Back to School ABC's
Print by Mary Azarian
Vermont's children are returning to school, and as they learn their ABCs, let's not forget the important role that nourishing foods play for healthy, growing minds and bodies.
These recipes feature Vermont ingredients (including whole grains, dairy, vegetables, dried fruits, and sweeteners) that are simple to prepare, affordable, and most importantly, are fun for kids to make and eat.
"C" is for Cheddar: Vermont Cheddar Crackers
This dough is very moist and easy to roll and reroll with kids, adding more flour as necessary. Cheddar cheese gives the crackers a nice golden color.
2 ½ cups whole wheat, spelt, or rye flour, or a mixture
1 cup plain yogurt
¼ cup olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbs. sesame seeds
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
all-purpose white flour, for rolling out crackers
Mix flour with yogurt – you may need to wet your fingers to form the dough into a ball. Cover and leave on the counter overnight, or for 12-24 hours.
In a small mixing bowl, stir together the olive oil, salt, baking powder, and sesame seeds. Knead this into the dough, using your fingers to “squish” the olive oil into the dough. Add the grated cheddar cheese and knead that in.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously flour a surface area to roll out the dough. The dough will be sticky, so you will be able to use a good bit of flour and re-roll dough scraps as necessary. Roll ¼” thick, and use either cookie cutters or a serrated knife to cut out shapes/rectangles. Place on parchment-paper covered baking sheet and bake about 12 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Repeat with remaining dough. Makes several dozen crackers. Adapted from Nourishing Traditions.
"D" is for Dill: Dilly Carrots
Kids like the crunch they get from pickled dilly carrots, which stay crunchy long after they've been stored in the fridge. Use fresh dill in summer, dried dill and dill seed in winter.
1 pound carrots
1 1/2-2 Tbs. sea salt
1 Tbs. chopped fresh dill or 1 tsp. dried dill
3 cloves of garlic, quartered (optional)
2 cups water (or enough to cover vegetables)
1 quart size mason jar with lid (wide mouth works best)
Cut carrots into sticks. Pack the carrot sticks into jar and add the rest of the ingredients. Fill to within one inch of the top with filtered water. Cover tightly and allow to sit at room temperature for 4-7 days, checking every day. Refrigerate when they are to your liking. Makes 1 quart. Adapted from The Nourishing Gourmet.
"E" is for Eggs: Easy Egg Cups with Kale
This snack was born out of a desire to make a kale version of a recipe for eggs poached in turkey slices in muffin cups. Eggs are so good for growing children, and for sustained energy, they can't be beat.
A few leaves of kale (about 2 cups)
1 Tbs. olive oil
Sea salt to taste
8 eggs
3 Tbs. milk
½ to ¾ cup grated cheddar cheese
pinch paprika (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin liners. Tear leaves off of kale and place in mixing bowl. Tear into smaller pieces. Add olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and massage kale leaves with your fingers until they become glossy and start to wilt, about 1 minute. Place little pieces in the bottom of each muffin liner.
Crack eggs into mixing bowl. Add milk. Scramble together with a pinch of salt. Pour eggs into the 12 muffin liners on top of the kale. Add grated cheddar cheese and an optional sprinkle of paprika.
Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the eggs puff up and become golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool before serving. Makes 12 egg cups.
Note: For picky eaters, you can always make a plain egg cup with cheddar cheese on top - maybe next time they’ll try one with kale!
"F" is for Dried Fruits: Homemade Fruit & Nut Treats
These recipes use dried fruit and nuts/seeds for quick, healty treats. Since we’re in Vermont, we challenged ourselves to come up with ingredients for these treats that can be sourced locally! Kids love to shape these treats with cookie cutters or their hands. If you're familiar with "Lara Bars," these snacks are very similiar.
(Left to right: Dried Apple Treats, Cranberry Treats, Apricot Treats, Cocoa Treats)
Dried Apple Treats
These are the easiest treats to make and shape! If you use Champlain Orchards dried apples, you may need to moisten them with a little water. If your dried apples are relatively soft, simply proceed with the recipe.
