So, I was reading a cookbook by some Hollywood “family chef” and saw a recipe for smoothies using coconut water. Call me crazy, but I had never heard of coconut water or even seen it in the store. But, all of the sudden I have seen it everywhere. Some stores display it in the juice aisle or in the produce section. The price seems to vary greatly, so you’ll want to shop around. I have only used C2O brand, but I know there are several brands available.

So what is coconut water? It is the liquid inside the coconut when you crack it open, and unlike coconut milk (which is the coconut meat ground up and liquid pressed out) it is very low in fat and calories. Coconut water is water, natural sugar, and minerals; I’ve read it’s like nature’s version of Gatorade. Of course, minus the artificial flavoring, colorings, etc.

There are lots of health claims surrounding coconut water, and I doubt it’s a miracle food or anything, but it is extremely high in potassium and slightly sweet tasting, making it a smart choice for desserts or smoothies.

My kids were sick and wanted smoothies; I couldn’t find a appetizing smoothie recipe with coconut water, so we came up with our own version. It was really easy to throw together in my food processor and it tasted great! I am not a huge smoothie fan in general, they usually need copious amounts of sugar or honey to make them palatable, but this one tasted just right to me. The coconut water added just enough sweetener, without it tasting like a dessert. Of course, our frozen fruit may have been especially sweet.

I used plain Greek yogurt because that is what I had in the fridge, but I think any yogurt would work, even a flavored one. And of course a sweeter yogurt would make a sweeter smoothie, which the kids would probably prefer anyway.

I think Coconut Water Smoothies make a healthful breakfast or snack. And of course coconut water, or a beverage made with it, is a great alternative to Gatorade if you are dehydrated from illness or strenuous exercise.

Coconut Water Smoothie.

Coconut Water Smoothie

Makes 2 large smoothies.

• about 2 cups frozen fruit (we use a combo of frozen peaches, melon and berries)
• 1-6 ounce container Greek yogurt (I use plain)
• about 6 ounces coconut water
• 1 TB sugar or honey to taste if desired

1. In a blender or food processor, pulse the frozen fruit until it is chopped into small pieces. Add the yogurt and coconut water and continue to pulse until smoothie has reached desired consistency; adding more coconut water if needed. Taste and add sugar or honey if desired (although I think it is sweet enough without the addition of sweeteners, the kids disagree).

 

 

Breakfast, Cooking With Kids, Desserts, Drinks coconut water fruit smoothie, gluten-free smoothies

Breakfast…it’s the most important meal of the day right? So if you are going to go to the trouble of making something for breakfast, why not make something that tastes great and is good for you?

My kids really enjoy pancakes and waffles, but I also want them to eat something healthy for breakfast. Multi-grain Waffles are a great compromise; they taste wonderful and they are full of healthy grains. This recipe creates thick waffles, slightly crisp and browned on the exterior, yet light and fluffy on the interior. They have a whole-grain taste for the grown-ups, but not so healthy the kids will complain.

One reason these taste so great is the teff flour. If you have never used teff before, it has a wonderful molasses-like flavor, making it a great choice for hearty breakfast fare. It is fairly expensive, but most recipes only require a small amount, so the bag should last you awhile.

This version is based on a recipe from Shauna and Daniel Ahern (aka the Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef). I changed up the flours a little, as we don’t care for tapioca flour and I have also successfully substituted flaxseed meal for the eggs. I think they do taste better with eggs, but if you can’t eat eggs, this is one of the few waffle recipes that still turns out fluffy and flavorful thanks to all the great-tasting grains!

This recipe is supposed to make 8 waffles, but I only get 4 and I think my waffle iron is on the small size. So if you are feeding a crowd, be sure and double the recipe.

If you can get your family to eat these waffles with fresh fruit, all the better!

Multi-Grain Waffles

Multi-Grain Waffles

If you want t make these egg-free, substitute 1 TB flaxseed meal + 3 TB hot tap water for each egg.

Dry ingredients:

• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup sorghum flour
• 1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour
• 1/3 cup teff flour
• 2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/2 tsp guar gum
• 1 TB baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 TB sugar

Wet ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 TB melted butter

1. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the milk, egg, vanilla, and butter until combined. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes or so before cooking in a hot waffle iron.

Breakfast

I baked up an apple cake the other day and it tasted very familiar. It reminded me of an apple cake my mom used to make when I was a kid, only she called it Raw Apple Cake. I am guessing the name is due to all the chopped up raw apples it contains.

I am just going to call my version Apple Snack Cake because I find the name more appealing, even though I am not exactly sure what  truly constitutes a “snack cake.”

I do know that this recipe makes up a really moist and flavorful apple cake, literally bursting with bites of apples. It is dense though, so if you are looking for a boxed-cake type of texture, this isn’t the recipe for you. This is really an old-fashioned, fruit-laden, cake that doesn’t require frosting; however a crumb topping  (perhaps like the one I use for blueberry buckle) or a dollop of whipped cream would be delicious choices.

I am not going to claim this cake is health food, but with applesauce, and 3 cups of diced apples, it is loaded with fruit. If your family likes apples, chances are Apple Snack Cake will be a hit at your house too!

I used a nice eating apple and I felt this was plenty of sugar. But if you use a really tart variety of apple, you might want to increase the sugar a bit.

