EDIBLES

Scary good food ideas for kids to try

Published

4 years ago

10/28/2020

Take the fear out of trying unfamiliar produce

(Family Features) Introducing kids to unfamiliar flavors doesn’t have to be a frightful experience. Getting creative and taking cues from some beloved characters may be all it takes for families to explore produce in a new way and discover how delicious, satisfying and enjoyable fresh fruits and vegetables can be.

A passion for produce may begin with America’s favorites, like bananas, apples, citrus, celery, carrots and broccoli, but that’s just the beginning.

Whether it’s their angry names and tough exteriors, or simply a fear of the unknown about taste and preparation, dozens more diverse and exotic fruits and vegetables like dragon fruit, horned melon and Brussels sprouts are often the sources of produce paranoia.

An initiative from Dole, in collaboration with Disney and Pixar’s Monsters, Inc., is helping to take the scare out of specialty fruits and vegetables and widen America’s produce horizons. That’s because, like a good book or the characters in a beloved film, you can’t judge a fruit or vegetable by its appearance; nature’s true beauty often lies within.

The campaign offers character-inspired recipes, serving suggestions, digital and social activations, family-friendly activities, fun trivia and influencer partnerships that celebrate the not-so-scary world of the planet’s more unusual fresh bounty.

One easy way to introduce new flavors is by trying a variation of a familiar fruit or veggie. For example, there are more than 500 edible banana varieties in the world. You might sample a red banana or a Manzano, or even an ice cream banana, with a taste resembling vanilla custard.

These fun and kid-friendly Green Slime Nacho Cups feature plantains, for example, a member of the banana family with a different taste and texture than everyday yellow bananas – more firm and starchy like a potato. Increase your family’s produce intake even further with a Slippery Slimy Smoothie and Chicken Stuffed Roz Heads, which call for green grapes, celery, avocados, strawberries and blueberries.

Find more recipes and other not-so-scary fun at dole.com/Disney, and follow #Dole and #DoleRecipes.

Chicken Stuffed Roz Heads

Prep time: 15 minutes
Servings: 3

1 cup cubed, cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup DOLE® Green Grapes, halved
1/4 cup chopped Dole Celery
1/3 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 Dole Avocados, halved, pitted and peeled
6 whole-wheat pretzel twists
18 whole-wheat pretzel sticks
1 Dole Strawberry, sliced
3 dried, sweetened blueberries

In bowl, stir together chicken, grapes, celery, yogurt, salt and pepper.
Scoop three equal portions onto serving plate. Shape each into oval.
Top each with upside down avocado half.
Decorate each avocado half to resemble Roz’s face. Using sharp paring knife, trim each pretzel twist to create horn-rimmed glasses lens by cutting off double loop section of each pretzel twist and discarding or enjoying as snack, keeping single loop portion, which will become one lens. Two lenses are needed per Roz Head.
Place two pretzel lenses on each avocado to form glasses. Add pretzel stick to each side of avocado to form arms of glasses. Push four pretzel sticks into top of each avocado to form hair. Add strawberry slice, trimmed to look like lips for her mouth, and place blueberry on lower left side of face to form mole.

Green Slime Nacho Cups

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

1 green starting to turn yellow DOLE® Plantain, peeled and thinly sliced on bias
1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 Dole Avocado, halved, pitted and peeled
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup thinly shredded Dole Purple Cabbage

Preheat oven to 375 F. Toss plantain slices with canola oil and season with pinch of salt. On parchment paper-lined baking sheet, arrange slices in single layer with no overlapping.
Bake 18-20 minutes, or until crispy and lightly golden. Cool completely and set aside.
Using spoon, scoop flesh of avocado into small bowl and mash, reserving one half avocado shell. Stir mashed avocado with lime juice, garlic and remaining salt. Stir in slaw, reserving some for garnish. Scoop into reserved avocado shell and smooth top with back of spoon. Stick reserved cabbage shreds out of avocado mixture to look like hair.
Serve slime nacho cups with plantain chips.

Slippery Slimy Smoothie

Prep time:10 minutes
Servings: 2 (8 ounces each)

1/2 cup DOLE® Spinach
1 Dole Banana, peeled and frozen
1/2 cup Dole Green Grapes, frozen
1/3 cup cucumber, diced
1/2 cup Dole Pineapple
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
5 ice cubes

In blender, blend spinach, banana, grapes, cucumber, pineapple, almond milk, Greek yogurt and ice cubes until smooth.
Pour smoothie into two glasses and serve.

SOURCE:
Dole

EDIBLES

Smoke your Thanksgiving turkey for tasty twist on tradition

Published

2 days ago

11/20/2024

bowienews

(Culinary.net) Make room in the oven this Thanksgiving with a Spatchcock Smoked Turkey recipe that stays moist and tender. By relying on the smoker rather than a traditional baked bird, you can keep the oven freed up for savory sides and delectable desserts.

Visit Culinary.net to find more Thanksgiving recipes.

