Apple Monster Snack

It's been too darned HOT to cook much these days. As of yesterday, we've had 36 days of triple digits so far this year (Yow!) and it's also what's forecasted for the rest of this week. So, let's all refrain from creating MORE heat. That is, until you can't stand it anymore and your stomach cries out for something baked, or cooked, or heated. But, if possible, wait until that point. It's just too hot!

When most folks here in the South head for the lakes all weekend in the summer, I go cower in the house, close all the shades and try not to move to stir up any body heat. It's not that I have anything against sweat, I just like to chose WHEN I sweat. If I decide to go out for a brisk walk or some other predetermined exercise this time of year, of course I know I'll sweat. But just sitting in the house? No sweat for me, please!

We can still have fun with the kids and food...and not stir up the heat, right? Of course. I even made these funny little guys for Dad. After all, they're gluten free, and if you just use peanut butter, they're also lactose free.

Aren't they kind of cute?
As you can guess, these are just apple wedges, peanut butter, slivered almonds, raisins, and little dabs of cream cheese.

Sometimes, when my cheese girl asks for an even quicker snack I'll hand her one of these. A monsterfied "cream cheese lolly pop".
Or for my almost-non-meat-eating daughter, I may give her this kind of monster instead of a regular peanut butter "lolly pop", as they've always called them.

But the apple guys are our favorite. They're a tasty and complete snack.

So, stay out of the heat! Keep it fun! Keep it silly! Keep it scary cool!

This snack is not my original idea. I was going to give credit to my Cooking for Kids Bible, but after scouring it I couldn't find the little critters. So, I'll have to wait to give credit for the Apple Monsters to the appropriate source after I find it.

Garbanzo Cake (gluten free/dairy free)

In my quest for gluten-free baked goodies, I came across this recipe in a Mexican cookbook. It’s a great alternative to a sweet quick bread we almost never have anymore since we don’t like to torment Daddy with glutenous treats too often…unless it’s Spiced Pumpkin Bread that our kids usually beg me to make at least once a month--and more like once a week around the holidays. Each serving of this “cake” has 2.7 g. fiber and 9.2 g. protein! It's a very dense and moist quick bread-type cake. Our kids thought it was a big treat! They didn't realize it was a gluten-free bread...otherwise they may have been suspicious. With its sweet spiced flavor, you sure wouldn’t know it has a couple of cans of chickpeas stashed away in all its goodness—replacing the flour and adding additional moisture, fiber and protein! All the kids asked for more, but they’ll have to wait because this recipe only makes one loaf!

Ingredients:
2 -10 oz cans Garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained

(Cans of chickpeas around here are 16 oz., so you can use the leftover chickpeas to make a half-ish recipe of Hummus. Why not? You'll already have your processor out, and it'll make just the right amount to snack on while you're waiting for your cake to finish baking!)

4 eggs, beaten (or 1 cup of egg beaters)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon

If you're concerned about using cinnamon for any reason (like if your tongue goes numb like my friend's!), you could use a mixture of nutmeg, all spice, cloves, and ginger instead.

Grated rind and juice of 1 orange (since I didn't have an orange, I just threw in 1-1/2 TBSP frozen OJ concentrate and 1 tsp. of dried lemon peel)

Cinnamon sugar -- 1/4 cup sugar with 1 tsp ground cinnamon
(or make spiced sugar using alternate spices)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove any noticeable chickpea skins, and put the remaining peas in a food processor (or blender) and process until smooth. (You may need to process the chickpeas in a couple of batches.) This is what it looks like when you're done processing--kind of dry looking but holds together when you press it.

Spoon the processed chickpeas into a bowl and gently stir in the eggs, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, orange rind, and orange juice. Grease a 1-pound loaf pan and line with parchment paper.

