SNEAKY CHEF BREAKFAST ICE CREAMS

Nutrition Highlights: Fruit, calcium, and probiotics

The name alone makes kids giggle and school mornings go a bit smoother. Your kids will think you’re the best when you call them into the kitchen for their morning “ice cream”! These two-minute recipes are fun enough to entice even the grumpiest kids and moms will love the convenience of buying all the ingredients at BJ’s Wholesale Club, paying 30 percent less than supermarket prices.

A food processor is the only way to puree the frozen fruit without having to add a lot of liquid — and for these small quantities, a three-cup mini food processor works best. These recipes can be quickly converted to a thinner smoothie by adding an extra ½ cup of milk to all the variations below and then mixing them in the blender:

Each variation below serves 2 children

Really Easy Strawberry Breakfast Ice Cream

1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries, without syrup or added sweeteners

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon honey or sugar

Extra Sneaky Strawberry Breakfast Ice Cream

1/4 ripe avocado

1/2 cup frozen strawberries, without syrup or added sweeteners

2 tablespoons plain or strawberry yogurt

1 tablespoon honey or sugar

Banana Breakfast Ice Cream

1 frozen banana, cut in pieces (about 1 cup)

2 tablespoons plain or vanilla yogurt

1 tablespoon honey or sugar

Chocolate Banana Breakfast Ice Cream

1 frozen banana, cut in pieces (about 1 cup)

2 tablespoons plain or vanilla yogurt

1 tablespoon honey or sugar

1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

Sneaky hint: Buying ingredients in bulk will save money and time.  Keep the leftover frozen fruit handy because kids will be begging for this breakfast treat in no time!

For each of the above Breakfast Ice Creams, put all ingredients in food processor and puree on high — hold on tight, the first few seconds are a bit rough until the mixture smoothes out. Each makes about one and one-half cups of ice cream.

Another sneaky hint: Make popsicles out of these ice creams by pouring them into ice pop molds and freezing the night before. It’s double the fun to eat it this way in the morning!

SNEAKY CHEF PORTABLE PIZZA MUFFINS

These are great for the lunch box, especially for kids who are tired and bored with sandwiches. They get three top-notch veggies, three whole grains, calcium, and protein all in a portable package of a muffin. Kids love anything called "pizza." And parents love the fresh high quality brand name ingredients they find at BJ’s Wholesale Club. They are also a great after school snack.

Makes 8 muffins

1 cup all-purpose flour (or half whole grain pastry flour and half white flour)

2 teaspoons baking powder   

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon each salt and dried oregano and/or basil

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed

3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

¼ cup tomato paste plus 3 tablespoons tomato paste (for the tops)

½ cup Orange Puree (see Make-Ahead Recipe below) – Or -  ½ cup baby food carrots

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 12-muffin pan or line with paper muffin cups.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and oregano (and/or basil). In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, canola or vegetable oil, ¼ cup of the tomato paste, Orange Puree, and grated Parmesan cheese until well combined. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until the flour is just moistened, careful not to over mix.

Divide the batter evenly among the 8 muffin cups. Top each muffin with a dollop (teaspoon) of tomato paste and about one tablespoon of grated mozzarella.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Turn the muffins out of the tins to cool or serve warm.

Sneaky Chef Make-Ahead Recipe: Orange Puree

1 medium sweet potato or yam, peeled and coarsely chopped

3 medium to large carrots, peeled and sliced into thick chunks

2 to 3 tablespoons water

Place the carrots and sweet potatoes in a medium-sized pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes, until carrots are very tender. Careful - if the carrots aren’t tender enough, they may leave telltale little nuggets of vegetables in recipes, which will reveal their presence to your kids—a gigantic no-no for The Sneaky Chef.

Drain the carrots and sweet potatoes and put them in the food processor with two tablespoons of water. Puree on high until smooth – no pieces of vegetables showing. Stop occasionally to push the contents to the bottom. If necessary, use another tablespoon of water to smooth out the puree, but the less water, the better.

