Stuffed Apple

2 medium apples
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk
2 Tablespoons crushed cereal
2 Tablespoons corn syrup or honey

Wash apples. Using an apple corer remove the core. Set the apples aside. Place all of the other ingredients in a small resealable freezer bag, close tightly. Have the kids mix the ingredients in the bag until thoroughly mixed. Cut off one corner of the bag. Squeeze the filling into the center of the apples. Slice apples crosswise.

Servings: 4

1 serving = 1 fruit/vegetable alternate for 6-12 year olds

Source: University of Illinois Extension Service

 

Comfort Muffins

Children can help make these muffins. They smell great when baking!

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 TBS baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup whole-wheat or graham flour

1 egg

1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice concentrate

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup milk, 1 banana (sliced)

Have children help to sift and measure the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in whole wheat or graham flour. Let the children measure and pour an egg, apple juice concentrate, oil, milk, and banana in a blender or food processor container. An adult should work the blender or processor. Combine dry and liquid ingredients. Spoon into greased or lined muffin cups. Bake at 400º F for 20 to 25 minutes. Servings: 12 muffins 

1 muffin = 1 bread/grain alternate for 6-12 year olds 

Watermelon Pizza  

Cut watermelon into wedge shaped pieces about 2 inches thick. Spread with a thin layer of flavored yogurt. Top with assorted bite size pieces of fruit such as: banana, grapes, kiwi, blueberries, or peaches. Top with coconut or nuts.

Source: Communicating Food for Health, July/August 2002.

Cooking Projects with Children

Here are some fun ideas and tips that will encourage children to eat more fruits and vegetables.

Potato Bar – Have children wash potatoes and help you pierce them with a fork. Allow them to place them in the microwave and operate the buttons to turn it on with adult supervision. While potatoes are cooking, prepare bowls of nonfat sour cream, steamed broccoli and shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese. Allow them to make their own.

Salad Bar – Make a salad bar using lettuce and a mixture of fresh vegetables. Have children help with washing and draining the lettuce, putting cut veggies in dishes and placing dressings nearby; they can even set the table. Allow them to make their own salads. Praise them for their creations and encourage them to eat a variety of colors.

Fruit Sundae – Children can wash the fruit and even cut the easier ones, like bananas or strawberries, using a plastic knife. Have them place various fresh fruits in bowls. Give them each a bowl of nonfat yogurt. Allow them to make their own sundaes using nonfat yogurt, fruit and light chocolate syrup. You can add colored sprinkles.

Garden Spaghetti – Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Make the sauce in the blender with a lower-sodium pasta sauce, frozen vegetables  and a little tomato paste. Have an adult supervise using the blender and pureeing the sauce. Heat the sauce and serve over pasta.

Tortilla Pizza – Use a tortilla as the crust for a pizza. Add a variety of chopped veggies and reduced-fat shredded mozzarella. Bake in a toaster oven or regular oven until the vegetables are heated and tender, about 20 minutes. Cut into quarters and serve. There is time to make a salad while you are waiting for the pizza to cook.

Snack Designer – Assemble a variety of healthy foods like peanut butter, apples, raisins, celery, carrots, bananas, whole grain crackers and breads and yogurt. Have kids create artwork using these items. Adults should cut the fruits and vegetables. Children can make happy faces, animals, flowers, butterflies, fish and more with these items. Best of all, they can eat their creations! Source: Communicating Food for Health, July/August, 2001

All-American Cheeseburger Bake

This casserole tops the charts! Make it together with the kids and enjoy!

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 can (10.75 ounces) tomato soup, undiluted

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon mustard

2 tablespoons pickle relish

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

4 slices American cheese

1 can refrigerated biscuits (7.5 ounces - 10 biscuits)

Have everyone wash hands and assemble ingredients on table/counter. Preheat oven to 400º F. (You can chop the onion and brown the meet ahead of time.) In large skillet, brown ground beef and onion on medium-high heat; drain well. Add tomato soup, ketchup, mustard, relish, and pepper. Let mixture simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes. Lightly coat 9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray; spread meat mixture evenly in baking dish. Place slices of American cheese on top of the meat. Place biscuits on top of the cheese (you may need to gently stretch biscuits to cover beef and cheese layers). Bake casserole for about 11 to 12 minutes. If biscuits brown too quickly, cover with foil midway through baking.