Pour the cake mixture into the loaf pan and bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and leave to stand, in the pan, for about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan, place on a wire rack, and leave to cool completely before serving. Or if you're like us, wait just another 10 minutes or so before diving in!) Serve with sliced fresh strawberries, pineapple or other fruit...or just sprinkle each piece with additional spiced sugar and enjoy.

(12 slices/servings)

The above recipe based on one from: The Complete Mexican, South American & Caribbean Cookbook

Lemony alternative:
Instead of using orange zest and juice, use the zest and juice of one juicy lemon. After the cake is done baking, squeeze more lemon juice over cake, and sprinkle generously with confectioners sugar.

Or try a chocolate version here.

Disclaimer: Please forgive me for the frozen berries in my photo. I went to grab some fresh strawberries from the fridge, and discovered that they mysteriously disappeared. If you know their whereabouts, please fill me in. Hey, what's that red stuff on your cheek, Jimmer? Oooh...and you too, Kathleen. Aha!

Easy Charro Beans (crock pot)

I've finally found a Tex-Mex bean recipe our whole family enjoys. Yes, our kids will dive into a bit of the refried sort once in a while, but Joe...errr--NOPE! And those sweet campfire beans--NEVER for him. So, our beans of choice are the charros! They're the ones with a little broth.

My friend, Melissa (a Tex-Mex cooking goddess!), who hosted 20 girls and their mothers at her house for our Little Flowers camp this year, gave me a tip to make this dish easier, faster, and fat free. She adds Goya ham flavoring packets instead of bacon or a ham bone. Genius! This keeps all the fat out! But...the ham packets have MSG. Eeeek! The kids and I don't seem bothered by MSG, but it can trigger Joe's occular migraines...and it isn't all that great for anyone. So you can, instead, add some beef base (like I do).

Here's an easy recipe you don't have to pay attention to but a couple of times before it's done.

1 lb. bag dried pinto beans, sorted and rinsed (or your preferred bean combo)
Water
2 cans mild Ro-tel tomatoes
2 packets of Goya ham flavoring, or a TBSP of beef base with water as needed
Large onion, diced
Hot sauce or a diced jalapeño/serano pepper (Ro-tel gives enough kick for us)
1 pkg half-cooked, chopped bacon (optional)
Green pepper, diced (optional)
And if you wanna go all out...
A bottle of gluten-free beer (of course, optional)

Toppers:
1/2 bunch chopped cilantro, stems removed
avocado, diced
shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream
as alt. to bacon: favorite cooked sausage, halved & sliced

This is a busy-mom-friendly recipe. No need to soak these beans overnight. That would mean you've actually given some thought about your menu the day BEFORE you eat. Huh? That doesn't happen around here! I'm talkin' right around lunchtime (5-6 hours prior thought) is the earliest I think about dinner.

Put the rinsed beans into the crock, add enough water to cover the beans by a few inches. Cover and turn crock pot on high for a few hours.

NOTE: Don't add anything--especially salt--but water to the beans at this point or it'll make the beans tough...and y'all don't want that!

After 3 hours of cooking, add and stir in tomatoes and flavoring packets or beef base, diced onion, green pepper, bacon, beer.

Cook beans for at least 2-3 more hours (to desired doneness), adding water if the beans are peeping out. Beans go full immersion here. Remember, you want a little broth with the beans.

Be traditional and serve with some brisket, Spanish rice, and corn bread.
Be food pyramid savvy and serve with some chicken fajitas and a salad or fruit!
Be a real mom and serve it with whatever else you find in the fridge or pantry that seems like it would round out the meal!

Our usual: served over cooked rice and sausage...and heaped with toppings.

Hummus

I made this as an appetizer when I was entertaining adults. Our kids, however, ate up the rest of it! So, now I like to have some on hand and use it as a dip for veggies, crackers, flat bread, or corn chips. It's so good and healthy with all its iron, fiber, vitamin C. Sure, you can buy it, but it is so EASY and much more economical to make yourself. You can control the salt and add other flavors as well! I even got our older daughter to start eating her sandwich crusts by dipping them in this hummus!

