Recipe: Potato & Carrot Casserole

This casserole is great because it is very low in fat, is packed with vegetables and contains healthy protein. It’s also easy to make and tastes great – even the kids will eat it. Enjoy with a side of steamed broccoli.

Yield: 6 servings

Here’s what you need…

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 3/4 cup fat free chicken broth
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 3 cups grated red potato, cleaned but don’t peel
• 3/4 cup egg white (or egg beater)
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease a medium sized baking pan and set aside.
2. In a medium sized frying pan, saute the onion in the water until well done. Add the garlic. Add the chicken broth, carrots, and potatoes and cook for 3 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and stir in egg whites.
4. In a small bowl, combine flour, wheat germ, baking powder, salt and pepper. Add to the vegetables. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 60 minutes.
5. Serve with a side of steamed broccoli.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 143 calories, .5g fat, 28g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, and 8g protein.

Stuffed Beet Treats

What You Need:

• 8 whole beets, cooked
• 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped fine
• ½ tsp. dry mustard
• 1 tsp sweet pickles, minced
• 1 ½ TBSP mayonnaise
• ½ tsp. mild salsa

How to Make It:

• Begin by removing a section out of each beet with a melon baller to form a cavity to fill.
• In a mixing bowl combine the eggs, dry mustard, pickles and mayonnaise.
• Stir well to combine.
• Fold in the salsa and blend to desired consistency.
• Fill each beet with the mixture.

You can substitute pickle relish for the sweet pickles and salad dressing for the mayonnaise. If using a salad dressing hold back a little on the sweet pickles or relish or the mixture may be too sweet for some tastes.

Kristy Lee Wilson

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Vegetables in Marinade

What You Need:

• 1 C cold water
• 1 C sugar
• 1 C white vinegar
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 lb. fresh mushrooms
• 2 C broccoli florets
• 2 C cauliflower florets
• 2 large red bell peppers, cut into 1 inch strips
• 2 C carrots, cut diagonally into strips

How to Make It:

• Place the water, sugar, vinegar and salt in a large bowl.
• Mix until the sugar is completely dissolved.
• Add the vegetables and stir well to coat.
• Cover and refrigerate until ready to eat.

The longer these set the better they taste. The sugar makes this a slightly sweet treat. Cucumbers and onions also work well in this marinade.

Creamy Cheese and Asparagus Toppers

What You Need:

• 12 asparagus spears
• 1 TBSP water
• 2 (3 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 2.5 oz. (½ pkg.) Parmesan and Romano cheese, shredded
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• Assorted crackers

How to Make It:

• Clean and trim the asparagus spears.
• Cut each spear into 1 in pieces.
• Place the asparagus in a microwave safe bowl.
• Add the water and cover.
• Microwave on high power for 4 minutes or until the asparagus is fork tender.
• Drain off any excess water.
• In a mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, shredded cheese and lemon juice.
• Mix together well.
• Spread the cheese mixture on the crackers.
• Top with the asparagus pieces.

To make this even easier use a flavored cream cheese such as chive, garden vegetable or roasted garlic and leave out the shredded cheese.

Barbeque Chicken for Even The Pickiest of Eaters

Ingredients:

• 4 skinless chicken breasts (or 6 thighs ~ thighs are cheaper!)
• 1 cup favorite barbeque sauce
• 1 green pepper sliced
• 2 carrots cut up
• 2 potatoes, cut up
• salt and pepper

Instructions:

• Pour a small amount of the barbeque sauce into bottom of large baking dish. Arrange chicken evenly spaced apart in dish. Pour remaining barbeque sauce over chicken. Distribute cut up veggies throughout.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.

*TIP: Sometimes picky kids aren’t fond of chicken and veggies just sitting on their plate.  If you shred the chicken and put it on a bun and add the veggies on the side, the dinner might be more appealing to your picky little one.

Pimento Pockets

What You Need:

• 1 C green peas, cooked
• 1 C small curd cottage cheese
• 1 small onion, chopped fine
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 8 small whole pimentos, cleaned and peeled
• 1 C seasoned bread crumbs

How to Make It:

• In a bowl mix together the peas, cottage cheese, onion, salt and pepper to taste.
• Stuff each pimiento with the pea mixture.
• Spray a cookie sheet with a non stick cooking spray.
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Place the stuffed pimento on the cookie sheet.
• Sprinkle with the seasoned bread crumbs.
• Bake 5 minutes or until the bread crumbs begin to brown.

Whole fresh pimentos can be hard to find in some areas. Canned pimentos work just as well and don’t need to be cleaned and peeled in most instances.

Fruity Yogurt Pops

Almost everyone I know loves a nice bowl of ice cream every now and then – and for some now more often than then. This recipe is great to have as a healthier option to traditional fat-laden frozen treats. You will still find your sweet tooth satisfied without the guilt setting in later. Try it with your favorite flavor of yogurt.

Yields: 10 servings.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (16 ounces) reduced-fat strawberry yogurt
• 1 can (8 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 2 to 3 drops red food coloring, optional

Instructions:

• In a food processor or blender, combine the yogurt, pineapple, honey and food coloring if desired; cover and process until smooth. Pour 1/4 cupfuls into 10 plastic molds or 3-oz. paper cups; top with holders or insert wooden sticks.
• Freeze until firm, about 8 hours or overnight.

Nutritional Analysis: One yogurt ice pop equals: 61 calories, trace fat, 13g carbohydrate, 2g protein.

Banana Fritters

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 bananas, mashed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tablespoon margarine
• vegetable oil for frying
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar

Instructions:
Mix together mashed bananas and milk.  Sift in the baking powder and salt. Blend in the eggs and margarine.  Heat oil in skillet. Carefully drop spoonfuls of batter into the hot oil. Like you were making a pancake, Fry until edges set, flip, fry until golden brown. Transfer to a plate with paper towels to drain off excess oil/grease. Sift a dusting of confectioner’s sugar over fritters at serving time.

Apple Nachos with Peanut Butter Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 apple (diced)
• 1 banana (halved and sliced)
• 2 whole pita breads
• 1/4 cup butter, melted (1/2 stick)
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Sauce Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup of whole milk
• 1 tablespoon of honey

Instructions:

• Cut the pitas in half so you have two half circles, then cut in half again, creating 4 triangle shapes from each.
• Separate and pull bread apart at the edge where it’s still attached.  Brush pita chips with butter and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 400 degrees F for 5 – 7 minutes.  While baking, prepare sauce by melting together peanut butter, honey and milk in a small saucepan.  Serve chips drizzled with sauce and add sliced apples and banana to the plate for a fun lunch or after school snack.

Mini Tomatoes with Cottage Cheese

What You Need:

• 30 cherry tomatoes
• 1 C small curd cottage cheese
• 1 tsp. celery salt
• 1 tsp. mustard
• ¼ tsp. onion powder

How to Make It:

• Remove the tops of the cherry tomatoes.
• Remove the seeds and set tomatoes aside.
• Place the cottage cheese in a mixing bowl.
• Fold in the celery salt, mustard and onion powder being sure to mix together well.
• Fill each tomato with the mixture.
• Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Kids like these because they are easy to just pop in their mouth while on the run.  They are great with just plain cottage cheese too.