Eat More Fruits and Vegetables: Dessert and Sandwhiches

Photo by  LCBGlenn
Grocery Girl strikes again and spots some mushrooms, hummus, organic bananas,  frozen fruits, and fresh spinach at not too shabby prices. Since one of the goals I've put forward is to work on the nutrition for my vegetarian lifestyle, I figure I'd better try to get my 7-8 fruits and veggies everyday. I've got a few simple recipes for foods that'll taste good and help with that goal. 


Fruit Crisp.
I love this dessert because you can make the topping in a cereal bowl and there are so many options for the fruits you can put in. I'll often cut up the '50% off -have to use today'-apples and freeze them for later use in this recipe.  Same goes for bananas, blueberries, and raspberries that I know I won't eat in time. I've also been known to throw in dates, raisins, and other fruits I've got kicking around. 

This is the recipe I used last weekend, but it always changes depending on what I have. Remember to adjust according to taste and fruits used, and keep in mind that the fruit-topping ratio is really up to you.

The following ingredients were mixed together:
  • 1/2 a cup of  white sugar (I didn't have any brown)
  • 1/2 teaspoon each ground cinnamon and ginger
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1tbs of olive oil and enough water to make the topping crumbly.
I had about 1 cut up banana, 1 and 1/2 cup of blueberries, and maybe 2 chopped apples in the freezer. I tossed these in a greased pan with a little bit of sugar and sprinkled the above mixture over it. Then I baked it for 45 minutes at 375 degrees. 

When my dad makes his apple crisp, he always makes a few extra and freezes them for later. I think it's a good idea. 



Apricot-spinach sandwiches with cheese and hummus. 

Photo by by woodleywonderworks

Pretty self explanatory. Unusual and nice because you've got the sweetness of the dried apricot balanced with the taste of the spinach and hummus. Easy to make and bring to a potluck.

  • I grab some whole-wheat pita bread
  • Spread it with hummus, add a few leaves of spinach, dried apricots cut down the middle, and some sharp cheddar cheese(if I like). 
  • I think mini-pitas would work really well for this. With the large ones, I try different ways of preparing, like just folding and cutting or making roll-ups. You could also do it with crackers, or other breads. Simple and good. 
  • The apricot-spinach combo also works as a salad, in scrambled eggs, and probably a lot more places.
Spinach chips make another interesting dish. I've tried the kale variety with some success and wonder how this would work out. Here's one of the many recipes available on the net.
 


Mushroom burgers.

I know you can make yummy burgers with those large portabello mushroom caps, but the regular white ones work too and tend to be cheaper. When they're on sale, I cut up and freeze a bunch, but I also make delicious sandwiches.
Photo by jo-h
  • First, find the largest mushrooms you can from the lot. Wash them and separate the top from the stem (saving that for another dish). 
  • Then I put a bit of oil and whatever spices I want in a frying pan (I use curry powder, cumin, coriander, and black pepper, cause I like that). 
  • When that's hot I put the mushrooms in there and whirl them around to coat them. Sometimes I'll lower the heat, add a teeny bit of water, and cover them for a short time to soften them. This makes it easier to push them down with a spatula (I don't worry if they split a little bit; they still taste good). 
  • Then I just cook them, turning them over when they look pretty good on one side and pushing them down as I go. Then I eat it like a burger (if I ate burgers)! 
  • They're small, so double them up for a sandwich, or use smaller bread :-) (note to self, get mini-pitas)


MMMM, now I'm hungry. 

Before I go- I always struggle with interesting potluck ideas. I've got a few, but need more. Do you have any healthy dishes you like to bring to a party? Leave a comment, I'd love to hear it.

And- if you like what you read, don't forget to subscribe for my upcoming holiday-rethink series, and more posts. 


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