Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels

These are a quick and easy snack to make. Great for a potluck or just to nosh on around the house. It is also perfect if you have a bag of slightly stale pretzels--the baking "freshens" them up. You can also easily halve the recipe for portion control. :) 

1 (16 oz) bag pretzel twists
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 300'F. Pour pretzels into a 9 x 13" pan.
Mix the oil, sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Pour over the pretzels and stir to coat.
Bake 30 minutes, stirring twice during baking time.
Cool and eat!

Breakroom Caramel Corn

This delightful recipe comes from the lovely and vivacious Erica Torgerson. Not only is it delicious (my YW all gave it "two thumbs up"), but it can be made in the microwave! So with a little planning ahead you could, theoretically, make it in the breakroom at your place of work. No special equipment needed!

brown grocery bag
2-3 packages microwave popcorn (or about 2 batches in an AirPop popcorn maker)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Pop the popcorn and scoop into the paper bag. (Try keep out most of the unpopped kernels--you don't want to see your dentist any more than you have to.)
2. Mix butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup in a microwaveable bowl with high sides (the Gladlock Tall Entree container works well because you can watch through the clear sides). Microwave about a minute, then stir. Carefully watch and continue to microwave on high heat until mixture is a full rolling boil, then about a minute more.
3. Remove bowl from the microwave and stir. Add vanilla, salt and baking soda and stir again. Allow bowl to set for at least two minutes and mixture will rise and foam because of the baking soda.
4. Pour caramel mixture over popcorn in the bag. Fold the top tightly (but not too far down) and shake to coat popcorn.
5. Serve in a large bowl or straight out of the bag. Yum!

Protein Poppers

You know how sometimes you read about things just to see how it's done, but not because you, yourself, would actually do it? Well, this recipe came from a blog post about how to get up early to exercise. (*insert sounds of my siblings laughing here*) While you will never see me getting up early for a 3 mile run, a healthy snack I could have as breakfast really appealed to me because....well, let's be honest...I sleep until the last possible moment and don't have breakfast unless it can be grabbed and eaten in the car. These poppers can really hit the spot (and they're customizable to what you like and have on hand)!

1/2 cup nut butter (almond, peanut, etc. or some of each)
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup dry oatmeal
1/3 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the nut butter, honey and vanilla till smooth. Add everything else and stir to combine.
2. Chill for at least 30 minutes to help everything adhere together.
3. Use a cookie scoop/spoons and your hands to roll dough into 1-inch balls.
Makes 24 poppers, 2-3 is probably a serving

Can be stored in fridge or room temperature. You can omit something if you don't have it, but try to keep the dry-liquid ratio about the same. She said you could use soy-butter instead of PB if you need it nut-free, but you may have to add more oatmeal so it's not runny. I'm sure you could also add dry fruit pieces if you want.

Cheesy Avocado

 

For a quick and easy snack:

Slice a grid in an avocado half. Sprinkle on a few dashes of Tabasco sauce and some lemon or lime juice. Top with cheese. Shredded (not grated) Parmesan is especially good but just about any type will do. In the picture is "pizza" cheese. Broil till cheese is golden and avocado is heated through. Serve immediately.

chocolate banana pops

Reuben Dip

It's the end of football tailgate season, but this yummy dip could also work well as an appetizer or snack.

1 can sauerkraut drained, rinsed, shaken dry and chopped
3 2-oz packages sliced corned beef, chopped
1-2 cups shredded Swiss cheese (the more, the better in my opinion)
1 16 oz bottle Thousand Island dressing (I used a 12 oz bottle)
Ritz (or other) crackers

Mix sauerkraut, corned beef, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island together. Pour into 8x8" pan. Bake at 350'F for 30 minutes until hot and bubbly. Serve with crackers.

If there's some left, I recommend topping it with fresh shredded Swiss cheese before re-heating.
The dip is on the salty side, so low-sodium crackers, etc. work great with it.

Kale Chips

We have a dehydrator that I have been having fun with trying new recipes.  My favorite thing to make with it thus far is Kale Chips.  You can use regular kale - I prefer the Lacinato or Dino Kale personally.

I haven't been able to find lacinato at the regular grocery store, but I can find it at Whole Foods and for those in Texas - Central Market.