Spatchcock Smoked Turkey

Recipe courtesy of “Cookin’ Savvy”
Servings: 8-10

1 stick melted butter
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons thyme
2 tablespoons lemon powder
1 turkey (10 pounds)

Heat smoker to 225 F.
Mix melted butter, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme and lemon powder. Rub entire turkey front and back with butter mixture.
Smoke turkey until it reaches internal temperature of 150 F. While turkey finishes smoking, heat grill to at least 450 F.
Sear turkey on grill until internal temperature reaches 165 F, about 10-15 minutes. Flip turkey breast side down 30 seconds to crisp skin. Use pizza peel to remove from grill.

SOURCE:
Culinary.net

EDIBLES

Find Comfort in a One-Pot Pie

Published

1 week ago

11/13/2024

bowienews

(Family Features) That first day of chilly weather always feels the coldest before you’re accustomed to it, and an easy, warm, filling meal can help hit the spot. Better yet, this rendition of Shepherd’s Pie is made with just one pot so cleanup can be a snap.

Visit Culinary.net for more one-dish meal ideas that bring comfort to cool days.

Shepherd’s Pie

Recipe courtesy of “Cookin’ Savvy”
Servings: 8-12

1 pound ground beef
6 medium potatoes, peeled
2 teaspoons thyme, divided
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1/2 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 bag (12 ounces) frozen mixed veggies

Heat oven to 350 F.
In Dutch oven, brown ground beef and drain fat.
Boil potatoes until fork tender and mash them. Add 1 teaspoon thyme, salt and pepper, to taste, and set aside.
Place ground beef back in Dutch oven and mix in onion powder, tomato paste, beef broth, garlic powder, cream and remaining thyme. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Mix in frozen veggies.
Cover meat mixture with potatoes and bake 25-30 minutes.

SOURCE:
Culinary.net

EDIBLES

Homemade meals to tackle takeout cravings

Published

2 weeks ago

11/06/2024

bowienews

(Family Features) Many busy weeknights come down to one decision for frazzled families: cook at home or give in to takeout cravings. Instead of stressing over a decision, enjoy the best of both worlds and make Asian-inspired dishes from the comfort of your own kitchen.

Featuring a blend of chilled, freshly chopped vegetables; ready-to-eat, pre-cooked noodles; gourmet dressing sauce; and crispy toppings, Fresh Express Hot or Cold Salad and Noodle Meal Kits offer two meal options in every bag – hot or cold – so you can make your salad, your way. Available in Teriyaki, Asian Sweet Ginger and Korean Sesame flavors, they’re the perfect inspiration for making takeout-style dishes at home.

Consider this Marinated Teriyaki Steak with Teriyaki Noodle Salad recipe, which combines juicy steak with crisp vegetables and pre-cooked Udon noodles for the ultimate at-home comfort food in an effortless meal. For a quick and delicious solution that may just become a family go-to, these Teriyaki Tofu Bowls are jam-packed with flavor, noodles and fresh veggies.

These homemade favorites feature a delicious blend of broccoli, red and green cabbage, kale, shredded carrots, radish and green onions in Fresh Express’s Hot or Cold Teriyaki Salad and Noodle Meal Kit. The vegetable blend is tossed with pre-cooked Udon noodles, white sesame seeds and crunchy wontons then finished with a gourmet teriyaki dressing sauce for familiar Asian flavor.

Visit freshexpress.com/hot-or-cold to discover more than 300 fresh recipes and find a store near you.

Marinated Teriyaki Steak with Teriyaki Noodle Salad

Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 24 minutes
Servings: 4

1/2 cup dark soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
1/2 cup unsalted chicken stock
1 pound flank steak
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 bag (16.9 ounces) Fresh Express Hot or Cold Teriyaki Salad and Noodle Meal Kit

In saucepan, add soy sauce, brown sugar, Sriracha sauce and chicken stock; bring to simmer while whisking. Simmer 4 minutes.
Cool mixture down until cool to touch, about 20 minutes.
Slice steak into thin strips and place in bowl. Pour marinade over steak and marinate for 1 hour.
In large pan over medium-high heat, stir-fry steak 2 minutes.
Remove steak from pan and allow to rest.
In same pan used for steak, add oil and cook hot or cold kit according to instructions on bag.
Add steak back to pan and stir to incorporate.
Garnish with toppings from hot or cold kit and serve.

Teriyaki Tofu Bowls

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons white pepper
2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice
1/3 cup neutral oil
1 package (16 ounces) extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 bag (16.9 ounces) Fresh Express Teriyaki Hot or Cold Salad and Noodle Meal Kit

In bowl, whisk vinegar, dark soy sauce, honey, ginger, garlic, white pepper and Chinese five-spice until combined.
Slowly pour oil into mixture while whisking vigorously. Place cut tofu in mixture and allow to sit 15 minutes.
Bring large saute pan to medium-high heat and place tofu in, turning when crust forms.
When tofu is finished, set aside and prepare hot or cold salad and noodle meal kit.
Serve with tofu on top of hot or cold salad and noodle meal kit.

SOURCE:
Fresh Express