1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained, liquid reserved (if possible, prepare your own chickpeas)
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup tahini --at the grocery store by the peanut butter
3 TBSP lemon juice (1-2 lemons)
1 TBSP olive oil, water, or liquid from canned/cooked chickpeas
4 dashes hot sauce, optional

Put everything in the food processor and process until it’s smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning, serve chilled or at room temperature.

Variation for Longhorn Hummus:
Add two roasted red peppers (drained from a jar).This will give the hummus the Longhorn (as in UT) burnt orange color...and add a yummy flavor dimension!


HEALTH NOTE:
If you buy canned foods, you may want to consider Eden Organic products since they don't line their cans with bisphenol-A (BPA).

Tapioca Pudding

Kathleen makes a treat for Daddy!

Last week Joe saw a bag of tapioca in our pantry and commented that he loves tapioca pudding. Since I just purchased the tapioca for a stew I made, I didn't think much of it at the time. Then I realized that pudding is naturally gluten free (at least if you make it from scratch) and can be made lactose free as well by using Lactaid milk.

Kathleen, so intrigued with the fact that she could make a dessert that Daddy could enjoy, set out to make it for him.

Here's the recipe:

3 TBSP granulated (instant) tapioca
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg, well beaten
3 cups milk, lactose-free as necessary
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine tapioca, sugar, milk and egg in medium saucepan; let stand 5 minutes. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a full boil. Cook additional 1-2 minutes to thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Cool 15 minutes; stir. Serve warm or chilled. Refrigerate leftover pudding.

Serving tip: Nice with fresh raspberries or other fruit on top! Why not go all out--top it off with whipped cream (non-dairy for lactose free).

Makes 6 servings (1/2 cup each)

Orange Julius

Here's our kids' most requested "special" drink. We make it for Daddy on Father's Day (with lactose-free milk), and the kids often request it as part of their birthday breakfast. TRIVIA: Did you know that the Orange Julius corporation is owned by Dairy Queen...and based in Minneapolis, Minnesota? I always thought it was interesting since there's really not a very long seasonal opportunity for such frosty treats. The only time Dairy Queen was open when I was growing up in a small town in Minnesota was from Memorial Day to Labor Day! Okay, here's the recipe. Please also see my gadget tip on crushing ice.

12 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate
1-1/4 cup milk, lactose-free as needed
1-1/4 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
12-15 ice cubes, I crush first with a hand-crank ice crusher

Combine all ingredients except ice cubes in blender.
Blend for about 1-2 minutes, adding ice slowly.

Makes 6 servings

Napa Salad

(Chinese Cole Slaw)

I snatched up this recipe from a friend after I tried it at her bunco party. Thanks Stephanie!

1 head Chinese Napa cabbage
2 green onions including 2/3 stems, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 pkgs. Ramen noodles, chicken flavored
2 TBSP butter
½ cup slivered almonds
sesame seeds (~1+ TBSP)
**If you’d like to make this a main dish, you can add bite-sized cooked chicken.

Cut bottom from Napa cabbage, separate leaves, wash and pat dry. Cut most of the large white veins from each leaf and slice remainder of leaves into thin strips. Toss cabbage with onions and bell pepper.

Melt butter in large skillet. Break Ramen noodles into small pieces (I start by gently smashing them right in the bag before I open it.) and brown lightly in butter. Add almonds to brown. Add sesame seeds last since they brown quickly. Remove from heat, add one of the noodle seasoning packets to the mixture, and stir to incorporate.

Dressing:
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar, seasoned
Salt & pepper
¼+ cup sugar (add more or less to your taste)
1/2 cup oil
sesame oil, ~1 tsp. (optional—but it really makes the salad taste more authentic!)

Mix vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar and oil in salad plunger or a jar with lid. Plunge/shake well to mix.

