Dinner Tonight

Dinner Tonight

Healthy Cooking for a Healthy Texas

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Apricot Nut Bars

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Our quick and easy Apricot Nut bars are the perfect weekday snack! They are loaded with different textures and even some chocolate! Just pop them in the fridge for 45 minutes, and they are ready to cut and enjoy!


Apricot Chia Bars
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Servings
16 1x1 inch servings
Servings
16 1x1 inch servings
Apricot Chia Bars
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Servings
16 1x1 inch servings
Servings
16 1x1 inch servings
Ingredients
Servings: 1x1 inch servings
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Instructions
  1. Wash hands and clean and sanitize the food preparation area.
  2. Line an 8×8 square pan with wax or parchment paper.
  3. Place dates, apricots, chia seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, and almond pieces in a food processor and process until well combined
  4. Use a spatula to scrape the mixture off the sides of the food processor.
  5. Add pepitas to the mixture in the food processor, and pulse until there are small pieces of pepitas.
  6. Use a spatula once again to break up the mixture.
  7. Add white chocolate chips and pulse a few times to break and distribute the chips slightly.
  8. Empty the mixture into the prepared pan and press the mixture into the pan until even.
  9. Refrigerate for 30-45 minutes, then slice into bars or squares.
  10. Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds or until melted. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the refrigerated bars.
Recipe Notes

Cranberry Apple Granola

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Looking for your next holiday recipe? Our Cranberry Apple Granola is a delicious, sweet treat to pair with some Greek Yogurt for your next gathering.  You can also package it up and have a sweet homemade gift for your family and neighbors!

girl in blue blouse

Cranberry Apple Granola
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Servings
15 1/3 cup servings
Servings
15 1/3 cup servings
Cranberry Apple Granola
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Servings
15 1/3 cup servings
Servings
15 1/3 cup servings
Ingredients
Servings: 1/3 cup servings
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Instructions
  1. Wash your hands and clean your area.
  2. Preheat your oven to 300◦F.
  3. In a large bowl, add your oats and evenly add the olive oil. Mix until evenly coated.
  4. Next, add the maple syrup, vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, and walnuts. Mix until well combined and oats are evenly coated.
  5. Transfer oat mix to a baking sheet and spread evenly, allowing space on the baking sheet. Note: Overcrowding can cause oats not to bake as thoroughly.
  6. Bake oat mix for 25 to 30 minutes and stir halfway through. The oat mixture should be a light golden-brown color once it is done.
  7. Once the oats are done baking, allow them to cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
  8. When oat mix has cooled, add them to a mixing bowl, along with the dried apples, pumpkin seeds, and cranberries, and mix.
  9. Coat the granola mix with the remaining ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon and mix.
  10. Serve granola as a snack or store in an air-tight container.
Recipe Notes

Holiday Egg Rolls

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These Holiday Egg Rolls are the perfect way to get the flavors of the holiday season! Or maybe you need to use up some leftover turkey and cranberry sauce? Either way, these egg rolls come together in minutes and are so satisfying.


Holiday Egg Rolls
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Servings
10 egg rolls
Servings
10 egg rolls
Holiday Egg Rolls
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Servings
10 egg rolls
Servings
10 egg rolls
Ingredients
Servings: egg rolls
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Instructions
  1. If needed, shredded turkey into smaller pieces.
  2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. Fill each egg roll wrapper with approximately 1 tablespoon of the shredded turkey, 1-2 teaspoons of cranberry sauce, 1-2 teaspoons of pumpkin seeds and a slice of the brie.
  4. Brush water around the edges of the egg roll wrapper, then tuck in the sides, and roll it up tightly.
  5. Seal the end of the egg roll with a little more water then place it seam side down on the baking sheet.
  6. Spray or brush the tops of the egg rolls with cooking spray then place them on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until they start to turn golden brown.
Recipe Notes

Carving Pumpkins Knife Safety

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It’s getting close to pumpkin carving time! It’s tempting to pull out your sharpest kitchen knife to get the job done, but you may want to think twice. Using your kitchen knives may lead to more serious injuries and can damage your knives at the same time. Use these tips to make sure carving your pumpkins is a fun & safe activity!

