A peek Into My Kitchen: Oven-dried Apple Chips

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I am always looking for easy, fun and healthy snacks to give my kids after school…and, quite honestly, for them to snack on on their way out the door in the morning if they haven’s had time to eat a real breakfast.

Making apple chips is surprisingly simple and, though I wish that I had one of those handy-dandy dehydrator gizmos, doesn’t require anything more complicated in the way of tools than an oven and a cookie sheet.

I like to cut the core the apples and cut them in circles, because I think they’re more fun to eat that way.  If you’d rather cut them in slices, that could work just as well. I like to make a bunch at a time because, though this recipe couldn’t be more simple, it does take time and patience.

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A peek Into My Kitchen: Seedy Granola #nutfree #allergyfriendly #breakfast

I love granola, but, as the mom of a kid with nut allergies, most packaged brands are off-limits.  This is an easy recipe which, even if your household is allergy-free, is a much cheaper, healthier option than most of what you can find in your supermarket’s cereal aisle.

Note: Some people who are allergic to tree nuts also cannot have coconut, in this case you can easily substitute canola or other mild vegetable oil.  Likewise, any seeds which pose an allergy risk can also be omitted. If you are cooking for someone with a severe allergy, check packages to make sure that the oats, seeds and dried fruit you have purchased have not been packaged on a line with nuts.

Seedy Granola

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A peek Into My Kitchen: My Mom’s Baked Spaghetti (mostly)

After posting the picture on Instagram and Facebook, I’ve owed the recipe to a number of people for quite a while. Somehow creating a casserole out of your spaghetti and sauce turns it into a much more exciting and satisfying dinner than just boiling noodles…not much additional work, trust me!

Baked Spaghetti

INGREDIENTS

1 lb box spaghetti, linguini or cappellini

2 bunches fresh raw spinach, washed well and chopped coarsely (optional)

2-3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 stick unsalted butter

I 16 oz jar of your favorite sauce (homemade could work too, but I promised little work!)

½ cup cornflake crumbs

DIRECTIONS

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Hunkering Down for Hurricane Sandy with Coffee Ice Cubes

I can’t say that I’m terribly panicked about Hurricane Sandy. I live in uptown Manhattan, and though there seems to be a good chance that we will lose power and that my husband and I may have to work hard not to completely lose our minds while stuck inside with two stir-crazy kids, we should be relatively safe.

I have an empty cooler and a whole bunch of ice cubes ready, so that if power goes out I can keep perishables cold for a while. I have plenty of food, art projects and games, a fully charged DVD player and iPad, an Eton hand crank radio/flashlight/cellphone charger, candles, matches, flashlights, glow sticks and batteries.

The piece de resistance?

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A peek Into My Kitchen: Sweet Potato, Corn and Wild Rice Chowder

I had some dental work done this afternoon, so I made a big pot of this soup this morning. With a whole grain loaf of bread, some good cheese and a side of roasted asparagus, it made a nice dinner for a gloomy day.

Sweet Potato, Corn and Wild Rice Chowder

1 tbsp vegetable oil

I large or 2 small onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

12 cups water

1 cup wild rice

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

generous pinch salt

4 cups diced sweet potatoes (about 3)

2 1/2-3 cups corn kernels–fresh, frozen or really good canned ones (if using canned, rinse well)

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A peek Into My Kitchen: Green Tea Pound Cake

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Yes it is slightly green.  No it hasn’t spoiled. It’s green tea, silly 🙂 Don’t you think that Starbucks, Oren’s or even the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf should be serving slices of this along with their coffees and teas?

Green Tea Pound Cake

1 3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 sticks butter

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup Matcha Green Tea latte powder, divided

4 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Spray a 9x5x3 loaf pan with nonstick baking spray.

3. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt

4. Cream butter, sugar and 1/4  cup of the green tea powder until fluffy.

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