, warmed to drizzle



Instructions:
1. Wash your hands.
2. Prep the bananas and skewer on popsicle sticks.


3. Combine nut butter, honey and cinnamon.


4. Spread nut butter mixture around banana halves and roll in granola.




5. Warm your chocolate sauce or Nutella for drizzling. 


6. Layer onto baking sheet and freeze.


7. Grab after the gym or on your way to class. 


This frozen banana is like smooth like ice cream and then followed with a delicious chocolate-y crunch of granola goodness.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

On The Run: Cinnamon Apple Snack Attack

Sometimes days get overwhelming between classes, studying, meeting up across the Quad, or headed to practice. And, it is super easy to resort to high carb junk food from the vending machine or cafeteria as a filler between meals. Move along!


Keep a few simple ingredients in your pantry for 'On The Run' moments during your busy college day! The Pioneer Woman recently posted one of her family's 'go to' snacks while hitting the ski slopes this winter. 

See what you think! Simple. Tasty. Filling.

Cinnamon Apple Snack Attack

Equipment:
Regular, or toaster, oven

Ingredients:
English Muffins
Peanut Butter, crunchy or smooth
Apple, thinly sliced
Cinnamon Sugar (1/2 c sugar plus 2 tsp ground cinnamon)


Instructions:
1. Wash your hands and the apple.
2. Preheat toaster oven to 350F degrees.
3. Core & slice apple. Cut into thin slices. 



4. Spread peanut butter on each muffin half and layer with apple slices.



5. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar. 


6. Bake for 10 minutes. Sugar will begin to melt and apples will brown slightly.


7. Turn oven to Broil and bake x 5-8 minutes.
8. Allow to cool before chow-ing down and burning the roof of your mouth.

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Golden Herb Butter Roasted Potatoes

Simple. Cheap. Hearty. Satisfying. Delicious. 

For college cooking those are my goals when finding new recipes! (Truth is, I look for those characteristics in any recipe I try!) And, this is especially true when looking for side dishes and ways to eat veggies! 



Coming back from classes, you really want something with a few steps...so you can eat! On the other hand, you don't want a salad every night, either! Roasting is a great cooking method to use for veggies of all kinds--broccoli, asparagus, carrots, parsnips, potatoes--it is healthier, seals in flavor, and there is really nothing to do except prepping whatever your eating that night!

Try this roasted side dish next time from Huckleberry Cafe out in Santa Monica, California! Do some California Dreamin' with supper tonight! 

Golden Herb-Butter Roasted Potatoes


Equipment:
Large rimmed baking sheet, lightly sprayed
Large mixing bowl


Ingredients:
2 1/2 Tbls butter, melted
2 lbs small potatoes, cut into 1/4" slices
2 Tbls fresh thyme, chopped (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
2 Tbls fresh rosemary, chopped (or 1 tsp dried rosemary)
1 tsp kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 lemon, quartered


Instructions:
1. Wash your hands and the potatoes.
2. Preheat oven to 425F degrees.
3. Slice your potatoes into 1/4" sliced rounds.


4. Toss potato slices with butter, oil, herbs, salt and pepper. 



5. Arrange slices in a single layer on baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. 



5. Flip the potatoes, turn up the heat to 475F degrees, and bake another 10 minutes to complete browning & crisping.


6. Set aside x 10 minutes. Do not refrigerate.
7. You can toss them with lemon and parsley and consume. 


8. Or, if serving later, you simply put them back into the oven for another 5-8 minutes of crisping at 475Fdegrees.

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Packed With Goodness Granola

I have been reading 'I Will Teach You To Be Rich' by Ramit Sethi these last weeks--what a resource if you are in college, about to graduate, or starting your first job! Read it!

I have posted earlier, simple posts on the value of using your age to your financial benefit, but this book lays it out clean and easy to help you get your finances in order! Use it if you are in a position to apply it, even if on a small scale!



Other ways to build cash and reduce spending, especially in the kitchen...is to learn to cook, especially those grocery items completely marked up, ie cereal. Think about it...almost $5-6 per large box of cornflakes, or $3 - 4 on smaller boxes of specialty cereals!  

So, here's an ultra delicious option adapted from Huckleberry Cookbook from Huckleberry Cafe in Santa Monica, CA to start off your day with! Great recipe for any college student living off-campus and learning independence!

Packed With Goodness Granola


Equipment:
Large baking sheet with edges
Large mixing bowl
Spatula or spoon


Ingredients:
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 stick butter
1/2 cup honey
2 Tbls agave
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Add Ins:
1 cup nuts (cashew, almonds, pistachios, peanuts, pepitas), toasted optional
1 cup dried fruits (apricots, cherries, raisins, cranberries, dates,whichever you like)



Instructions:
1. Wash your hands. 
2. Preheat the oven to 325F degrees.
3. Combine oats, butter, honey, salt, cinnamon. 




4. Spread onto your baking sheet and bake x 25 minutes. Toss and stir mid-way thru.

5. After 25 minutes, add your nuts and bake another 10-15 minutes. 


6. Bake until golden brown.



7. Toss and set aside to cool. 
8. Add in your dried fruits and cool completely.



9. Store in air-tight container up to 1-2 weeks! If it lasts that long!


Friday, January 16, 2015

All Things Jalapeños Part II

Following up on yesterday's post, here is the second recipe I recently discovered using jalapeños as a substitute for potato skins. To some this may seem too involved, but do not be deterred as a young college chef...as with many recipes, the steps are easy, but there may be several of them!


Try 'em out this weekend! So many things to do with jalapeños!

B. Stuffed Jalapeno Skins


Equipment:
Baking Sheet with rim
Mixing Bowl
Non-stick skillet
Latex or rubber gloves to deal with jalapeños if you are sensitive

Ingredients:
Jalapeños, as many as you can stuff
1 stick of chorizo
1 lb of ground sirloin or chuck
1 tsp salt 
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red pepper
1/2 yellow pepper
1 small onion
1 cup plus more Chihuahua Cheese, grated


Extras:
Sour cream
Salsa

Instructions:
1. Wash your hands before and after breaking up the meats.
2. Preheat oven to 400F degrees.
3. Brown the meats and garlic in a non-stick skillet. Add salt and pepper to taste.



4. Drain the meat, but do not clean the skillet. 



5. Add your onions and peppers (if you are out of these items, SKIP THIS STEP).



6. Once onions / peppers are softened and slightly golden, combine with meat and set aside. 



7. Add cheese to cooled meat mixture. 



8. Prepare your jalapeños by slicing them vertically and removing the seeds. If you are making a lot of these...WEAR GLOVES...DO NOT TOUCH YOUR EYES!
9. In a single layer, place jalapeño halves on baking sheet and drizzle with oil and salt.


10. Fill bottom with some cheese and firmly stuff them with a mound of meat mixture.




11. Sprinkle with more cheese.



12. Bake for 10-12 minutes.



Serve with dollops of sour cream and salsa.