Chewy Puffed Rice Bars

I hate to waste anything and I'm sure that trait stems from my peasant roots. When my Ukrainian great-grandmother peeled a potato the skins were almost transparent. She knew what it was like to go hungry, so she wasted nothing. I often think about Nanny when I'm ringing up my groceries and wonder what she would say if she could see the prices today. She'd probably shake her head and respond in her broken English, "Oy, yoy, yoy", and perhaps she'd shave those potato skins just a little bit thinner. So, when I found an untouched bag of Nature's Path Rice Puffs cereal in the pantry I figured it was time to put it to good use, and try my hand at a healthier version of the rice crispy treat.

 

Chewy Puffed Rice Bars
85 grams/5cup of puffed rice cereal
114 grams/1 cup toasted slivered almonds
116 grams/3/4 cup unsalted raw sunflower seeds
90 grams/1 cup toasted coconut and sesame seeds
166 grams/1 cup brown rice syrup
126 grams/1 cup almond butter
65 grams/1/4 cup maple syrup

Toast the almonds in a 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside. Combine the sesame seeds and unsweetened coconut and bake on a sheet pan until golden brown. You'll need to toss this mixture a few times while it's baking so it browns evenly. Set aside enough (1/4 cup) to sprinkle on the bottom of your pan and on the top of the bars.  Note: I make a larger quantity of this condiment to have on hand for sprinkling over granola or oatmeal. It's delicious and good for you!

Add the puffed rice, sunflower seeds, coconut and sesame seed combo to a large mixing bowl. Set aside. Add the almond butter, brown rice and maple syrups to a sauce pan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it's well combined and smooth. Pour this over the dry ingredients, mixing with a rubber spatula or your hands, until it's evenly distributed.

Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch (about 25 x 32 cm) pan and sprinkle 1/2 of the reserved coconut and sesame seed combination across the bottom of the pan.

Press the puffed rice mixture into the pan and pat it down firmly with a spatula until you have a nice even top. 

Sprinkle the remaining coconut and sesame seeds across the top. Allow it set up for about an hour in the refrigerator. Run a spatula around the edges and turn it out onto a cutting board. Cut into bars. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They're chewy and just sweet enough to satisfy a craving, without giving you that sugar high you get from most store bought bars. Ally wants to add dried cranberries to the next batch which sounds like a good idea to me. The kids seem to love them, they're healthier and less expensive to make, and Nanny would approve so that makes me happy. Note: You can substitute granola in place of the puffed rice.

Cooking for the Family

I'm heading off tomorrow for a week-long business trip. When I'm away for this long I try to set aside some time to cook for the family before I leave. While there have been times that I've left them to fend for themselves, most of the time I stock up the fridge with a soup, a sauce and possibly something sweet to tide them over. 

With these staples on hand all you need is some rice or pasta, or a green salad, and you've got a meal. I cooked the lentils separately so they can sprinkle them on a salad, or add them to the soup. You could even mix a little of the meat sauce with the soup.  Kind of mix and match meals.

Curried Vegetable Soup
2 leeks (washed and thinly sliced)
3 carrots (peeled and sliced)
3 stalks of celery
1 small butternut squash (diced into 1/2 pieces)
12 oz chopped tomatoes (I like fresh, but you can use canned)
1 yellow squash (quartered then cut into 1/2 pieces)
2 zucchini (same as above)
2 teaspoons yellow curry
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Sprinkle of red pepper flakes
3-4 leaves of chopped kale or collard greens
1 quart vegetable stock (I like Pacific brand)
2 cups of water
Salt and pepper, to taste

Add a tablespoon of olive oil to your stock pot. Saute the leeks until they just start to brown. Add the carrots, butternut squash, celery, and spices. Saute for another 15 minutes. Add the stock, water, tomatoes, yellow and zucchini squashes and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the butternut squash is tender. Add the chopped greens and salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer for 5 more minutes.  If your soup is too thick just add a little bit more water. You can serve it with a dollop of plain yogurt, or a sprinkle of crumbled goat cheese.

Quick Meat Sauce
1/2 large sweet white onion (cut into crescents, or diced)
1 lb of ground beef (organic is best)
12 oz of chopped tomatoes
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 tsp dried cumin
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried pepper flakes
Pecorino Romano
Salt and pepper, to taste.

Saute the onions until they just start to brown. Add the ground beef and cook slowly over medium to low heat. Add the spices and tomatoes,  cover the pan, and make sure it's gently simmering. Cook for 1.5 hours.  This simple sauce is always a big hit with my daughter and her friends. I always serve it with Pecorino Romano cheese, which I think is the secret ingredient because I gave the recipe to a friend and when she made it her daughter said, "This doesn't taste like Laurie's." She followed the recipe, but opted for the Kraft cheese in the green container which she said in hindsight was a mistake. Yep, that seems to be the secret ingredient.