This recipe makes about 2 cups of puree; double it if you want to store mores. Orange Puree will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or you can freeze 1⁄4-cup portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers.

Crunchy Corn Chips

Why buy chips in the bag when you can whip up your own healthy batch that kids will gobble up? These baked chips provide a good source of calcium, iron, and fiber, all for a fraction of the calories and fat of packaged tortilla chips. Vary the shapes by cutting strips instead of triangles, to keep things fun and exciting.

Makes 96 tortilla chips

12 (6-inch) round corn tortillas (white or yellow)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Brush both sides of the tortilla with oil. Stack 6 of them together and, using kitchen shears or scissors, cut the stack into 8 triangles, for a total of 48 chips. Repeat with the final 6 tortillas. Scatter the chips in a single layer onto a large cookie sheet and sprinkle them evenly with salt. Bake 10 minutes, then flip them using a wide spatula and bake for another 8 to 10 minutes until crispy and golden brown.

Half and Half Ranch Dip

Nutrition Highlights: Calcium and probiotics

Kids love this lower-in-fat version of their favorite dip.   By mixing in some plain yogurt, you can increase the volume and cut the fat, as well as add some “friendly live bacteria,” protein, and bone-building calcium.  Gradually increase the amount of yogurt over time until the ratio is almost even.

3 tablespoons bottled ranch dressing

2 to 3 tablespoons low-fat plain yogurt (“Greek” yogurt works well too and makes a thicker dip)

Mix well. Serve as dip.

PB & Hummus Dip

As kids grow, their palates grow too—though some kids need to be introduced to stronger flavors more slowly than others. Include the familiar, loveable taste of peanut butter and honey to replace the sesame paste and garlic traditionally used in more sophisticated hummus. Kids of all ages love to dip, so surround the hummus bowl with your child’s favorite dippers like Sneaky Chef Crunchy Corn Chips, cucumber rounds, or carrots. The combination of whole grains, beans, veggies, and good fats make this a substantial lunchbox alternative to sandwiches or after-school mini-meal.

Makes 4 servings

One-quarter cup creamy peanut butter

5 tablespoons White Puree (see Make-Ahead Recipe below)

One cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

One-half teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons honey

4 teaspoons water

Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and puree on high, stopping occasionally to scrape the contents to the bottom to make a very smooth dip.

Sneaky Chef Make-Ahead Recipe: White Puree

2 cups cauliflower florets (about 1⁄2 a small head)

2 small to medium zucchini, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 to 2 tablespoons water, if necessary

Makes about 2 cups of puree

To prepare White Puree on the stovetop, pour about 2 inches of water into a pot with a tight-fitting lid. Put a vegetable steamer basket into the pot, add the cauliflower, and steam for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Drain.

To prepare in microwave, place the cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl, cover it with water, and microwave on high for 8 to 10 minutes or until very tender. Drain.

Meanwhile, place the raw peeled zucchini with the lemon juice in your food processor and pulse a few times. Next add the cooked cauliflower and 1 tablespoon of water to the food processor (work in batches if necessary) and puree on high until smooth. Stop occasionally to push the contents to the bottom. If necessary, use another tablespoon of water make a smooth puree, but the less water, the better.

This recipe makes about 2 cups of puree; double it if you want to store more. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or you can freeze 1⁄4-cup portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers.

Strawberry Cheesecake Dip

This creamy fruity dip is loaded with calcium and protein and makes a delicious “mini-meal” when combined with whole grain chips, crackers, or fruit slices.

Makes about 4 servings

One-half cup part-skim ricotta cheese

One-quarter cup low-fat cream cheese

2 tablespoons strawberry jam

One cup fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed (without added syrup or sugar)

For dipping: Crunchy Corn Chips, graham crackers, strawberries, apple chunks, or sliced bananas on skewers or toothpicks

Place all of the ingredients (except the dippers) in a blender or the bowl of a large food processor and puree on high until smooth. Serve with dippers of choice!

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