Dinner Tonight

Dinner Tonight

Healthy Cooking for a Healthy Texas

Fruity Oat Muffins

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This is a “make it your own recipe” use your favorites to create the flavor of your muffins.  The recipe is the base of your creation.  The banana and oats are the foundation for the muffin.  You can also make mini muffins with this recipe, a good hands-on activity for kids.  Makes 12 muffins or 24 mini muffins.


Fruity Oat Muffins
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Servings
12 muffins
Servings
12 muffins
Fruity Oat Muffins
Votes: 2
Rating: 4.5
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Servings
12 muffins
Servings
12 muffins
Ingredients
Servings: muffins
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Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray cooking spray in regular muffin pans, set aside.
  2. Mash 4 medium ripe bananas in a large bowl. Stir extract into mashed bananas.
  3. Add oats to bowl, mix well with a spoon.
  4. Scoop mixture into muffin molds, fill to the top. Add favorite fruit toppings for extra flavors.
  5. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes.
  6. Enjoy warm or store in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
  7. Ideas for toppings: diced apples, berries, diced pears, diced peaches, unsweetened coconut flakes
Recipe Notes

Chia Seed Pudding – Basic

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Chia Seeds are a trendy food product right now but people have been consuming chia seeds for thousands of years! Probably due to their great health benefits. Enjoy this yummy recipe for breakfast.


Chia Seed Pudding - Basic
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Servings
2 servings (1 cup)
Servings
2 servings (1 cup)
Chia Seed Pudding - Basic
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Servings
2 servings (1 cup)
Servings
2 servings (1 cup)
Ingredients
Servings: servings (1 cup)
Units:
Instructions
  1. Wash your hands and clean your area.
  2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. You can use either a fork to beat, a whisk, or an electric mixer.
  3. Let stand for 15-20 minutes on the counter. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
  4. Pour into bowls and top with desired toppings - we recommend fresh fruit, nuts and/or granolas.
Recipe Notes

Frozen Food Nutrition

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The verdict is in! Frozen foods are just as nutritious as their fresh counterparts. Learn about the benefits of frozen foods for your family, but like any product in the store you need to choose wisely!

Frozen Foods: Convenient and Nutritious

By Esther Ellis, MS, RDN, LDN
Published March 6, 2020
Reviewed March 2020

Frozen foods are an affordable way get your daily dose of fruits and vegetables. In fact, families who incorporate frozen foods into their normal routine may have better diet quality. With so many choices in the frozen foods aisle, there are plenty of opportunities to find something you like.

Benefits of Frozen

Fruits and vegetables are picked at peak ripeness and often frozen within hours, locking in nutrients and flavor. Generally, frozen foods retain their vitamins and minerals and there is no change to the carbohydrate, protein or fat content. In some cases, frozen foods have more vitamins and minerals compared to fresh because fresh foods lose vitamins and minerals over time while freezing preserves nutrients.

Frozen foods can be a convenient and affordable way to incorporate healthful foods from every food group, including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, protein and dairy. In addition to a time-saving convenience, frozen foods can be a benefit for individuals with limited kitchen space or utensils. Not only can frozen foods be more affordable in price, but they also can aid in reducing food waste.

Choosing Wisely

Not all frozen foods are created equal — many can be high in saturated fat, added sugars and salt. When selecting frozen foods, look at the Nutrition Facts label and ingredients list and avoid those with added sauces.

When selecting frozen meals or convenience foods, compare Nutrition Facts labels to find nutritious choices. Keep in mind that some frozen dinners are considered more than one serving, which means you will need to double or triple the calories and nutrients listed in the Nutrition Facts if you eat the entire package. Choose those that are lower in saturated fat, added sugars, and salt and higher in fiber, vitamin and mineral content.

Keep it Safe

To keep frozen foods safe, follow cooking methods specified on the package. The safest way to thaw frozen foods is in the refrigerator. When thawing meat in the refrigerator, make sure juices do not drip onto other foods. To thaw in a hurry, place the food in a leak-proof plastic bag and submerge it in cold water until thawed, replacing the cold water every half hour and cooking it immediately after thawing. Foods also can be thawed in the microwave and should be cooked immediately after thawing.

See our Tips for Freezer Success

Source:

Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics

Tufts University

Freezer Success

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Freezing foods is an easy and convenient way to store foods but a lot of people send food to the freezer, never to be used or seen again (until they get thrown away)! Make your freezer work for you with our Tips to Freezer Success.

Here are our top tips for freezer success:

  • Cool foods completely before freezing – you can refrigerate then freeze too!
  • Pack leftover in smaller containers! This makes food freeze faster and reduces the need to thaw more food than necessary
  • Label & Date your packages and containers – don’t waste food by having to throw food away because you don’t know how old it is!
  • Keep an inventory of your freezer items. Don’t forget about freezer meals!
  • Don’t pack too tight! Make sure there is room for air to flow in your freezer, this helps maintain proper and even temperatures.
  • FDA recommends your freezer be set at 0 degrees F.

Another important part is managing your freezer properly: 

  • Place your freezer in a cool, dry area where the temperature is constant.
  • Keep your freezer at least ¾ full for efficient operation.
  • Continue to use and replace foods. Do not simply store them.
  • Open the freezer door as rarely as possible.
  • Make proper use of energy saving features on your freezer.
  • Keep door seals clean and check for proper sealing. Replace when necessary.
  • Defrost manual freezers regularly.
  • Keep the condenser coils clean.

Make sure you’re packaging you goods well, good packaging material should have the following characteristics:

  • Moisture/vapor-proof or at least moisture resistant.
  • Made of food grade material, i.e. designed to be used for food products.
  • Durable and leakproof.
  • Doesn’t become brittle and crack at low temperatures.
  • Resistant to oil, grease or water.
  • Protect foods from off flavors and odors.
  • Easy to fill and seal.
  • Easy to mark and store.

Join Jocelin as she shows you the basics on freezing your food!

Click below to download a printable freezer storage chart from the FDA so you know how long that food in your freezer is good for!

Food-Safety- FreezerFridge Storage Chart

Sources:

Food Freezing Guide – North Dakota State University

FDA.gov

 

Chicken Multifunction Cooker

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Multifunction cookers are a great tool for making quick and healthy meals! Cook this whole chicken and use it for multiple recipes!

Also, check out our tips on having a smooth and safe multifunction cooker experience.


Chicken Multifunction Cooker
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Rating: 5
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Chicken Multifunction Cooker
Votes: 2
Rating: 5
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Ingredients
Servings:
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Instructions
  1. Wash your hands and surface well. In a small bowl, mix together all spices.
  2. Place chicken on cutting board and remove giblets and excess fat from the chicken cavity. Dry chicken with paper towels. (Do not rinse chicken with water) Sprinkle and rub chicken with spice mixture. Insert halved lemon into chicken cavity.
  3. Set 6-qt pressure cooker to the high sauté setting, pour in oil. Place in chicken, breast side down, and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip chicken over with tongs and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove chicken from pressure cooker and set aside.
  4. Add water to pressure cooker and scrap bottom using a wooden spoon to prevent remainder pieces from burning. Place metal trivet into the pot and gently place chicken on top. Close top of pressure cooker and select manual setting to high and set time for 28 minutes.
  5. After timed cooking, naturally release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions, about 30 minutes.
  6. Open lid and remove chicken using tongs. Let chicken rest 10-15 minutes. Remove lemon and serve
Recipe Notes

A recommended serving size of chicken is 3 ounces.

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