I did make a little something sweet and that's coming in the next post.

Coincidental Egg Moment

Yesterday I read a sweet post about Dippy Eggs and Soldiers on the food blog, Kiss My Spatula. The blog is the creation of 'G', who's a clever writer, and an accomplished photographer. The egg preparation she posted was new to me, but as I was soon to learn not for my daughter. This morning I made her two eggs (organic, of course), prepared over easy. She ate the whites, then used the crust of her toast to dip into the yolks.

What a coincidence, her own version of Dippy Eggs and Soldiers. I showed her the post on Kiss my Spatula and she said, "I've heard about those. When I was little I saw a story on PBS Kids about a family who lived on a farm and made them." Which makes sense, since farm fresh eggs are the most delicious you'll ever taste, and best eaten soft-boiled, or over easy. That's why I use organic, or local farm fresh eggs when I can find them. The chickens are raised in a clean and humane environment, fed a healthy and wholesome diet, and allowed to run around and be chickens. 

Growing up we collected the eggs from my great grandmother's chickens, who were certainly free roaming birds, and I remember how delicious they were. Plus, she always gave us a Hershey's chocolate bar (full size) for our effort, so who could say no when she handed you the basket. I'll admit I was a little afraid of those chickens pecking me to death, but happy to report that I came out of the  coop unscathed. So, maybe healthy chickens are happier chickens, and for sure their eggs taste better.

Farmers markets are a great source for finding locally produced eggs, and for my New England followers, I've been eating Pete & Gerry's for years, which can be purchased in the supermarket.

Ally's photo of her breakfast before she dipped.

Sauteed Apples

Yes, apple season is in full swing here in the Northeast. I am awaiting the arrival of my friend Lee, so we can put up our annual supply of applesauce. More to come on that later. Meanwhile, just wanted to share an easy apple preparation that receives rave reviews in my house. It's a wonderful accompaniment to roast chicken or pork.

Peel, core and slice 2 apples. Macouns are one of our favorites, but you can use whatever you have on hand. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter, or Earth Balance, with 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil. Add 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and 1/2 tsp of sugar. Gently saute the apples until tender. Serve as a side dish. They're also a great treat for kids. Variation: Toss in a handful of toasted silvered almonds. Enjoy!

Heathful food choices and the power of example

As a parent, I always strive to provide the healthiest diet possible for my daughter. When she was a baby we had a lovely Greek woman taking care of her who insisted that we give her only fresh food. No Gerber's out of the jar for Ally...Maria would not stand for that, and  I agreed with her. So when it was time for solid food we just mashed up whatever we were eating. Does this guarantee that your child will eat everything you put in front of them as they get older? No, but I do think that the more healthful food choices they are exposed to, the better their diet will be over the long haul. You feel better when you eat good food and they have experienced that feeling firsthand. So when Ally has had an overload of sweets, or other less healthful choices, she often requests "healthy food" to get her back on track.
Yesterday afternoon I prepared a snack of Greek yogurt, (Maria would be thrilled) blueberries, a little bit of maple syrup, almonds, and two McVitie's Digestive biscuits:

And lo and behold look what Ally made for herself today:

It's wonderful to see the power of example in action. This makes a great snack for all you big kids out there, too. Enjoy!

Christmas made by hand

One of my very favorite Christmas decorations is this angel, which was made by  the daughter of one of my dearest friends.  I received it about 12 years ago and have hung it every year since then.  It represents the simplest, yet most important part of the holidays for me—receiving a gift made by the hand of a child.  It is also a constant reminder of the true meaning of Christmas.

Yesterday  Ally and I made Christmas cookies, a favorite tradition for many during the holidays.  What a wonderful gift these little treasures would be for anyone on your list.  We used this very simple, yet delicious, sugar cookie recipe: The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies.  Please note that you can substitute Earth Balance for the butter.

For decorating I made a simple buttercream frosting:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup butter or Earth Balance (room temperature)
4 tbls milk
1 tsp vanilla extract (the real stuff)
Food coloring

Cream butter and sugar in an electric mixer.  Add confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla. Beat on high speed until fluffy (about 5 minutes)

We divided the frosting into 3 bowls and made a batch of green, red and kept one white.  You'll  need 3 pastry bags and frosting tips and the coupling device or tip holder.  Here's some tips on how to decorate using a pastry bag.

Fill each pastry bag, squeezing the frosting down to the tip, then tie off with a twist tie, and place each one in a tall glass.  This will keep them neat and orderly during the decorating process.

I let Ally do all the decorating:

 

 

 Ally's beautiful creations, all made by hand:

May your holidays be blessed with the joy of receiving a gift, created by hand.