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Sensational Snacking Class Recap

5/13/2017

Thank you to all who participated in our Kids in the Kitchen classes on Saturday, May 6th at Verdant Community Wellness Center. We enjoyed excellent discussions about “division of responsibility” with the parents and had a great time creating tasty snacks in the learning kitchen with the kids. After a whole lot of measuring, mashing, and mixing, the kids baked up five delicious batches of Nature Packed Power Bars, which filled the kitchen with the delightful aroma of banana and cinnamon. Recipes for the oatmeal bars, trail mix bars, and Greek yogurt dip are included below. Enjoy!
~ Holly, RDN

Nature Packed Power Bars
Ingredients (Yield: 16-24 bars)

1 ½ cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 medium/large bananas)
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
2 Tablespoons date paste (~5 dates + 1-2 Tbsp water)
2 cups rolled oats, coarsely chopped
½ cup dried tart cherries, chopped
¼ cup dried apricots (~7 pieces), chopped
½ cup walnuts, chopped
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)
½ cup sliced almonds
¼ cup chia seeds
2 Tbsp dark chocolate, chopped (~20 grams)

Notes:

To snack on bars throughout the week, store in the refrigerator in a covered container
For longer storage, wrap bars individually in parchment or wax paper and secure with tape or string. Place in a freezer bag. Remove bar from the freezer the night before desired snacking, or lightly warm in the microwave for 15 seconds

Nutrition (per bar):

16 bars: 200 calories, 6 grams protein, 23 grams carbohydrate (5 grams fiber, 9 grams sugar), 11 g fat (1.5 g saturated, 3.5 g monounsaturated, 5 g polyunsaturated)
24 bars: 135 calories, 4 grams protein, 15 grams carbohydrate (3 grams fiber, 6 grams sugar), 7 g fat (1 g saturated, 2 g monounsaturated, 3 g polyunsaturated)

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 350° F
Prepare baking dish. Line large 9x13” baking dish with parchment paper, leaving paper hang over on at least two sides so you can easily lift out bars after baking.
1. If you’d rather bake individual granola bites, line cupcake tins with foil cups
Prepare date paste. Fill a small bowl with hot water and dates. Allow dates to sit and soften for 15 minutes or longer (this is the perfect time to chop the nuts, fruit, and oatmeal). Remove softened dates and place in a small food processor. Add 1-2 Tablespoons reserved soaking water and pulse dates until mixture resembles creamy peanut butter.
Prepare oats. In a food processor or blender, pulse oats a couple times until roughly chopped and resembling coarse saw dust.
In a large bowl, mash banana until smooth. Mix in vanilla, date puree, and cinnamon. Mix in oatmeal just until moistened.
Fold nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and chocolate into banana mixture until well combined.
Dump mixture into prepared baking dish. Spread into an even layer with a spoon or spatula
1. If you choose to make individual servings, spoon mixture into baking tins to fill halfway (~ ¼ cup each)
Bake for 23-27 minutes until mixture is firm. Edges may be lightly golden. Leave mixture in the pan and allow to rest on a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes. Lift bars out of pan and allow to cool completely, or place bars on a baking sheet and place in the freezer to speed up the cooling process
Cut bars to desired size. For 16 servings, cut bars 4x4. For 24 servings, cut bars 6x4.

Recipe adapted from: http://ohsheglows.com/2014/05/20/feel-good-hearty-granola-bars/

Nutrition (per bar):

170 calories, 4 grams protein, 15.5 grams carbohydrate (2 grams fiber, 8 grams sugar), 40 mg sodium
10.5 grams fat (1.5 g saturated, 3.5 g monounsaturated, 4.5 g polyunsaturated)

Fruit and Nut Trail Mix Bars
Ingredients (Yield: 10 bars)

⅓ cup pumpkin seeds, unsalted
1 Tablespoon chia seeds
⅓ cup dried cherries, chopped
⅓ cup puffed brown rice cereal
½ cup almonds, sliced or chopped
½ cup walnuts, chopped
2 Tablespoons (~20g) dark chocolate, chopped
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup brown rice syrup

Have Allergies or want different ingredient options?

Make Your Own Creation with the following ratios:

1 ⅓ cups chopped nuts or seeds
¼ cup crisp brown rice cereal
⅓ cup chopped dried fruit
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ cup brown rice syrup or corn syrup

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 325° F
Prepare your baking pan. Line with parchment paper. Leave some paper to hang over the edges of your pan so you can easily lift out the bars after baking
1. For a single batch, use an 8x8 baking pan
2. For a double batch, use a 9x13 baking pan
In a medium bowl, combine nuts, seeds, dried fruit, chocolate, and salt. Drizzle vanilla over mixture and toss well to evenly distribute
Add brown rice syrup and stir to evenly coat mixture. It will be sticky
Dump mixture into prepared pan. Spread mixture to the edges of the pan as best as possible. To easily press down mixture, rub some canola or coconut oil on the bottom of a drinking glass and lightly tap mixture to form an even layer.
Bake for 18 minutes. The mixture will look slightly bubbly and will still be gooey at this point. Leave mixture in the pan and allow to rest on a cooling rack for 20 minutes. Do not allow bars to cool completely yet or they may be too hard to cut
Holding the edges of overhanging parchment paper, lift the mixture from the pan. Mixture will still be warm but will be more set up. Place on a cutting board and use a pastry cutter or large chefs knife to cut into 10 bars. Do not try to remove bars from paper yet! They are still warm and will stick.
Allow bars to sit out and cool completely. You can also place the bars in the freezer to speed up the cooling process

Recipe adapted from:
http://powerhungry.com/2011/09/homemade-trio-bars-and-homemade-kind-bars/

Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip

Ingredients:

¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon dried chives (plus extra for garnish)
2/3 cup (or one 5.3 oz container) plain Greek yogurt
1-2 Tbsp milk to thin (optional)

Directions:

In a small bowl, use a fork or spoon to blend together spices, salt, and yogurt. Mix until well combined.
Thickness of dip may vary by brand of yogurt. Mix in milk one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.
Garnish with an additional sprinkle of chives.
Enjoy with your favorite veggies!

Nutrition (Calculated with non-fat Greek yogurt):

Entire recipe: 2/3 cup dip = 100 calories, 16 grams protein, 635 mg sodium
One serving: 2 Tablespoons = 20 calories, 3 grams protein, 120 mg sodium

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