Recipes

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Peach Crisp

Ingredients:

Topping:

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts (can substitute pecans, almonds, or anotherappropriate nut)
  • 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted
  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Filling:

  • 3 (15 ounce) cans peach slices canned in 100% juice
  • 1  tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon corn starch

 Directions:

For the topping

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F
  2. Combine oats, nuts, melted butter, canola oil, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix until well combined.

For the filling

  1. Drain peaches, and stir peaches with cinnamon, and cornstarch in another large mixing bowl until the peaches are coated with cinnamon. 
  2. Place peaches in a 10” pie pan, and cover with topping mixture
  3. Bake crisp for 30-40 minutes until filling is bubbly at the edges and top is browned
  4. Serve warm or cold
  5. Excess pie can be stored covered in fridge for 4 days

Notes:

  • I use a combination of butter and oil in the topping to keep flavor but reduce the amount of saturated fat. If you are on a diet that requires you to reduce saturated fat, you can substitute a vegetable cooking oil for any or all of the melted butter. 
  • This recipe can be modified to fit just about any canned or frozen fruit by modifying the spices and nuts used. For example, frozen mango or canned pineapple goes very well with macadamia nuts or almonds, 1 teaspoon vanilla instead of the cinnamon, and adding 1 cup of unsweetened dried coconut to the topping. 
peach crisp

Roasted beet and garlic spread

Ingredients:

  • 1 (15 ounce) can sliced beets
  • 3 garlic cloves 
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt 
  • 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans (or another white bean)
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ½ cup water or beet juice (reserved from can of beets) plus additional to get appropriate texture
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 400°F 
  2. Drain can of beets, reserving juice for later use, rinse beets with fresh water
  3. Peel garlic, and place beets, whole garlic cloves, canola oil, and salt on a large sheet pan; toss until the beets and garlic are coated in oil (I like to use clean hands for this step, so much easier than a utensil!)
  4. Roast beets at 400°F for 30-45 minutes, stirring and rotating the pan half way through. Beets are done when they are crispy and some are starting to brown on the edges. 
  5. Drain and rinse beans
  6. Place beets, garlic, cannellini beans, olive oil, lemon juice and ½ cup of water (or beet juice for a stronger beet flavor) in a food processor or blender
  7. Blend until smooth, stirring and adding more liquid (water or beet juice) as needed 
  8. Serve as a sandwich spread or dip for carrot sticks, crackers, or chips (like hummus) 
  9. Store excess spread in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or the freezer for up to 4 months

beet toast

This is what the beets should look like when they are done, but it is fine if yours turn out a little more crunchy and brown.

Notes: 

  • I like to use cannellini beans because of their rich flavor and soft texture, but you can use any white bean you have on hand such as navy beans, great northern beans, garbanzo, or baby lima beans (also called butter beans). Note that the baby lima beans have a higher starch and lower protein content than the others.
  • You can also use 1 ¾ cups of cooked beans instead of the can, if you prefer to cook them from dried. (I prefer to do this for chickpeas because they turn out much softer this way, I do them in the pressure cooker.)
  • My favorite way to serve this is as a spread on an open-faced sandwich with colorful toppings. In the picture, I’ve used grated carrots and pumpkin seeds (or pepitas) and micro-greens with pine nuts. 
  • This is a great recipe to get your kids involved with—even young children can help you toss the beets and garlic in oil with their hands, press the button on the blender, and help assemble sandwiches. Older children can help peel the garlic and measure ingredients. Give the spread a fun name like, “Pink Power,” and have fun! By having your children help cook, they are much more likely to try a new food. 

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadillas (Serves 4)

Our sweet potato black bean quesadillas are a delicious vegetarian recipe that is very filling, due to its high protein and fiber content.  Easily make them your own by adding different toppings!

Ingredients

  • 4 whole wheat tortillas
  • 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes 
  • 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 can low-sodium black beans
  • shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • pinch of salt 
  • cooking spray

Instructions:

    1. Prepare Ingredients: 
      • Cube the sweet potatoes into 1-inch square sections.  
      • Microwave the sweet potatoes for 6-7 minutes (until soft). 
      • Thoroughly rinse and dry the black beans. 
    2. Mash the potatoes and combine with other ingredients:
      • Mash the sweet potatoes inside a large bowl with a fork. 
      • Add black beans, cilantro, cumin, and salt to the sweet potatoes.  
      • Stir until well combined.
    3. Assemble the quesadillas
      • Spread a generous amount of the mixture on half of each tortilla.
      •  Sprinkle cheese on top of the mixture, and fold the tortilla in half.
    4. Cook on medium high heat
        • Cook quesadillas until golden brown.  
        • Flip and cook other side.
        • Serve immediately.

Tasks for Helping Hands

      • Mashing the sweet potatoes
      • Measuring ingredients
      • Mixing ingredients
      • Sprinkling cheese