snack Archives -

March 27, 2015

Pineapple Coconut Chia Shakes

Smoothies are always a welcome treat at breakfast and I like them because they are quick and a great way to load up on nutrients to begin the day. Once in a while I also like to surprise my kids with a smoothie for their afternoon snack while we chat about their school days. When it comes to smoothies, my style is more the “throw random fruits and vegetables into the blender” method rather than the “read and follow a recipe” method. I even have a beautiful smoothie cookbook, but it always seems so much easier to improvise. Despite the lack of measuring, the smoothies somehow always end up tasting fine. This is one combination that we enjoy so much however that I measured everything out just so that I could share it with you. Its flavor is similar to a pina colada minus the rum (since I’m usually making these for the kids) and it’s fun to dream about being at the beach on a sunny tropical island whenever we have these. The chia seeds thicken up the smoothie into more of a “shake” consistency while adding a healthy dose of Omega-3s. Just note that the chia seeds need at least a few hours to soak so this is probably best made the evening before if you’re planning for breakfast.

Pinapple Coconut Chia Shakes

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

2½- 3 cups fresh pineapple chunks
½ banana
1 13.5-ounce can light coconut milk, about 1½ cups
2 tablespoons chia seeds

Instructions

Place the pineapple chunks, banana, and coconut milk into the blender and blend on high until completely smooth and creamy.
Pour half of mixture into a quart size mason jar along with the chia seeds. Close lid and shake until chia seeds are well distributed. Add the rest of the pineapple mixture and shake again. Refrigerate for at least a 3 hours until thoroughly chilled and chia seeds thicken.

Notes

inspired by Amy Chapin's Peach Chia Shake from At Home in the Whole Foods Kitchen

February 9, 2015

Vanilla Hazelnut Butter

A super simple post for today, but it’s something the whole family has enjoyed so much that I wanted to share it. Chocolate hazelnut butter is of course a well-loved favorite, but recently we’ve discovered how pleasant this vanilla hazelnut butter can be. It’s pure hazelnut flavor, enhanced by vanilla and lightly sweetened by medjool dates. While the consistency is not as creamy as some nut butters, it’s still very spreadable and is lovely on toast or crackers. Up later this week- a special Valentine’s Day treat using this vanilla hazelnut butter!

Vanilla Hazelnut Butter

Ingredients

2 cups raw hazelnuts
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3-4 medjool dates, soaked in warm water for 20 minutes

Instructions

To remove the bitter skins off the hazelnuts, roast the hazelnuts in a single layer for 10-12 minutes in a 350 oven. Transfer the hazelnuts to a kitchen towel, and use the towel to rub the skins loose. (Removing the hazelnut skins always seems a bit tedious to me so this time I did not stress about getting every skin peeled and the results were just fine.)
Drain dates, but do not squeeze water from dates. In the bowl of a food processor or high speed blender, place the toasted hazelnuts, vanilla, and dates. Process or blend until hazelnuts become smooth and have a spreadable consistency, scraping down sides when necessary. Length of time needed to process depends on the strength of the appliance, ranging between 5-10 minutes.

Notes

*If medjool dates are extra soft, soaking may be unnecessary.
*Updated 10/21/2015: After some more experimenting, I've found the best results are achieved when hazelnuts are ground FIRST into a creamy nut butter to which the dates and the seeds from one vanilla bean are then added and blended into the nut butter. I've found this method to yield the creamiest consistency.

December 1, 2014

Six Layer Mediterranean Dip

We all need simple appetizer food around this time of year, right? My small group from church is having a Christmas party next week and I’m planning on bringing this Six Layer Mediterranean Dip. Colorful, healthy, and tasty! I occasionally make hummus “pizza” for lunch- basically pita bread with a layer of hummus topped with cucumbers, tomatoes, kalamata olives, red onion, and feta. I used this same combination of ingredients to create this six layer dip and served it with whole wheat pita wedges on the side. I love that this can be assembled ahead of time and it’s a fairly portable appetizer to bring along to gatherings. Although it’s best eaten on the same day it’s assembled (the cucumbers and tomatoes release a fair amount of water), the leftovers still made great packable lunch food for Ryan and the kids. So glad to have a new way to enjoy some of my favorite Mediterranean flavors.

Six Layer Mediterranean Dip

Ingredients

Hummus

⅔ cup dried garbanzo beans (chick-peas), soaked at least 6 hours
juice of ½ lemon, plus extra lemon juice to taste
¼ cup tahini
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon- 1 teaspoon sea salt

For assembly:

½ cup diced English cucumber
1 roma tomato, diced
10 pitted kalamata olives, sliced
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
¼ cup crumbled feta
whole wheat pita wedges for serving

Instructions

For the hummus:

Drain the garbanzo beans and place in a saucepan with enough water to cover the garbanzo beans by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower heat and simmer until tender, about 1 hour. Remove from heat and drain, reserving the cooking liquid for later use.
In a blender or food processor, add the garbanzo beans, lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, garlic, cumin, salt, and ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon cooking liquid. Blend or process on high speed until hummus is smooth and creamy. Season to taste with additional salt and lemon juice.

To assemble:

Spread the hummus in the bottom of a shallow bowl. Next layer the cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, onion, and feta. Serve with pita wedges.

Notes

hummus slightly adapted from Williams-Sonoma Vegetarian