Eat The Book

Moving!!

2009-10-05T20:12:00.001-04:00

I've set up a new web site for all my snacking adventures at http://www.fixmeasnack.com/. Blogger is great and all. But it's time to do more in my own little spot.

If you are subscribed to Eat the Book through a feed reader or via email, you will need to go to http://www.fixmeasnack.com/ and sign up again in order to continue to receive updates. Sorry for the trouble. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.

Thanks so much,
Cindy
fixmeasnack@gmail.com

Web morsels

2009-10-02T11:25:00.002-04:00

Is anyone finding any use and/or enjoyment in my list of links? Anybody out there? Please let me know if it's all boring and a waste of time (email @ fixmeasnack@gmail.com or leave a comment).

Parmasen Rind Microwave Mutation from Food Geekery. Trying this out at home is on my to do list.
Lego-style kitchen tools from the Food Section. Cute cake molds and such. I so want the salt & pepper shakers.
Tips for engaging children in the kitchen from the Boston Globe.
Molasses and maple syrup: more nutritious sweeteners? from Nutrition Data blog.
Halloween survival guide from Nutrition Data blog. List of candies lower in sugar and calories. Gives me an excuse to feel a little bit better about Kit Kats.
Happy-Meal Me from The New York Times. "A parent can pretend that McDonald’s doesn’t exist, but only for so long."
Food Network stars take on a veggie-averse 5-year-old via Food News Journal. This needs to be made into a series!

Banana Splits

2009-09-29T19:40:00.001-04:00

Yes, we have a jar of petro-chemical based "cherries" lurking in our pantry. No, I am not ashamed. Unsurprisingly, my "testers" consumed these with glee. Next time I might need to put a bit of whipped cream around the base of the ice cream.

1 banana, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup chocolate frozen yogurt

1/4 cup crispy brown rice cereal

2 teaspoons rainbow sprinkles

2 maraschino cherries (optional)

Cover the bottom of two shallow dishes with the banana slices. In the center of each bowl, place ¼ cup frozen yogurt. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cereal and 1 teaspoon sprinkles. Top with a cherry (if desired).

Yield: 2 sundaes

Prep time: 5 minutes

Note: Cherries could be replaced with a dollop of strawberry jam.

Cheesy Sweet Potato Balls

2009-09-25T09:51:00.002-04:00

½ cup mashed cooked sweet potato (with skin)
1 cup cooked brown rice
½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/3 cup cottage cheese
1 tablespoon wheat germ (optional)
¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place sweet potato, rice, Monterey Jack cheese, cottage cheese, wheat germ and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 45 – 60 seconds or until smooth and a ball starts to form.

Roll sweet potato mixture into tablespoon-sized balls with your hands. Place balls on baking sheet and bake on the center rack of the oven for 15-17 minutes or until the bottoms are golden.

Allow balls to cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes. Gently remove balls with thin metal spatula and serve. Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Yield: 20 balls
Prep time: 10 minutes
Bake time: 15 minutes

Pizza Muffins

2009-09-23T12:48:00.002-04:00

2 cups white whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning

1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup lowfat milk
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cottage cheese
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 F

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, Italian Seasoning, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together, egg, olive oil, sugar, buttermilk, milk, tomato paste, cottage cheese and parmesan cheese until almost uniform in color. Small bits of tomato and cheese are actually a good thing so do not over mix.

Transfer batter to a muffin pan sprayed with oil. Fill each muffin cup up to ¾ full with batter. Bake on a rack in the center of the oven for 15 – 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Allow muffins to cool for 5 minutes in pan and then transfer to a cooling rack. Serve or store in an airtight container.

Yield: 12 muffins
Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 15 minutes

Note: If you don't have any buttermilk, you can make a substitute. If you don't have any white whole wheat flour, I'd suggest replacing it with 1 cup of all-purpose flour and 1 cup of whole wheat pastry flour.

Web morsels

2009-09-23T08:52:00.002-04:00

Three-star chef hits the school cafeteria from Edible Manhattan
Feeding a "Picky" Toddler from Mayo Clinic
Children's snacks: 10 tips for healthier snacking from Mayo Clinic
Fight off the flu with delicious yogurt recipes from Epi-Log
Baking Soda and Baking Powder mysteries revealed from Joy of Baking
School Lunch Needs Safety Upgrade from Food Safety News

Crispy Clouds with Berries

2009-09-19T10:18:00.003-04:00

These are otherwise known as Pavlovas. But I can barely say 'pavlova', much less my kids. Good tongue twister, bad name for a kid snack. I think I'm saving the excess egg yolks for a pound cake experiment. We'll see.

