Atticus is on Spring Break this week....unfortunately is doesn't line up with Aaron's Spring Break so we're staying put...a stay-cation if you will. I asked Atticus what he wanted to do this week...he suggested a trip to the the Children's Museum, the zoo, digging for worms and making homemade popsicles. I can handle that.
First up...popsicles of course! We made two different kinds of frozen treats. The first is more of a breakfast option, although it can be enjoyed anytime of the day. Atticus isn't a big breakfast eater but he loves these and they are high in protein so they give him (and me) that full feeling well into lunchtime. We simply created a smoothie with bananas, peaches and strawberries. Mix it all in the blender along with some greek yogurt (made from coconut milk), a scoop of vanilla vegan based protein powder and a drizzle of agave nectar. Blend it all together, pour it into silicone molds and freeze. Delicious!
The second one is made with avocados! Yes, you heard me right, avocado popsicles!!! They're actually called "paletas" which is the Mexican word for popsicle...My friend Carson and I have been talking about these and all the different options for making healthy versions using fresh, local organic ingredients. We even talked about selling them....Building a fun mobile cart that we can set up near the busy trails and have something whole food based to offer the locals....Ha! So if you see me on the side of the road with a sign that says "Pampered Paletas" you'll know we've gone global :)
Sounds strange, I'll grant you that, but these little suckers are mind-blowingly delicious!
Creamy and tart at the same time. You have to promise me you'll try them!
Creamy and tart at the same time. You have to promise me you'll try them!
Boil 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup sugar (I used a little less sugar) until dissolved...let cool to room temperature. Add two ripe avocados to the blender with the cooled syrup and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add the juice of 1 lime and blend until mixed. Place in freezer molds and freeze for 5 hours or overnight. We used Atticus' crayon shaped molds for these :)
Ok...next up in the test kitchen: Veggie Dumplings.
These dumplings make me and my sous chef very happy....Daddy likes them too! They are completely vegan and completely delicious and easy to make. A little labor intensive, but totally worth it... I love that Atticus likes to help in the kitchen. When I'm prepping ingredients he grabs his stool, pushes it up to the counter and asks "what's my job?". Well, this recipe is perfect for little hands that want to help - we had a special time making them together and will definitely make them again soon!
Ingredients:
1/2 small red onion
1 garlic clove
2 cups nappa cabbage
2 T neutral oil
1/2 cup crumbled firm tofu (don't knock it til you've tried it)
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup perfectly cooked quinoa
1 T soy sauce
1/2 t toasted sesame oil
30 square dumpling/wonton wrappers
Blitz the onion, garlic and cabbage together in a food processor until finely chopped. Heat 2 T neutral oil (I used grapeseed oil) in a skillet and add the cabbage mixture and a pinch of salt. Book just until the veggies are softened and begin to brown, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in the crumbled tofu, peas, and quinoa and cook until the peas are totally soft. Turn off heat and add soy sauce and sesame oil. Let the mixture cool to room temperature. Fill the wrappers with 1 T of the mixture and then dip your finger (or use a brush) in a little bowl of water and use it to "paint" the edges of each dumpling. Bring each edge together to form a sort-of-little pyramid....being sure to seal all the edges. To cook, I use a combination method of steaming and pan frying. Heat a drizzle of neutral oil to high heat, add the dumplings for 2 minutes or until they're golden brown on the bottom. then add 1/2 cup water to the (it will create a lot of steam, so stand back), put a lid on it, adn let the dumplings steam for 2 minutes, until the wrappers are totally soft. Remove from the pan and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
When I was a kid I used to love fruit roll ups...I would unwrap it and then wrap it around my finger and suck on my finger - ewww, gross! Who does that?? Well Atticus has discovered fruit roll ups...One of his classmates brought them to school for snack and he's been asking for them ever since. I caved and bought a box. Unfortunately I waited to read the box until we were half way through the box and Atticus was bouncing off the walls and acting like a crazy person! Thank you high fructose corn syrup and food dyes for turning my child into a banche! Time for this momma to find a healthy version. Here's what I came up with.
Atticus chose strawberries and peaches, sounds good to me. I didn't really measure anything, just went with my taste buds on this one. We threw the fruit into the blender, added the juice of a lemon and a drizzle of agave nectar (you can use whichever sweetener you like, just keep it to a minimum otherwise you're defeating the purpose of making a better quality version). Bring the smooth mixture to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes so it can thicken up and get rid of excess moisture. Then spread it onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat - this makes clean up a breeze. Spread it super thin but not see through - about 1/8 inch thick. Let it bake for roughly 4 hours at 170 degrees. Depending on your oven it make take a litle longer or not quite as long. You know it's done when it's tacky, but not sticky and wet. Let cool - transfer to a cutting board and cut into strips....then roll 'em up! I popped ours into a mason jar, but just a heads up, they go fast!
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