Just before serving salad, toss noodles/nuts/seeds mixture with cabbage then add dressing and toss well to coat. Don’t mix too soon before eating as the noodles will get soggy.

GLUTEN FREE: Omit Ramen noodles and, instead, top salad with toasted almonds and sesame seeds.

Mandarin Almond Salad

Toss together:
1 large head (or 2 hearts) Romaine lettuce
One 11-14 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained (I use more since my kids love them)
2 green onions, chopped up to 1/3 of the green part

Dressing
Mix:
3 TBSP oil
3 TBSP cider vinegar
2 TBSP white sugar
1/4 tsp salt
pepper to taste
(You will need to taste to see if the oil/vinegar/sugar balance is to your liking. I like mine with sweet and tangy taste (roughly equal amounts of oil and vinegar. Many dressings call for twice as much oil as vinegar.)

Caramel Almonds
¼ cup slivered almonds
2 TBSP white sugar
(I usually double this amount!)

Heat sugar in small frying pan over medium heat until it starts to melt around the edges, then put the almonds on top of sugar. Stir constantly until sugar and nuts turn a caramel brown color. Make sure all sugar granules are dissolved. Remove from heat continuing to stir, and pour them on a greased, foil-lined pan/cookie sheet to cool. (Try to separate the nuts with a fork as you are able so they break apart better when they are cool). When nuts are cool, break them into small pieces.

When ready to serve: Pour dressing over lettuce and top with caramel almonds.

Substitutions:
--Use caramelized pecan pieces instead of the slivered almonds
--Use the Sugar & Spice Glazed Pecans (see the recipe I use under “nuts”)
--Use dried cranberries and cashews instead of mandarin oranges and almonds
--If you don’t have enough nuts, you can throw in a handful of roasted sunflower seeds.
--Add other sweet veggies as you like (pea pods or snap peas, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, carrots, etc.)

Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

This is one of my veggies-our-kids-will-always-eat recipes. I love it too! With sunflower seed, craisins, golden raisins, a sweet vinegar dressing. Mmmm...qnd good for you. Sheeez, it's just too much! Since I love, love, LOVE the big knife my brother got me a few years ago, it's also a great recipe to get out all of that pent-up chopping energy you might have. If not, of course there's an alternative--get a bag of broccoli cole slaw mix!

1 head cauliflower separated into small flowerets, chopped into little pieces
1 bunch broccoli separated into flowerets, chopped into little pieces
1/3 cup chopped red onion
½ cup carrot, shredded or finely chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 cup craisins
½ to 1 cup sunflower seeds &/or chopped cashews or toasted pecans
1 pkg. cooked bacon pieces
Chicken-flavored Ramen noodles, optional (don't use for a gluten-free recipe)

Dressing
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
¼-1/3 cup sugar
Ramen noodle flavor packet, optional (I don't use since it has gluten)
1/2 tsp sesame oil (just because I've been making all my dressings with this lately!)
Salt & pepper to taste

Mix first eight ingredients together; pour dressing over and mix to blend 2 hours in advance. Just before serving, break up Ramen noodles into fine pieces and mix into salad. Serves 10-12.

QUICK & EASY ALTERNATIVE: Omit the cauliflower, broccoli and carrot. Use two bags of broccoli slaw mix (with carrots).

Cole Slaw (no mayo)

This is another recipe from my mother-in-law. My husband and I love this recipe because the dressing is not mayo-based. My husband does not like mayo, and I just prefer the tangy zip of the vinegar dressing! An added bonus…it’s good to go for summer outdoor picnics since it doesn’t go bad like those with mayo.

2 cups chopped or finely sliced cabbage (adding some red cabbage makes it colorful)
½ cup chopped parsley
½ cup sliced onions (whatever kind you like--green, red, or sweet onions)

Mix above ingredients. Can do this day before serving and refrigerate.