1 Bunch Lacinato/Dino Kale
1/2 cup olive oil
pastry brush
wax/parchment paper
Dehydrator or Oven set to 350 F (if you use a dehydrator it's considered "raw" still)
seasonings of choice (I prefer sea salt and garlic powder)

Wash the kale and pat dry with a towel.  Strip the leaves from the stem. To do that, just grab the leaf at the bottom with one hand, wrap the other hand around the base in a loose grip/fist and pull stem and leaf in opposite directions.  I forgot to take a picture showing this.  It's really easy.  You can save the stems to juice if you have a juicer.  You can slice the leaves into smaller pieces or tear them into the size you prefer or leave them whole.

Brush the chips with the olive oil then sprinkle with the seasonings - be sparse with seasonings - dehydrating them makes them stronger.  You definitely need to cover them with oil or you'll just end up with wilted kale - not crisp chips.  I found that out the hard way :D

Arrange the leaves on the drying tray.  Once all are done, stack the trays and turn the dehydrator onto 110 F for 2-4 hours.  Check them periodically and rotate the trays so they dry evenly.  If you're baking them, line a non-insulated cookie tray with parchment paper and bake each batch for 10-15 minutes.(I've never baked them but they turn out similarly from what a friend says.)

Once they're done, eat and enjoy!  I've eaten them plain, with tuna and with hummus - not tuna and hummus together ;)

Tasty Tart Treat

This lives up to it's name - it's definitely tasty!

2 Grapefruit, flesh removed from membrane
3 Oranges, sliced
1 Pineapple, diced
2 Kiwi, sliced
1 Mango, diced(omitted in picture above)

Peel and slice everything.  Then mix together.  It's a great breakfast or snack.  We made it twice in the last two weeks.  The second time there were no mangoes - apparently I don't like them with anything else.  Who knew!?

You can alter to your hearts content. 

Pizza Swirls

1 package puff pastry sheets (2 sheets), thawed
24 slices pepperoni, divided (I think this is larger slices, I used the pre-packaged smaller slices and needed the whole package)
2 cups Italian cheese mix (or 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese + 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese)
Marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 400'F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 9x13" rectangle.

Arrange half of the pepperoni in a single layer across puff pastry, leaving a 1" border on 1 long edge. (Don't worry if you don't have enough pepperoni to cover the entire surface, it won't matter once it's rolled.) Sprinkle 1 cup cheese over the dough (leaving the 1" edge clear).

Roll up jelly-roll style toward edge with border. Press long edge to seal. Slice into 1/2"-thick sections. Place 2" apart on prepared baking sheets. (Sprinkle with extra cheese, if desired-as pictured above.) Bake until golden 12-14 minutes.

Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Serve warm with marinare sauce for dipping, if desired.

Rolo Pretzel Bites

This is another super easy recipe. The prep is only about 5 minutes, but then they have to cool. I discovered that they look pretty for about the first 36 hours, then the chocolate starts to look chalky. Still tastes fine, just not as pretty.

Ingredients:

• Pretzel twists or squares
• Hershey's Rolo Caramels
• Toppers (pecan halves, M&Ms, marshmallows, etc.)

Directions:
1. Lay pretzels out on a lightly greased or parchment lined cookie sheet. Top each pretzel with a Rolo.
2. Place in a warm (250'F) oven just until the chocolate starts to melt (3-5 min).
3. Press a topper onto each Rolo. Let cool.

Sugar Coated Almonds

I've been reading other food blogs and feel that I should be waxing poetic right here about some life affirming event associated with this food and how I developed this recipe in my fairy tale kitchen with a perfect and supportive prince charming waiting in the wings just to ride his trusty steed to the organic farmers market to get some rare ingredient with untold nutritional benefits, so we could eat it with our artists friends under starry skies while sharing urbane conversation...

The truth is: I found this recipe. I made it from everyday ingredients in my everyday kitchen. I liked it and thought you might like it, too.  The end. :)

I've made this recipe with both almonds and pecans and both are delicious. I'm giving you two recipes--one in the oven and one stove top. The stove top method is faster total time, but I prefer the texture and easier clean-up of the oven recipe.  The recipes both call for a greased cookie sheet--I like using Reynolds Non-Stick Foil for an even faster clean-up. (Have I mentioned that I like easy clean-up?)