3 large egg whites
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch salt

3/4 cup whipped cream (give or take)
1 cup fresh raspberries (give or take)

Preheat oven to 200 F.

Place the egg whites, agave, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. With the whisk attachment, whip the egg white mixture on medium high speed until peaks form. Turn off mixer and detach bowl. Transfer large spoonfuls onto parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the scoops at least an inch apart. Make a well in the center of each scoop with the back of the spoon. They should be approximately 4-inches wide once the wells are created.

Bake on the center rack of the oven for approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes or until the clouds are golden in color and somewhat easily removed from the parchment paper.

Allow the clouds to cool for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet. Gently remove from parchment paper and transfer to serving plate. Garnish each cloud with approximately 1 tablespoon whipped cream and a heaping tablespoon of berries. Serve.

Makes 12 clouds
Prep time: 10 minutes
Bake time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Note: Raspberries can be replaced by fresh blueberries or fresh chopped strawberries.

Web morsels

2009-09-18T09:29:00.003-04:00

I've been spending inordinate amounts of time on the www the past couple weeks trying to figure out what if any sort of community of food bloggers I might belong to. I haven't quite figured it out yet. But it turns out there is a ton of amazing food-related content out there. Twitter has actually proved to be amazing tool in this regard (http://twitter/eat_the_book). And I've finally subscribed to a million of my favorite blogs and news sources via Google Reader which makes it much easier to keep favorite spots on my radar screen.

In the tradition of some of the more professional bloggers, I will be collecting links I find intriguing and sharing them with once a week or so. Please feel free to send along anything that catches your eye during your travels around the web.

Sea Salt vs. Table Salt: Which is Healthier?
by Sarah Kagan on Epi-Log. 9-16-09
Answer: table salt is the winner because it is enriched with iodine.

Food Science: What Makes Apples Mealy?
from The Kitchn. 9-16-09

Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey
Cookbook for Kids to be released in October. 8-13-09

The Flavor Bible
Book review from goodLife {eats}. 9-13-09
I am a very very big fan of this book.

Microwave Potato Chips
from Jugalbandi. 8/17/08

Apple Crisp Cookies

2009-09-17T12:49:00.002-04:00

4 apples, grated (approximately 1 1/2 cup lightly packed)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons wheat germ
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch salt

Preheat oven to 250 F.

In a medium bowl mix together the apple, brown sugar, wheat germ, butter, cinnamon, and salt. Place heaping tablespoon-sized scoops of the apple mixture onto parchment lined baking sheets. Make sure the scoops are 2- inches apart. With the back of a spoon, flatten the scoops until they are 1/4-inch thick. Pay careful attention to achieving a uniform thickness as the cookies will require more time in the oven if they are too thick.

Bake for 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until the cookies are dry yet pliable. Allow to cool before serving. Store in an airtight container.

Makes 20 cookies
Prep time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 1 1/2 hours

Nutter Butter Rolls

2009-09-16T09:41:00.003-04:00

1/2 cup nut butter (such as almond or peanut)
1/4 cup finely chopped pitted dried dates (approximately 5 dates)
1/3 cup organic corn flake cereal
3 tablespoons cream cheese
1 tablespoon honey
4-5 slices soft whole grain bread, crusts removed

In a small bowl, mix together nut butter, dates, cereal, cream cheese, and honey with a metal spoon. Don't be shy about crushing the cereal as you stir. Continue to stir until the cereal is broken up into small bits. Set aside.

Spread the bread slices out a level surface and flatten them with a rolling pin as much as possible. Spread 2-3 tablespoons of the nut butter mixture onto each slice depending on the size of the bread. Smaller slices should have 2 tablespoons and medium or large slices should have 3 tablespoons. Roll up each slice as tightly as possible without ripping the bread. Cut each tube into 1/2-inch thick slices and serve.

Makes 4-5 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes

Note: If you don't have any dates in your pantry, try replacing them with raisins.

Peas in a Pop from Weelicious

2009-09-13T15:21:00.001-04:00

Genius popsicle idea from Weelicious: Frozen peas in a popsicle!

Orange Hummus

2009-09-10T09:51:00.010-04:00

I'm actually not a huge fan of hummus. But come to find out it tastes much better homemade. And the addition of the orange maralade here turned it into something I actually enjoy eating. I can't say as much for my 3 year old, but the 5 year old loves it.