Helpful Hints: Substitute favorite ingredients in this recipe. Try a 16-ounce can of sloppy joe sauce instead of the tomato soup, ketchup, mustard and pickle relish. Use your favorite kind of cheese to create the cheese-burger taste you love. Shredded cheese is okay to use if you don't have cheese slices.

After browning hamburger, drain the meat well. To reduce fat even more, put the meat in a colander or strainer and rinse it with running water. A paper towel can also be used to pat the beef and remove excess fat.

Safety Tips in the Kitchen - go over these with the children as you make this dish. An adult should be present when a child is using the stove. Remember to keep skillet and pan handles pointed away from the edge of the stove where they could be bumped and spilled. Be sure to clean the tomato soup can lid before opening. The lid will have sharp edges after opening, so handle with care! Always use dry hot pads when removing food from the oven. Know where you're going to set the casserole before you take it out of the oven. Have a cooling rack or other safe place ready. Let the casserole cool a couple minutes before eating so you don't burn your tongue! Refrigerate leftovers within two hours of baking and re-heat to 165º F for another meal.  www.kidsacookin.ksu.edu

Sweet and Sour Vegetables

9 large carrots

½ green pepper

10 oz. can pineapple chunks

¼ cup pineapple juice or water

3 Tbsp. sugar

3 Tbsp. vinegar

1 tsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. cornstarch

1 Tbsp. cold water

Peel and cut up carrots and pepper and combine with drained pineapple chunks (reserve juice).

Sauce: Combine juice or water, sugar, vinegar and soy sauce in pan. In a separate bowl, add cornstarch to the 1Tbsp. cold water and mix until smooth. Place pan over medium heat and slowly add cornstarch mixture, stirring constantly. Bring to boil and stir until sauce thickens. Pour sauce over vegetables (raw or steamed) and serve with rice or use as a vegetable dip.

Yield: 20 1/4 c servings = 1 fruit/vegetable alternate for 3-5 year olds

Source: Drake University Head Start

Pepper, Pineapple and Ham Pita Pizza

4 whole wheat pita breads (large)

½ cup spaghetti or pizza sauce

¼ tsp dried oregano

1 cup chopped red or green bell pepper

1½ cups canned pineapple chunks or tidbits, drained

⅓ cup chopped ham

¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 400º F. Place pita breads on baking sheet. Spread each pita with 1 Tbsp. spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle with oregano. Top each pita with pepper, pineapple, ham and cheese. Bake until hot and cheese bubbles, about 5 minutes. Remove pizzas from baking sheet. Place each pizza on a dinner plate and serve.

Yield: 8 servings (1/2 pita) = 1 grain/bread, 1 fruit/vegetable alternate for 3 - 5 year olds.

Source: California 5-a-Day

Ten Minute Bean Soup

Fast, Easy, Good!

1 cup canned pinto beans, drained

1 15-oz. can no-salt added Italian spiced tomatoes

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 1 cup water

1 cup frozen chopped collard greens or spinach

½ cup elbow macaroni

½ teaspoon Italian herb seasoning

½ teaspoon garlic powder, pepper to taste

Put the tomatoes and beans in a sauce pan. Mash with a potato masher or hand blender until about ½ of the beans are mashed. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil; reduce to simmer for ten minutes and serve.

Yield: 12 (2/3 cup) servings

1 serving = 1 fruit vegetable alternate for 3 - 5 year olds
 

Chili Roasted Vegetables

Try this recipe when you harvest your garden (or visit a farmers’ market with the children). Garden vegetables are roasted with chili spices and olive oil. Serve them warm or chilled over spinach. They are also excellent over rice, pasta or baked potato.

