"Healthy" Snacks

Healthy snacks! One of my downfalls is snacking between meals, and not snacking on anything healthy. Now, I’m not a nutritionist but I did take a health class (Isn’t that how those commercials go? “I’m not a doctor, but...”) I’m guessing that these are healthy because they involve fruits and vegetables and not Oreos, Cheetos, and Pop-tarts.
Some of these snacks are sweet, others are savory. Choose what you like and toss what you don’t. Yes, I’m giving you permission to not like anything I put in this column.
I’d love to hear from you! Share your favorite snacks, healthy or otherwise, on the Haskell News Facebook Page or go to www.eatingtraditions.blogspot.com

Roasted Olives (adapted from Racheal Ray magazine)
I have really come to love olives in the last few years. Everyone touts olive oil for being good for you, my money is on olives too!

2 c. mixed olives with pits
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper, or omit if you don’t like spicy food
1/4 c. olive oil
1 tsp. your favorite herb, such as thyme, rosemary, or parsley
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced

Combine all ingredients in 2 qt. baking dish and bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Serve the olives warm or at room temperature.

Honey-Curry Dip (from a health magazine)
The fact that this one is from a health magazine means it’s health, right?

1 c. plain yogurt
1 1/2 tbsp. honey
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder

Mix yogurt with honey and curry powder. Serve with carrots and celery.

Fruit With Balsamic Syrup Drizzle
I’m not sure where I found this recipe but I have noticed versions of it everywhere. This balsamic reduction can be used with fruit as I suggest here, but it is also delicious with chicken of pork, or on top of vegetables.
Can you call this a recipe if it only has one ingredient?

2/3 c. balsamic vinegar

Pour vinegar into a small sauce pot and cook over medium heat. Continue cooking until the vinegar has reduced by half and is thick and syrupy. Serve on top of strawberries.

Bananas With Chocolate-Honey Sauce
Who doesn’t like bananas an chocolate!? Or bananas and peanut butter? Or you could go completely unhealthy or the Fat Elvis route with a banana-peanut-butter-honey-bacon sandwich. I’m pretty sure it’s what killed him.

1/2 c. semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
1 1/2 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
Salt
Walnuts, pecans, or almonds, chopped
3 small bananas, cut into bite sized pieces

In a bowl, heat the chocolate chips, honey, butter, and salt for 20 seconds in a microwave. Continue to heat the chocolate in 20 second intervals until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Serve banana pieces topped with chocolate sauce and nuts.

My Hawiian German's Chocolate Cake

Do you know that out of the twenty-something cookbooks I own (yes, I’m an addict and I admit it) only one cookbook contained a recipe for German Chocolate cake? I thought it was a classic!
And did you know that it is German’s cake, not German cake, as in not a cultural identity but a singular person?
Bakers’ German’s Chocolate was introduced in the early 1900s and the recipe for German’s Chocolate Cake was a promotion to use their brand of chocolate.

In all honesty, the only reason I called this Hawaiian was because I used macadamia nuts instead of pecans. The only reason I did that was because pecans were more expensive than the Hawaiian grown macadamia nuts. So yeah, there’s not much difference from a traditional recipe. I could have called this recipe German’s Chocolate Cake Inspired By The Outrageous Price Of Pecans... but I thought it overly dramatic.
Another difference from a traditional recipe is the frosting. In addition to the traditional frosting, which consists of a caramel, coconut, pecan mixture, I topped the cake with a chocolate ganache for extra flavor and richness. It also helps keep the cake from drying out.
I have included a basic chocolate cake recipe with macadamia nuts substituted instead of pecans in the frosting and the chocolate ganache recipe I used.

Sabre’s “Hawaiian” German Chocolate Cake
I cheated and used a boxed chocolate cake mix (really). You can use a boxed cake mix or you can make your own. if you feel like making your own, here is a basic recipe.

Cake
Makes one 13” x 9” or two 8” round cakes
2 c. cake flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
5 tbsp. boiling water
1/2 c. butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs. 1/2 milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F.
Sift together into a medium bowl flour, baking powder, and salt.
Melt the unsweetened chocolate over low heat, in a double boiler, or in a microwave. Add the boiling water to the chocolate.
Cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add the cooled chocolate mixture. add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 3 parts alternatively with the milk. Flavor with vanilla.
Pour into cake pans. Bake for 22-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

Filling
2 eggs
10 oz. condense milk
1 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. toasted macadamia nuts, chopped
2 c. toasted coconut

Beat together eggs, condensed milk, and sugar in a small sauce pan. Heat together over low heat. Bring to a slow boil and allow to cook until thickened and caramel-like. Stir in toasted nuts and coconut. Use in between and on top of cake layers.

Chocolate Ganache
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1 c. heavy whipping cream

In a small saucepan, heat cream over medium low heat until hot but not boiling. Pour in chocolate and let sit for a few minutes. Stir gently until well combined. Used while warm to frost cake or dip stuffed cupcakes in for easy frosting. Cover entire cake, filling and all with this ganache while still warm. Allow plenty of time to set up or place in the refrigerator to set.

Cereal Spiked Butter Frosting

I’ve been wanting to make cupcakes for a few weeks but I promised myself I’d space out my baking recipes a little more than I have been. I don’t need to go into diabetic shock or anything.
So, I came across my current idea on a baking blog called “Cups and Cookies” when the baker-blogger had made Pink Velvet Fruity Pebble Whoopie Pies. She made a pretty pink whoopie pie and filled it with a Fruity Pebble spiked buttercream frosting. What a great idea!