The idea for orange in the hummus comes from 1,001 Lowfat Vegetarian Recipes by Sue Spitler.

1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans (a.k.a. chickpeas)
¼ cup orange juice
1 tablespoon sesame tahini
1 tablespoon orange maralade (optional)
1 teaspoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon salt

Place all the ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Take a couple breaks while processing to wipe down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Serve with pita bread, pretzels, or carrot sticks. Store any leftover hummus in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Makes 6 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes

Apple Flying Saucers

2009-09-10T08:52:00.008-04:00

1 apple, cored
5-6 teaspoons nut butter
Raspberries (for garnish)

Slice apple horizontaly into rings approximately 1/4 inch thick. Make a sandwich by spreading approximately 1 teaspoon of nut butter between two apple rings. Insert raspberry in center. Serve.

Makes 5 to 6 flying saucers
Prep time: 5 minutes

Apple "Tarts"

2009-09-09T18:40:00.009-04:00

I started thinking seriously about kid snacks about a year ago and apples were featured in some of my first experiments. This is probably the first of my homegrown recipes that made me smile when I tasted it.

Today I used a Jonamac apple (which is a cross between a Jonathan and a MacIntosh). Other tart and sweet apple choices are: Cortland, Empire, Golden Delicious, or Winesap.

4 slices soft whole wheat bread
1 medium apple, peeled, cored, and chopped fine (approximately 1 cup of chopped apple)
4 tablespoons cream cheese or vanilla greek-style yogurt
4 teaspoons apricot preserves
Cinnamon sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cut the crusts off of the bread slices and discard. Spread the bread slices out on a large cutting board and flatten with a rolling pin. Cut a small (approximately 1 ½ to 2 inches long and ½ wide at the base) triangle out of each of the four corners on each slice.

Transfer the bread slices to greased muffin pan. Make sure the center of each slice is resting on the bottom of a cup and the sides are overlapping slightly. Using your fingers, press the side flaps together and make adjustments to minimize any gaps or holes.

In the bottom of each bread cup, place ¼ of the chopped apple. Center 1 tablespoon of cream cheese and 1 teaspoon of apricot preserves on top of the apples. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (if desired).

Bake on the center rack of the oven for 30-35 minutes or until the edges of the bread crust are browned and the preserves start to sizzle. Allow tarts to cool in the pan for at least 5 minutes or more depending on your child’s age and preference. Gently remove from muffin pan and serve immediately.

Makes 4 “tarts” (easily doubled)
Assembly time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes

Lucky Charms article

2009-09-08T06:55:00.007-04:00

Here's an article titled Eat More Lucky Charms! On the new "Smart Choices" labeling program from Silicone Valley Moms. Apparently some really sugar-filled foods are going to have the big green "healthy" check on them.

I hate that going grocery shopping can feel like such a minefield sometimes. Marion Nestle's book What to Eat was a big help on this front.

Apple Tower

2009-09-07T07:48:00.007-04:00

Kids have fun building this snack themselves.

1 apple, cored and sliced
9 squares (2-inch) of cheddar cheese
2 raspberries

Make sure your apple slices are about 1/3 of an inch thick and flat rather than tapered so that they will stack easily. Cheese should be sliced 1/4 inch thick. Alternate apple slices and cheese on top of each other. Garnish with raspberry.

Serves 2.

Parenting and Food article

2009-09-05T20:47:00.003-04:00

Parenting and Food by Frank Bruni in the New York Times 08-30-2009.

Avocado Cookies

2009-09-03T21:19:00.007-04:00

This recipe uses an entire haas avocado.

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

1 ripe haas avocado, pitted and skin removed
½ cup butter (1 stick), softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 large egg
½ cup low-fat milk
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, oats, coconut, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Mash avocado with a fork in a large bowl until there are no large chunks remaining. Add butter and mix very well with avocado. Add sugars and stir well. Add egg and stir. Finally add the milk and stir until incorporated. Add the flour mixture and stir until combined. Fold in chocolate chips (if desired).

Drop heaping tablespoons full of batter onto ungreased baking sheets or jelly roll pans two inches apart. Bake for 15-17 minutes near the center of the oven, rotating once if necessary. Once the edges of the cookies start to brown, remove from oven and transfer to cooling rack with spatula. Allow to cool slightly and serve.