A slice of Apple Snack Cake.

Apple Snack Cake

Although it’s great plain, pecans, walnuts, raisins, or even cinnamon baking chips would be great additions to this cake.

• 3 cups peeled, diced apples
• 2 tsp cinnamon + 1/4 cup sugar, combined
• 1 1/4 cups white rice flour
• 1/4 cup sweet rice flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup oil
• 3/4 cup applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup milk

1. Grease an 8 inch cake pan. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a small bowl toss apples with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine remaining ingredients. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds, increase speed to medium and mix for 1 1/2 minutes. Gently stir in apples and pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until cake pulls away from the sides and center tests clean, about 40-45 minutes. We think the cake tastes great served warm from the oven or chilled in the refrigerator.

Breakfast, Desserts

If you have kids, chances are you have bought your fair share of those little “instant” packages of oatmeal. Super sweet and ready in no time, they are one hot breakfast that seems practical in the morning rush.

However, once you go gluten-free the flavored instant oatmeal options are rather slim. And let’s face it, they aren’t cheap. They become a rather expensive convenience item. So why not just make your own?

It is super easy very cost effective to prepare individual servings in sandwich bags. My oldest daughter assembles the bags, they don’t have to be measured precisely, so it is a great task to delegate to the kids.

I didn’t do a complete cost analysis here, but hopefully this will give you some idea how inexpensive making your own (even with the gluten-free oats):

Gluten-Free Quick Cooking Oats 32 ounce package costs roughly $6 (this breaks down into 1/2 servings for $0.30 each). Of course if you catch a sale or buy a large quantity, the less expensive this becomes.

Quality dried fruits seem to range in the $4-$10 a pound ballpark, but you are only using a couple tablespoons per serving. Even at $10 a pound, organic, dried apples broke down to $0.20 a serving. Which I thought was very affordable, and of course more reasonably priced fruit, like raisins will cost mere pennies per serving.

If you have some cinnamon and brown sugar in your pantry, you’re set to go.

Worse case scenario making your own gluten-free instant oatmeal will set you back fifty odd cents per serving; but that would be some high-quality, great tasting oatmeal, nothing like the gummy stuff that comes in those packets.

So, if you can eat oats, I think making your own Homemade Instant Oatmeal is a smart and convenient choice. No additives, no preservatives, just real ingredients for a really fast, hot breakfast.

Homemade Instant Oatmeal

Homemade Instant Oatmeal

These are the measurements for one serving of oatmeal in a sandwich-size bag.

• 1/2 cup quick-cooking gf oats
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 TB brown sugar
• pinch of salt, optional
• 2 TB dried fruit, chopped if necessary (raisins, apples, cranberries, etc)

1. Microwave Directions (our favorite method): Pour contents of bag into a bowl and add 1 cup of water, microwave 1 1/2- 2 minutes and stir before serving.
2. Stove Top Directions: Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add contents of bag and reduce heat; cook 3-5 minutes, depending on desired consistency. Remove from heat and cover, let stand a few minutes before serving.
3. Boiling Water Directions: Empty contents of bag into a bowl and add 2/3 cup boiling water. Stir and cover; let sit for 5 minutes. Uncover and stir again before serving.

Breakfast, Cooking With Kids, Make ahead

I was inspired by the latest Williams-Sonoma catalog and just had to make a Potato Frittata, it actually has cubed, cooked potatoes inside the filling! I changed up the recipe quite a bit, reducing the quantity of eggs and cheese, but most importantly, I completely changed the cooking method.

Like most people,  I do not own a frittata pan. To tell the truth I didn’t even know there was such a pan; I suppose that is why they have these catalogs, to make us realize we REALLY need all this kitchen equipment. I was able to improvise and create a wonderful Potato Frittata that we really enjoyed without any special equipment.

A frittata is basically a thick, hearty omelet. They are perfect for a weekend brunch or add a salad and you have an easy dinner. They can be served at room temperature or even cold, but we prefer them hot.

Although I think bacon, potato, and cheddar is a classic, and winning, combination, if you prefer a different filling, I think almost any cheese or cooked vegetables could be used instead. If you are looking for some ideas, I have a recipe for individual frittatas that can be made in a muffin tin!

Cooked potato cubes and bacon ready for the egg mixture.

A slice of Potata Frittata. Really delicious!

Potato Frittata

• 1 1/2 lbs russet potatoes (about 2 large), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 TB olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 10 bacon slices, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 9 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup minced green onions or chives, plus more for garnish
• sour cream for serving, optional

1. Preheat oven to 400. Pour oil on rimmed baking sheet. Add potatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir to coat evenly. Bake, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are golden and tender.
2. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a skillet, over medium high heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Place bacon on a paper towel-lined plate to drain, reserving a couple tablespoons of bacon for garnish if desired.  Reserve 1 TB of the bacon drippings to grease the pie plate.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cheese, and green onions.
4. Brush a pie plate with the reserved bacon grease and add cooked potatoes and bacon. Pour egg mixture over and return to the oven for 25-30 minutes or until fluffy, set, and golden brown. Slice into wedges and serve garnished with green onions, bacon, or sour cream if desired.

Breakfast, Main Dishes baked potato frittata, gluten free frittata