So Much To Make: chip

Showing posts with label chip. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Creamy Kale Dip

Do you like spinach dip? I'm a total sucker for it. I have had spinach dip as the main course for some of my eat-alone meals (with sides of tortilla chips, crackers, and carrots).

But as good for us as spinach is, it has been trumped. Move over Spinach; Kale is the new Super Food in town.

I don't know about you, but I've had a harder time with kale. Spinach is delicious with virtually no work. It can hold it's own in fresh salads. Kale tends to be bitter and tough. It kind of HAS to be cooked or steamed. I've tried making kale "chips"--where you drizzle fresh kale leaves in olive oil and roast them in the oven. They were edible, but hardly competition for any other "chips" I've eaten.

So I am SUPER excited to share a version of kale consumption that is not just tolerable, but down-right enjoyable. And it is super easy to make. You don't even need to tell anyone it is kale until they've raved about how yummy it is.

My idea began with this. Look for it in your grocer's freezer section. It is inexpensive and cuts so much work out of preparation. All you need to do is cook the kale according to package directions. Drain and cool.

Add one package of Knorr Vegetable Recipe Mix, 1 cup of mayo, and one cup of sour cream. Mix well and store in the fridge for about an hour before serving.

We ate ours with chopped veggies (red bell peppers, cucumbers, jicama, and carrots), and tortilla chips.

It doesn't taste exactly like spinach dip. But it doesn't taste like any kale recipe I've ever had either. It is better. It is perfect to serve at football game parties, book clubs, baby showers, or just to snack on for the heck of it!

Creamy Kale Dip

Makes about 4 cups

Ingredients:

1 12oz package chopped frozen Kale

1 1.4 oz package Knorr vegetable recipe mix

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

Directions:

1. Cook kale on stove according to package directions. (Note that it cooks longer than most veggies--about 20-25 minutes of simmering). Drain well, and cool.

2. Mixed drained kale with remaining ingredients. Cover and put in fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.

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Thursday, October 30, 2014

Cinnamon Chip Banana Bread

This week was my son's last week of 8th grade football. As a mom, I am scared everyday when I send my kids out the door. They face so much in school. I love seeing them grow amid the challenges that come with early adolescence, but I do a fair amount of worrying, too.

You'd think that having a son in football would only add to the worries, but amazingly it didn't. Picking my sweaty (and smelly!) son up after 2 hours of practice every day was nothing but a positive experience. When I asked how his day went, he'd reply, "Great!" When I asked how football went, he'd say,"Fun!" He'd then tell me about what he'd learned that day in class and on the field. I'd share with him some of my junior high and high school experiences that related. And when we got home (after a snack), he'd get right on his homework. He has been managing his time so well because he has had to.

At his football games, I never once heard a coach be anything but constructive and positive. His coaches would put their arms around the boys individually to offer advice. More than once, my son told us about specific praise from a coach for improvement in his playing skills.

So for this last week of football, I wanted to do something special for his two main coaches. And, being from the South, I show pretty much any emotion (be it gratitude, grievance, or sympathy), with food.

Since I had 7 bananas to use, I decided a loaf of cinnamon chip banana bread would be appropriate.

I had just enough batter to make two large loaves (one for each of his coaches) and two tiny loaves (so my kids didn't feel jipped).

We loved it, as I'm sure the coaches did. And you will, too!

Here's the recipe:

Cinnamon Chip Banana Bread

Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients:

7 ripe bananas, mashed

4 eggs

2 scant cups sugar

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup sour cream

4 cups flour (I did half whole wheat, half white)

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1.5 cups cinnamon baking chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare two loaf pans with cooking spray and flour.

2. Mix bananas, eggs, sugar, and oil well with an electric mixer. Stir in sour cream.

3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, soda, salt, and baking powder. Stir well into wet mixture. Stir in cinnamon chips.

4. Bake 50-60 minutes, until tops no longer look wet and return to shape when touched.

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Monday, September 22, 2014

Cinnamon Chip Pumpkin Waffles

Happy Fall! One of my favorite Fall traditions is the baking I always do--especially the pumpkin recipe baking! I remember coming home from runs with my dad as a kid and smelling my mom's hotcakes. That was the smell of comfort, of love, of home.

I recently bought a package of cinnamon chips on a whim. My oldest two went on a run together Saturday morning, and I decided to make pumpkin waffles with the cinnamon chips while they were out, in hopes that they could come home to something delicious. The result? All I can say is WOW. My family LOVED these. They are bursting with rich, warm flavor even before you add butter and syrup. The only hang-up is getting full.

If you've never bought cinnamon baking chips, now is the time to find them (they are seasonal)! Check you grocery store, or you can find them online (Amazon or The Prepared Pantry are options).

Here's the easy recipe:

Cinnamon Chip Pumpkin Waffles

Makes 12 large waffles

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon cloves

3 cups flour (I used half whole wheat)

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

13/4 cups milk

1 1/2 cups cinnamon baking chips

Directions:

1. Using an electric mixer, beat eggs, oil, and sugar together. Add pumpkin, vanilla, and spices, then beat well.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Alternate adding the milk and flour mix to the wet mixture, beating after each addition until it is all added and incorporated.

3. Stir in cinnamon chips.

4. Bake on greased waffle iron. Serve with your favorite toppings. We had butter, maple syrup, and some homemade apple pie filling. Mmm,mmm.