So now that you’ve got your handy dandy pantry shopping list to make eating well a cinch, here are two fantastic recipes adapted and taste-tested by Cordelia Coyle. She says, “Why not use my list to get some snacks ready to pack in your lunch, or your child’s lunch. Apples are great, but why not pack some mini oatmeal muffins sweetened with honey, or some hummus with veggies sticks and/or whole grain crackers?” Variety after all, is the spice of life.
Here are two tasty recipes to get you started:
Mini Oatmeal Muffins
(Make 24 mini, or 12 reg size)
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 cup unbleached/all-purpose flour
- 1 cup quick cook oats
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 egg
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup vegetable oil ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup honey (instead of sugar)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Method:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line mini muffin pan with paper cups, or lightly grease.
- In a small bowl combine milk and oats, let soak for 15 minutes.
- In a large bowl, beat egg and oil. Add honey, vanilla extract and blend well. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg into wet mixture. Stir until just combined. Spoon batter into cups until 2/3 full.
- Bake in preheated oven 15 – 20 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Hummus Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained, liquid reserved
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
Method:
In a blender or food processor combine garbanzo beans, garlic, cumin, salt and olive oil. Blend on low speed, gradually adding reserved bean liquid, until desired consistency is achieved. Transfer to bowl, and fold in lemon juice and yogurt.
(Cordelia’s Note: Both recipes are adapted from allrecipes.com)
A Tasty Tip from Cordelia -
How to cook brown rice:
1. Put 1 and ½ cups of brown rice in medium pot over medium heat (no oil or anything). Stir occasionally until you hear popping (about 5 – 10 minutes), and a nutty aroma is coming from the rice – stir a few more times to toast most of the kernels.
2. Turn the heat to low and carefully pour 2 cups of boiling water into the pot with the toasted rice (it will go crazy for a minute). Add some salt to season, stir once and put the lid on the pot. Leave to simmer for 35 minutes.
3. Take pot of the heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff up the rice with a fork.