  • Use the Right Tools – Instead of the knives in your kitchen, use the specialty tools in a pumpkin-carving kit—readily found online and in convenience stores and designed for pumpkin carving safety. These tools can saw through rinds, poke holes, and scoop out innards without being razor-sharp. The instruments are also generally small, which makes them easier to control than most knives and easier to use when making intricate cuts.
  • Carve Your Pumpkin With Its Top On – That way you won’t be tempted to put your hand inside and cut toward your hand. Hold the top of the pumpkin to stabilize it and cutting with your carving instrument’s blade pointing down. Instead of removing the top of the pumpkin to scoop out the insides, think about cutting a hole in the bottom. If you’re using a candle inside your pumpkin, you can then place the carved pumpkin on top of the lit candle—rather than awkwardly reaching inside the pumpkin to light the candle.
  • Keep Things Clean, Dry, and Bright – For pumpkin carving safety, work in a clean, dry, and well-lit area, keep your hands and tools clean and dry, and take your time.
  • Don’t Let Kids Carve – Children 14 and younger can participate by drawing the pattern with a marker and cleaning out the pulp and seeds with their hands or a spoon—but make sure an adult does the actual cutting. It’s important to supervise older teens, too. Adolescents often become patients because parents think they’re responsible enough to be left on their own to carve pumpkins.
  • Know First Aid – If you or a family member gets cut while carving a pumpkin, apply direct pressure to the injury using a clean, dry cloth. If bleeding doesn’t stop in 15 minutes, get to an emergency room or urgent-care clinic.

If you still decide to use your kitchen knives, be aware that you may cause permanent damage to them by putting more pressure on the handle and blade than they are made for. This can cause damage that may result in safety issues once they return for use in the kitchen.

Source:
Consumer Reports. Pumpkin Carving Safety Tips – Interview with Stuart J. Elkowitz, M.D., assistant clinical professor at NYU Langone Medical Center in the division of hand surgery.

Squash – Winter Squash

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Winter squash (including acorn, buttercup, butternut, and Hubbard varieties) is rich in Vitamin A (beta-carotene), dietary fiber, folate (folic acid), and potassium. It is naturally low in calories, fat, and sodium which makes it a perfect canvas for your healthy fall recipes. Here is a bit more about these winter squashes.

Selecting:

Choose a firm, well-shaped squash that is heavy for its size and has hard, tough skin. Do not choose those that have sunken or moldy spots. Avoid squash with cuts or punctures in the skin. Also, slight variations in skin color do not affect flavor. A tender rind indicates immaturity, which is a sign of poor quality in winter squash varieties.

Harvesting:

Since winter squash is harvested mainly during the time that pumpkins are harvested, they need to be planted in the late summer months (August to September). Harvesting would then occur from October to November.

When harvesting winter squash, handle them carefully to avoid cuts and bruises.  These injuries are not only unsightly, but they also provide entrances for various rot-producing organisms.  Cut the fruit off the vine with pruning shears.  Leave a 1-inch stem on each fruit.

Storing:

After curing, store winter squash in a cool, dry, well-ventilated location.  Storage temperatures should be 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit.  Do not store squash near apples, pears, or other ripening fruit.  Ripening fruit releases ethylene gas which shortens the storage life of squash.

When properly cured and stored, the storage lives of acorn, butternut, and hubbard squash are approximately 5 to 8 weeks, 2 to 3 months, and 5 to 6 months, respectively.

Recipes:

Sources:

Iowa State University Extension. Harvesting and Storing Winter Squash. Richard Jauron.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Food Technology & Processing – Winter Squash. Aggie Horticulture.

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