Sugar Coated Pecans-OVEN METHOD

1 egg white
1 Tbsp water
1 lb whole almonds (3 cups)
1 cup white sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 250'F. Grease one baking sheet.
2. In a mixing bowl, whip together the egg white and water until frothy.  In a gallon-size Ziplock bag, mix together sugar, salt, and cinnamon.
3. Add almonds to egg whites, stir to coat the nuts evenly.  Remove the nuts and toss them in the sugar mixture until coated.  Spread the nuts out on the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake at 250'F for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Yield: approx 5 cups


Sugar Coated Pecans--STOVE TOP METHOD

1 cup almonds
1 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup water

1. Prepare a greased cookie sheet.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large skillet and bring to a boil over med-hi heat.
3. Keep at a boil, stirring constantly, until sugar begins to crystallize (approx 10-15 minutes).
4. Spread on prepared cookie sheet, quickly separating them.
5. Let cool and break into pieces if necessary.

Yield: approx 2.5 cups

crockpot (or not) hot chocolate

1/2 gallon (5 1/2 c) milk
1 can Eagle brand (as we called it)/sweetened condensed milk
1/3 c powdered cocoa
1 t vanilla

Gradually whisk the sweetened condensed milk and cocoa powder together. Then whisk in the other ingredients. This can heat in the crockpot or on the stove or in the microwave - depending on how fast you NEED it. :)

Makes 2 quarts / enough for 3 large mugs.

won ton nachos

Won Ton Chips
1 1-pound package wonton skins, cut diagonally

These can be baked in the oven or crisped in the microwave (although you may have to poke them with a fork so they don't puff up).


Homemade Cheese Whiz
1 lb processed cheese
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
1 dash Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon mustard

Cut cheese into small cubes. Melt everything together in microwave or on the stove. occasionally.

hmmmmmm... and mmmmm...

These look intriguing!

Caramel Crispy Chex Mix

If you need a little snack for your sweet tooth, or a simple potluck party dish, this recipe is quick, easy and delicious. There are other fun recipes at http://www.chexmix.com/ (just be sure to adjust your microwave times if needed--see cake in a mug post--or you could end up scorching a whole batch like me). Be sure to read the yummy variation at the end, too.

4 1/2 cups Rice Chex® cereal
4 1/2 cups Corn Chex® cereal
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup M&Ms

1. In large microwavable bowl, place cereals.

2. In 2-cup microwavable measuring cup, microwave brown sugar, butter and corn syrup uncovered on High about 2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute, until melted and smooth. Stir in baking soda until dissolved. Pour over cereal, stirring until evenly coated.

3. Microwave uncovered on High 5 to 6 minutes, stirring and scraping bowl after every minute, just until cereal begins to brown. Cool 5 minutes; stir in candies. Spread on waxed paper to cool; break into bite-size pieces. Store in airtight container.
Makes 20 (1/2 cup) servings

1 Serving: Calories 200 (Calories from Fat 60); Total Fat 7g (Saturated Fat 4 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 15mg; Sodium 180mg; Total Carbohydrate 32g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 20g); Protein 1g % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 8%; Vitamin C 4%; Calcium 6%; Iron 25% Exchanges: 1/2 Starch; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 2 MyPyramid Servings: 1 tsp Fats & Oils
*% Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

VARIATION: Turn this into easy, no mess caramel popcorn!  Pop 2-3 bags microwave popcorn. Empty into a large brown paper shopping bag. Cook caramel as above in step 2 in a four cup ziplock/gladware/tupperware dish, but after stirring in baking soda, let the mixture sit for a minute or two and watch it bubble up. When it has about doubled in size, pour it over the popcorn, fold down the top of the paper bag, and shake to coat. Pour into a bowl or eat straight out of the bag. So fast and easy you could make it at work...