Chili-Roasted Veggies:

1 eggplant, peeled and diced

1 zucchini, diced 1 yellow squash, diced

1 onion, diced 1 tomato cut in chunks

2 Tablespoons olive oil 1 Tablespoon water

1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place vegetables in a large baking pan or ceramic casserole dish. Combine oil, water and seasonings  in a small mixing bowl and stir well. Drizzle this oil over the vegetables. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake uncovered until the vegetables are very tender, about 45

minutes. Stir occasionally. Serve warm or chilled over spinach  or garden greens.

Yield: 12 - 1/2 C servings = 1 fruit/vegetable alternate for 6 - 12 year olds

  Source: Communicating Food for Health, May 1999

Multi-tasking Marinade

If you find yourself strapped for time, try this technique that allows you to marinate meat and defrost it simultaneously. Freeze your favorite marinade in an ice cube tray. When dividing family size packages of meat for freezer storage, add several of the cubes to bags of meat you wish to marinate. When moved from the freezer to the fridge, the meat will defrost AND marinate simultaneously.

Pizza Crust

1 pkg. active dry yeast

1 1/4 cups warm water (110 to 115º F)

3 1/2 to 4 cups sifted flour, divided

(try replacing ½ with whole-wheat flour)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Sprinkle yeast over warm water; stir to dissolve. Add 2 cups flour, salt and sugar. Beat thoroughly, then stir in remaining flour. Turn onto lightly floured board and knead until smooth elastic, about 10 minutes, adding more flour as needed to keep dough from sticking. Place in greased bowl and turn dough over to grease top. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes. Punch down, turn onto board and knead just long enough to force out bubbles. Divide in half. Roll each half; pat and stretch over an oiled 12-inch round pizza pan. Add your favorite pizza toppings and cheese. Bake pizza in 450°F oven about 15 minutes or until cheese topping has melted and crust edges have browned.

Whole Wheat Tortillas

These tortillas are lower in saturated fat, with no cholesterol and higher in fiber than traditional tortillas prepared with lard and white flour.

1 1/2 c unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 c whole wheat flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 c warm water (110º F)

2 tsp vegetable oil

1/4 tsp salt

cornstarch, for dusting the tortillas    

Stir together the first 6 ingredients. On a floured board knead until smooth. Divide dough into 12 equal balls. Dust lightly with corn-starch. Roll into a circle as thin as possible on a lightly-floured board. Drop onto a very hot ungreased griddle. Cook until brown spots appear on one side. Turn and cook on second side. Yield: 12 tortillas

Source: University of Illinois Nutrition Extension Service

Don's Very Cherry Oatmeal Muffins

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup old fashioned oatmeal

1 cup sugar

1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 egg, lightly beaten

3 Tbs. vegetable oil

4 cups frozen tart cherries, thawed and pitted, juices reserved

Preheat oven to 300°F. Line cupcake cups with paper baking cups. Combine first 6 ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly. Stir in egg, oil and reserved cherry juice until just incorporated. Stir in cherries until evenly distributed throughout. Using an ice cream scoop, fill the cups 3/4 full. Bake 50-60 minutes until golden brown.

Yield: 24 muffins; 1/2 muffin = 1 bread/grain alternate for 3-5 year olds.

From: Mealsforyou.com

Blueberry Muffin Recipe

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cups whole-wheat flour

1 cup sugar

1 Tbsp, 2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 ½ cups low-fat milk

2 large eggs

2/3 cup vegetable oil

1 ½ cups fresh or (thawed) frozen blueberries

In a mixing bowl, mix on low speed to combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix for 1 minute. Slowly add milk, eggs and oil. Mix on medium for 30 seconds or until smooth. Gently fold blueberries into batter using spatula. Portion batter into 24 lightly greased muffin tins or paper-lined muffin tins. Bake in a conventional oven for 12 minutes at 425°F.

 Yield: 24 muffins; 1/2 muffin = 1 bread/grain alternate for 3-5 year olds.

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