Dressing:
2-3 TBSP sugar
2-3 TBSP vinegar
2 TBSP oil
1 tsp. salt
(1/2 - ground mustard, my addition)
(ground pepper to taste, my addition)

Shake to blend and combine with cabbage mixture ½ hour before serving.

Salad in a Pinch--Lettuce or Spinach with Fruit and Nuts

I love salad bars with all those varied and wonderful veggies--all fresh, cleaned, sliced, diced, and ready to eat. In our kitchen, I just can't keep up with all the cleaning, chopping, blah, blah, blah! So, I just keep some regular no-prep supplies on hand and make my own dressings. Here are my must-always-have basics.Our kids love to top off their salads with toasted or candied nuts. I keep a container of them on hand most of the time! Here's the recipe for Sugar and Spice Glazed Pecans that I use. I also LOVE to use the dressing (WITH the sesame oil) from my Napa Salad with most of my everyday salads. I keep a plunger of it in my fridge.

Tortilla Soup

Although I'm not a born Southerner (and they're not quick to claim ya either), I've had many native Southerners approve of this recipe I've tweaked--mostly to make easier!

1 TBSP olive oil
1 med. onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilis, liquid and all
6 cups gluten-free chicken broth or homemade chicken stock
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes with liquid (our kids like petite diced)
Salt (optional—I don’t use since the chips are salted)
¾-1 lb. (3 chicken breasts) shredded or diced cooked chicken
1 (~13 oz.) bag tortilla chips (Cool Ranch Doritos are good, but they contain milk products, plain tortilla chips are fine)
1 large ripe (but still firm) Hass avocado--or 2 small avocadoes, diced
1 (8 oz.) pkg. light sour cream (or Tofrutti for lactose/casein free)
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese (leave out for lactose/casein free)
3-4 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oil on med-high heat in soup pot, add onion and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and green chilis; cook 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender. Stir in broth, tomatoes (and salt if using). Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add cooked chicken; heat until hot. Place the tortilla chips in gallon-sized zip baggie and smash bag to break up chips into smaller pieces.

To serve, cut and pit the avocado, dice. Divide the crushed chips in half. Add a handful of smashed chips in each serving bowl; ladle in soup. Top with a dollop of sour cream, avocado and cheese; garnish with more tortilla chips and cilantro. Yummo!!

VEGGIE VARIATION:
Replace chicken with:
1 can (drained/rinsed) black beans & 1 cup chopped zucchini,
OR
1 can black beans & 1 can northern beans, drained & rinsed

LACTOSE FREE: Don't top with shredded cheese or sour cream (use Tofrutti)...OR live it up and take a lactose supplement if they work for you!

TIPS: To prevent diced avocados from going brown when using as a topping, drizzle lime juice over them and gently mix.

If you have any diced avocado toppings left over, put them in the left-over soup so they don't go brown.

This soup is really good with left-over grilled, fajita, or oven-roasted chicken.

White Chicken Chili

This recipe is right on the can of Bush's Great Northern Beans! Why do I post it then? So you can take a looksee before you go out and buy a can...and because I've tweaked it ever so slightly! It really is very tasty, and our kids love it! It's embarrassingly easy since you basically just dump, heat, and eat. A fine friend for busy moms!

1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 TBSP olive oil
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies, do not drain
2 TBSP all-purpose flour
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 (15.8 oz.) cans northern beans, drained & rinsed
1 (14-1/2 oz.) can chicken broth
1-1/2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken
Shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, optional, especially for my LactIntol husb!
Sour cream, optional
Salsa, optional
Cilantro, optional

In large skillet, cook onion in oil for 4 minutes or until transparent. Add chilies, flour and cumin; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add beans and chicken both; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened. Add chicken; cook until hot. Garnish with cheese, sour cream and salsa, if desired.

LACTOSE FREE: Do not top with sour cream or shredded cheese...OR live it up and take a lactase supplement if they work for you!