These cookies will soften considerably if left out overnight. They are best stored in the freezer in an airtight container and thawed on demand.

Makes 38 cookies.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes

Raspberry Rockets (a.k.a White Chocolate Filled Raspberries)

2009-09-03T14:56:00.007-04:00

Surely I’m not the first person to have done this. But if you’ve heard of it before, don’t tell me. I’m busy being overly happy about my discovery. Oh, and the kids looovve these.

20 raspberries
20 white chocolate chips

Wash the raspberries by holding them under gently running water or submerging in a bowl of water and agitating gently. Allow the raspberries to air-dry by simply putting them on a towel. Once dry, insert one chip into each berry with flat side of the chip facing you. Serve.

Makes 2 servings.
Prep time: 5 minutes

Walnut Raisin Balls

2009-08-31T14:17:00.006-04:00

There is a healthy amount of flexibility here. I have a feeling you could throw in a ¼ cup of ground flax or wheat germ without any problems.

1 cup shelled walnut pieces, raw or roasted
1/3 cup raisins
5 dates, pitted
2 tablespoons brown rice syrup or 1 tablespoon honey (optional)
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)

Put the walnuts, raisins, dates, syrup, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse for 20-30 seconds until the walnuts are the sized of large crumbs and the mixture is starting to clump together.

Scoop the walnut mixture out of the processor bowl and roll into small balls with your hands. Put coconut in a small shallow bowl and roll balls in the coconut to coat. If you choose to skip the coconut, the balls will be a little sticky, but still edible. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Makes approximately 20 balls.
Prep time: 15 minutes

Orangesicles

2009-08-26T14:08:00.006-04:00

Thanks again to Janet for the idea.

1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate

In a small bowl, mix yogurt and juice concentrate until well combined and smooth. Pour into popsicle molds. Allow to set in the freezer for 3-4 hours.

Makes 8 popsicles (2-ounce).

Frosty "Cheeseburgers"

2009-08-25T14:56:00.011-04:00

No added sugar! That counts for something, right?

3 tablespoons nut butter (such as peanut or almond)
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups crispy brown rice cereal
1 1/2 cups vanilla frozen yogurt, slighly softened

In a small saucepan, stir the chocolate chips and nut butter over medium low heat until smooth. Remove the chocolate mixture from heat. Add cereal to saucepan and stir with a rubber spatula until well coated.

Divide the cereal mixture between the cups of a muffin pan (preferably silicone for easier removal). Each muffin cup should be approximately 1/2 full. Cover and place in freezer for 30 minutes or until hard.

Fill the remaining half of each muffin cup with the vanilla frozen yogurt. Do not mound the yogurt; rather keep it somewhat level. Place the muffin pan back in freezer and allow yogurt to refreeze for approximately one hour or longer.

To serve, carefully dislodge frosties from the muffin pan using fingers or a knife to loosen the edges.

Makes approximately 8 frosties.

Note for Young Ones:
Right out of the freezer, these treats can be a little tough to eat. If your kids are on the small side, let them thaw for a minute or cut them up for them. In addition, roughly break up some of the rice cereal with a metal spoon as you are coating it with the chocolate mixture. That way it might be less likely to be rough on your little one's mouth.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

2009-08-21T18:27:00.004-04:00

I was talking to a friend this morning about the many evils of HFCS. But it turns out that I really don't have a clue. More than anything, it appears that HFCS is used in an incredibly wide variety of foods thereby increasing our consumption of sugars on the sly. After watching the movie King Corn, I've avoided it.

If you want to learn more, you could start with an article by Marion Nestle in the San Francisco Chronicle titled The facts about corn sweetener.

Frozen Fruit

2009-08-18T13:45:00.007-04:00

I believe the picture says it all (red grapes and watermelon on a stick). Leave in the freezer for at least 3-4 hours. Thanks to Janet for the idea.

Note for Young Ones:
As far as toddler safety goes, the grapes did not freeze solid during my experiment so they would be fine peeled and cut to the size your child prefers. The watermelon freezes very well and eats a lot like a popsicle at first. If your child is coordinated enough to hold on to the popsicle stick, it should work out well.

Mango Salsa

2009-08-12T14:18:00.006-04:00

1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and chopped
2 tablespoons fresh cilanto, chopped
1/2 ripe haas avacado, chopped (optional)
Juice of 1/2 lime
A couple of pinches of salt

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Make sure the avacado is well coated with the lime juice as it will prevent it from browning. Serve with tortilla chips. Ole!