1 cup dried apples, such as Champlain Orchards apples (moistened, if needed)
1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts
Pinch salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Optional shredded coconut for rolling
Place apples and raisins in food processor and mix until well combined and forming a paste. Add nuts, salt, and cinnamon and grind until well combined. Scrape into a bowl or onto a sheet of wax paper. Moisten your hands with water to keep them from sticking to the mixture. Shape mixture into balls, bars, or logs (rolling in coconut, if you like). For longer-term storage, store in the refrigerator. Makes about a 15-18 balls. Adapted from Nourished and Nurtured.
Note:If time allows, soak the nuts overnight in water with a pinch of salt (12-24 hours) to reduce the phytic acid and make them more digestible. Proceed with recipe.
Dried Cranberry Treats
If you’re familiar with Lara Bars (one of the original healthy fruit bars with 5 ingredients or fewer), these are a version of the bar called “Cherry Pie.” We use Vermont Cranberry Co. dried cranberries.
1/2 cup dates (pits removed!), such as Medjool
1/2 cup dried cranberries, such as Vermont Cranberry Co. cranberries
2/3 cup whole pecans, almonds, or walnuts
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Place the dates and dried cranberries in a food processor. Pulse until processed to a paste. Add the nuts and cinnamon to the processor and pulse until mixture is well combined. Scrape into a bowl or onto a sheet of parchment paper.
Fill a small bowl with water for wetting hands. Using wet hands, shape mixture into balls, bars, or logs. For longer-term storage, store in the refrigerator. Makes about a dozen balls. Adapted from Enlightened Cooking.
Note:If time allows, soak the nuts overnight in water with a pinch of salt (12-24 hours) to reduce the phytic acid and make them more digestible. Proceed with recipe.
[Apricot and Cocoa Treats Coming Soon!]
"H" is for Honey: Sesame-Honey Treats
I wrote about sesame-honey treats in my last blog post, but I've sinced tweaked the recipe to reduce the honey and make it less sticky! Gently toasted sesame seeds, honey, and sea salt are the simplest ingredients for a natural sesame candy that originally hails from Greece.
2 cups unhulled sesame seeds
½ cup Vermont honey
pinch sea salt (to taste)
olive oil (for greasing the parchment paper)
Grease a sheet of parchment paper or a baking sheet with olive oil and set aside. Heat a skillet over medium heat until it becomes hot to the touch. Pour sesame seeds into the hot pan and stir them continuously with wooden spoon until they’re well-toasted and golden-brown in color – about 4-6 minutes. Stir honey and a pinch of sea salt into the toasted sesame seeds and continue to stir until they become well-coated and the mixture stiffens – about 3-5 minutes.
Pour the mixture of honey and sesame seeds onto your parchment paper and pat down with the wooden spoon. When cool to the touch, but still warm enough to be malleable, grease your fingers with olive oil and roll the pieces of honey candy into small, round balls. Or simply allow to cool and break pieces into brittle. Store in covered container. Makes about 2 dozen sesame balls. Adapted from Nourished Kitchen.
"K" is for Kale: Kale Chips
Kale chips are seriously addictive....These won't last long in your house.
½ bunch kale
2 tsp. olive oil
Sea salt to taste
Preheat oven to 350°F. Rinse and dry the kale, then remove the tough center ribs. Place in a medium mixing bowl and tear into pieces. Add olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Mix oil and salt into kale leaves with your fingers until well coated. Arrange leaves in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until crisp. Makes about 2 cups. Adapted from The Smitten Kitchen.
Variation: Kale-Dusted Popcorn: Follow recipe, but use a less olive oil (about 1 tsp.). When chips are done, grind in a mortar and pestle (if you have it) and sprinkle over freshly popped popcorn. Also good with parmesan.
"R" is for Rice: Sesame-Rice Balls
This snack is a good use for leftover rice.
1 1/2 cups short-grain brown rice
1/2 cup unhulled sesame seeds
pinch of sea salt
Toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet until golden. Place on a plate with a sprinkle of sea salt. Prepare a bowl of water for wetting your hands. Shape brown rice firmly with your hands so that it sticks together in a ball. Roll in sesame seeds, and continue with remaining rice until done. Makes about 10-12 rice balls.