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Rainbow Sprinkle Energy Bites

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Happy Labor Day Weekend!  Celebrating with some sprinkle fun today.

A few weeks ago, I came across these gorgeous naturally dyed sprinkles.  Not exactly healthy, but also not filled with lots of artificial colorants so it makes me feel a little better about serving them to my kids.  My poor kids… whenever they see colorful cakes and candy, they ask, “Mom, does this have artificial coloring?  Is this okay for me to eat?”  I have to admit, I am a party pooper when it comes to artificially dyed food.  I am no fun at all.  But!  I just purchased a 2.9 pound container of these sprinkles.  Enough sprinkles to last a lifetime.  I must get cool mom points for that, yes?

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These Rainbow Sprinkle Energy Bites are no-bake, naturally sweetened, whole-grain, and are the perfect little snack to pack on-the-go or in lunch boxes.  The little bites are filled with the goodness of oats, coconut, flax, wheat germ, raw honey, and almond butter.  Cacao powder gives them a rich chocolate flavor and adds an extra boost of antioxidants.  Sprinkles are completely optional of course, but don’t they add such a glimmer of fun?  I used almond butter, but use any nut butter that you prefer.  I’m going to try a sunbutter version next to keep it nut-free for school.   Using a stand mixer breaks down the oats and gives the mixture a finer texture.  A finer texture helps the sprinkles to adhere better, but feel free to mix by hand, especially if you are leaving off the sprinkles.  From start to finish, the whole batch took me 20 minutes to make.  These are easy, healthy, and deliciously satisfying!

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Rainbow Sprinkle Energy Bites

Rainbow Sprinkle Energy Bites
  • Yield: makes 15 1 1/4-inch bites

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup creamy almond butter, peanut butter, or almond butter
  • 1/3 cup raw honey
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened flaked coconut, chopped
  • 1/4 cup ground flax seed
  • 1/4 cup wheat germ
  • 3 tablespoons cacao powder
  • rainbow sprinkles

Instructions

  1. Using a stand mixer, combine the almond butter, honey, and vanilla.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, coconut, flax seed, wheat germ, and cacao powder.
  3. Add the dry ingredients to the almond butter mixture and mix together on medium-low speed until thoroughly combined. Shape into balls of desired size and dip in a bowl of rainbow sprinkles to coat. Press lightly on the sprinkles to adhere. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Notes

Adapted from Gimme Some Oven

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Chipotle Chicken with Mango-Tomato Salsa

Chipotle Chicken with Mango-Tomato Salsa | Gather & Dine

Let’s try to squeeze in just a few more summer meals before the season nearly ends.  This chipotle chicken with mango-tomato salsa is a little spicy, a little sweet, and very refreshing.  Sur la Table  was featuring half-off some of their cooking classes and Ryan and I took advantage of it by going on a double date with some friends.  We took the Fresh & Healthy Mexican Cooking class.  To be honest, I really don’t feel like I learn a whole lot about cooking from the cooking classes, but I do feel that the classes are a fun way to gain exposure to new types of dishes and flavors that I don’t usually cook.  Take this chipotle chicken dish for example.  Usually Ryan and I steer clear of dishes that mix savory and sweet, but we loved the combination of flavors in this particular dish.  The sweetness of the mango is a nice contrast to the subtly smoky and spicy chicken and it helps to bring brightness to the whole meal.  Just shows how our tastes evolve and change over time.

The chicken is marinated in a pureed sauce of fire-roasted tomatoes, onions, chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, and a variety of spices.  We did not puree the ingredients into smooth sauce when we made the marinade in class, but I feel that the pureeing step is helpful in getting the marinade to adhere to the meat.  It is important to allow time for the marinade to cool before pouring it over the chicken in order to avoid heating the chicken.  This is a great marinade with or without the mango-tomato salsa, but the salsa really does add an element of complexity to the chicken.  The mango-tomato salsa is also a great summer salsa to enjoy with some tortilla or pita chips.  Serve the chicken with a fresh salad  on the side for a vibrant and healthy meal.

