The Healthy Junior Chef Cookbook. Williams Sonoma

in a colander under cold running water for 10–20 seconds,then let it thaw while you cook the bacon.

      COOK THE FILLING

      Line a plate with paper towels. In a frying pan over medium heat, fry the bacon, stirring often, until lightly browned on the edges, 3–4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to the towel-lined plate. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat in the pan. Return the pan to low heat, add the green onion, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the onion to the plate with the bacon.

      ASSEMBLE THE CUPS

      In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk until blended. Squeeze the spinach dry with your hands and add to the egg mixture. Add the cheese, bacon, and green onion. Stir gently until mixed.

      BAKE THE CUPS

      Using a ladle, divide the egg mixture evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Bake until the egg cups are puffy and set, 20–22 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes, then turn them outonto therack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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      You can bake these easy egg muffin cups up to 4 days in advance and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Then, when you want a quick snack, pop one into the microwave.

      20

      Makes

      

      serving

      2 tablespoons unsalted

      butter or coconut oil

      3 tablespoons whole dairy milk, unsweetened almond milk, orcoconut milk

      /4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

      2 tablespoons granulated or coconut sugar

      /4 teaspoon baking powder/4 teaspoon salt

      Pinch of ground cinnamon/4 cup quinoa flour3– tablespoons fresh or frozen blueberries

      Blueberry-Quinoa Mug Muffin

      MAKE THE BATTER

      Put the butter into a microwave-safe mug, place the mug in the

      microwave, and microwave on high until melted, 1–1/minutes.Remove the mug from the microwave. Add the milk and vanilla and mix well with a fork. Add the sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and flour and stir with the fork just until evenly mixed. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the blueberries.

      MICROWAVETHE MUFFIN

      Return the mug to the microwave and microwave on high until

      puffed and a toothpick inserted into the muffin comes out clean, 1/–2 minutes. Check after 1/ minutes and add more time in 10-second intervals, if needed. Let cool slightly before eating.

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      The perfect last-minute breakfast, this filling, gluten-free muffin is cooked in the microwave in under 5 minutes. With options for types of sweetener, milk, and fat, you can customize the ingredients to suit your taste.

      Breakfast

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      Breakfast

      / cup all-purpose flour/ cup whole-wheat flour/4 cup oat or wheat bran/ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

      1/ teaspoons baking powder/ teaspoon baking soda/ teaspoon salt

      1 teaspoon ground cinnamon2 tablespoons chia seeds2 large eggs

      1 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt

       tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

      1 cup peeled and grated tart apple, such as Granny Smith(about 1 large apple)

      1 cup peeled and grated carrot (about 2 carrots)

      FOR THE TOPPING (OPTIONAL)

      2 tablespoons turbinado sugar1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

      Carrot-Apple Muffins

      PREHEAT THE OVEN

      Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners.

      MAKE THE BATTER

      In a bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, oat bran, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon,and chia seeds. Set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs on low speed until blended, then beat in the yogurt and butter until well mixed. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until combined. The batter will be very thick and slightly dry. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, mix in the apple and carrot just until evenly distributed. Do not overmix or the muffins will turn out tough.

      BAKE THE MUFFINS

      Using a large ice cream scoop, fill each prepared muffin cup about three-fourths full. If using the topping, in a small bowl, stir together the turbinado sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the toppingon the batter in each muffin cup, dividing it evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 16–18 minutes. Let cool in the pans on wire racks for about 5 minutes, then turn out the muffins onto the racks to cool. Serve at room temperature. Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

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      A box grater makes easy work of grating carrots and apples in minutes. Be sure to hold it securely with one hand, work slowly, and keep your fingers away from the sharp grates. Make a batch of these healthy muffins on Sunday and bring them to school for snacks during the week.

      Makes

       muffins

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      Breakfast

      Seize-the-Day Smoothies

      3 or  ice cubes

      1 banana, peeled and

      broken into chunks 2 pitted Medjool dates 2 tablespoons almond butter/ cup unsweetened almond milk

      1 tablespoon raw cacao powder (optional)

      Learn to make great smoothies by blending up these four delicious recipes, then experiment with your own favorite ingredient combinations. Substituting fruits or yogurt flavors is a good place to start. You can also add some protein powder for a satisfying post-soccer-practice energy boost, or a handful of spinach leaves or other nutrient-dense ingredient to help you focus in the classroom. Each shake recipe makes 1–2 servings.

      Banana-Date Protein Shake

      MIX THE SMOOTHIE

      In a blender, combine the ice, banana, dates, almond butter, almond milk, and cacao powder, if using. Blend until smooth. Pour the smoothie into 1 or 2 glasses and serve right away.

      3 or  ice cubes

      2 cups frozen mango cubes

      1 banana, peeled and broken into chunks

      /4 cup vanilla low-fat yogurt 1 cup fresh orange