French Fries & Belgian-Style Dipping Sauce

Yet another entry from my America's Test Kitchen "Cooking for Two." The blurb on this one gave the science behind a couple of specific points: 1. Use Yukon Gold potatoes. The Russets turned tough; 2. Start with the oil at room temperature ("cold-start"). This makes them gold on the outside, creamy on the inside, and with about a third less oil absorbed than traditionally cooked fries; 3. If we don't touch the spuds for about 20 minutes after putting them in the pan, enough of a crust formed that we could stir them with no ill effects; 4. You don't have to rinse the cut potatoes, and since using golds, you don't have to peel them, just wash them good.


"You will need a 4-quart saucepan for this recipe; if your pan is larger, you may need more oil to cover the potatoes. For cooking oil, we like both peanut and vegetable oils because of their high smoke points and neutral flavor." (EP-I don't have a 4-qt sauce pan, so I just poured in enough oil to cover the potatoes in my 3-qt saucepan.)


FRENCH FRIES

1 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes (about 3 medium), sides squared off, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick batons
3 cups peanut or vegetable oil
Kosher salt

1. Combine the potatoes and oil in a 4-qt saucepan. Cook over high heat until the oil has reached a rolling boil, about 5 minutes. Continue to cook, without stirring, until the potatoes are limp but the exteriors are beginning to firm, 12-14 minutes.
2. Using tongs, stir the potatoes, gently scraping up any that stick, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the fries are golden and crisp, 5-10 minutes longer. Using a skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer the fries to a paper towel-lined plate. Season with salt to taste and serve immediately.

BELGIAN-STYLE DIPPING SAUCE

3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 Tbsp ketchup
1/4-1/2 tsp hot sauce
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1/8 tsp salt


Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. Makes about 1/4 cup.

Spreadables

So, recently I was looking for an alternative to peanut butter to spread on toast. Something to provide a little protein. I read this one and gave it a try:

Spread on ricotta cheese and top with fresh fruit or jam. It's actually REALLY yummy.

Other option was hummus, plain or with vegetables.

zuchhini chips and buttermilk-yogurt ranch dressing

1 med. zucchini, sliced into chips
1/4 c Panko breadcrumbs
2 T fresh, grated parmesan cheese
2 t herbs (parsley, basil, thyme, oregano - you pick how much of what)
1/2 t garlic powder
salt and pepper
1 egg, beaten + 2 T milk

Preheat oven to 400'F. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. Dip zucchini in egg+milk mixture then coat in breadcrumb mixture. Bake for 15 minutes, rotating once.

The original recipe I found just baked the zucchini, but I thought it was a little soggy, so I also fried the baked zucchini for 1-2 minutes on each side to crisp up. If you like your zucchini soft, baking is enough.

Dressing:
1/2 c buttermilk
5 T plain (Greek) yogurt
1 T dried parsley
1/2 t dried dill
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powser
salt and pepper

Whisk together and serve.

parmesan veggie dip

1 c plain yogurt
1/4 c shredded (grated would also work) Parmesan cheese
1/4 c sour cream
1/4 c mayo
1 t dijon mustard
1 t onion powder
1 t dill
1 t parsley
1 t garlic salt
1 dash Worchestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Great with veggies or crackers (shredded Parmesan thickens up the dip).

Mexican Shrimp Cocktail

This is a delightful treat for those of us with summer fever. Just whip these up, turn on the fan and pretend you're on the Mexican Riviera. Ahhh....

Ingredients:
1/2 lb medium shrimp (or any equivalent, about 2 cups)
1/4 c lime juice
1/4 c chopped purple onion (rinsed with cold water)
1/2 c chopped peeled cucumber
1 small tomato, chopped
1/4 c ketchup
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp Mexican hot sauce (such as Tamazula; I didn't have this, so I just used ketchup with Tobasco to taste)
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 c chopped avocado
limes for garnish, if desired

1. Rinse and peel (if needed) shrimp. Combine shrimp and lime juice, cover and chill 1 hour.
2. Combine all remaining ingredients, except avocado.
3. Stir in shrimp and fold in avocado.
4. Serve immediately (or chilled) with crackers, pita chips, etc.

Servings: 4- 3/4 c appetizer servings or 2- 1 1/2 c meal servings

Note: This is a great recipe for adjusting to fit your preference. Don't like cilantro? Add less. Want to try it with corn kernels? Go ahead. I'm sure you'll find the perfect mix!