Chipotle Chicken with Mango-Tomato Salsa

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Chipotle Chicken with Mango-Tomato Salsa

Chipotle Chicken with Mango-Tomato Salsa| Gather & Dine
  • Yield: 8

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 15-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 chipotle chile in adobo, diced
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 3-4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

Mango-Tomato Salsa

  • 1 ripe mango, peeled and diced into 1/4-inch cubes
  • 1/2 medium red onion, peeled and minced
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
  • 2 roma tomatoes, diced
  • 1/4 cup minced cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Chipotle Chicken

  1. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for another minute. Add the canned tomatoes and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce reduces slightly, about 8-10 minutes.
  2. Add the vinegar, honey, cumin, oregano, chipotle pepper, and salt and stir to combine. Continue to simmer over low heat until sauce slightly thickens and reduces by about 1/3, about 15 minutes. Add lime juice and additional salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and cool completely.
  3. Transfer to a blender or use an immersion blender to puree marinade until smooth.
  4. In a gallon sized ziploc bag, add the chicken and the marinade. Seal the bag tightly and squeeze the bag to evenly coat the chicken with the marinade. Marinate the chicken at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours. While meat is marinating, prepare the Mango-Tomato Salsa.
  5. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on a grill over medium heat. Grill chicken until meat reaches 165 at the thickest part, about 3-4 minutes per side. Allow meat to rest for 5 minutes.
  6. Serve with Mango-Tomato Salsa.

Mango-Tomato Salsa

  1. In a medium mixing bowl, use a rubber spatula to gently combine the mango, onion, jalapeño, tomato, cilantro, and lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Notes

adapted from Sur la Table

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Wild Blueberry Pie with Almond Oat Crumble

Wild Blueberry Pie with Almond Oat Crumble | Gather & Dine

Wild Blueberries make me reminisce about childhood summer vacations in Maine.  I have vivid memories of hiking along the breathtaking coastline, visiting quaint little towns, devouring lobster rolls and fresh clam chowder, and picking wild blueberries.  Maine is the only place where I have ever seen wild blueberries grown.  They are much smaller than the blueberries commonly seen in grocery stores, but they are sweeter and have an even more intense blueberry flavor.  I have not been able to find fresh wild blueberries anywhere locally so I used frozen wild blueberries here in this pie.  The wild blueberries make this pie really spectacular, but you can also substitute regular blueberries if you cannot find wild.  The almond crumble topping made from almond paste and oats enhances the whole blueberry experience.  I make this pie every summer and dream about vacationing in Maine.

Wild Blueberry Pie with Almond Oat Crumble | Gather & Dine

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Wild Blueberry Pie with Almond Oat Crumble

Wild Blueberry Pie with Almond Oat Crumble | Gather & Dine

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon natural cane sugar
  • 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) of cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 2-4 tablespoons ice water

Filling

  • 2/3 cup natural cane sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 32 ounces fresh or frozen wild blueberries, about 7 cups
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Crumble

  • 1/3 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 ounces almond paste, broken into small pieces, about 3/4 cup
  • 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Vanilla ice cream for serving

Instructions

Crust

  1. Add the flours, salt, and sugar to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 times, or until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  2. While the food processor is running, gradually add the water and process until dough just comes together, no more than 30 seconds. Start with the minimum amount of water and increase if dough is too crumbly.
  3. Form the dough into a flat circular disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill dough in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
  4. On a lightly floured board, roll dough into a circle about 1/8-inch thick. Carefully transfer the crust into the pie dish and trim the overhanging dough with a knife. Crimp the edges as desired.
  5. Chill crust in the refrigerator while preparing the filling and topping.

Filling

  1. In a large pot, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. With a wooden spoon, sir in the blueberries and lemon juice. Stir gently over medium heat until mixture thickens and becomes bubbly, about 12-15 minutes.
  2. Chill filling until cool, about 1 hour.

Crumble

  1. Add the oats, flour, almond paste, butter,and salt into the bowl of a food processor and process until the mixture begins to hold together. Transfer to a small bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Assembly

  1. Preheat the oven to 400.
  2. Pour the blueberry filling into the chilled pie crust. Using your index finger and thumb, pinch small pieces of the almond oat crumble and sprinkle evenly over the filling.
  3. Place pie on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until crust and topping become golden and the filling bubbles, about 45-50 minutes.
  4. Transfer pie to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Notes

adapted from Bon Appetit

 

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