Friday, February 19, 2010

Sneaky Random Stuff!

One of the beauties of becoming a Sneaky Chef is that it almost beomes kind of a game to see how much you can get away with. 

"Can I sneak wheat germ into this tuna casserole without it tasting like cardboard?"
"Do you think he'll notice if there were beans in his Macaroni & Cheese?"
"It is really possible to put sweet potatoes in a grilled cheese sandwich?"

Oh yeah, baby.  I've pulled off all of these.  Once I started trying some of the recipes out of the book, I got more and more daring with the stuff I put sneaky ingredients in.  So, no recipe for you this time around - just some suggestions for how to sneak good stuff into meals you are already making!

Orange Puree - (Check out this post if you forgot how to make this puree)
  • Spread a thin layer on a grilled cheese sandwich before slapping on the cheese.  It acts like a glue to keep the cheese in place and once the cheese is melted, it practically disappears from sight.
  • Mix a few healthy spoonfuls into a container of spaghetti sauce and just keep it on hand in the fridge.  I've used it on penne, tortellini, spaghetti, whatever.  Also a great mix-in for pizza sauce
  • Add to boxed macaroni & cheese.  The orange color blends right in to the cheese sauce and adds a nice sweetness.
White Bean Puree
  • I've mixed this into Isaiah's macaroni & cheese successfully as well.  I wouldn't do it along with the orange puree though...let's not get crazy. 
  • I added two large spoonfuls to the soup/tuna/milk mixture for tuna casserole and it blended in seamlessly.  It didn't really change the flavor of the finished product at all.
Wheat Germ - (Find it by the oatmeal in your grocery store.  Adds folic acid and Vitamin D)
  • The topping of that same bean-infused tuna casserole also got a healthy boost when I mixed in two tablespoons of wheat germ with bread crumbs.  Combine with a tablespoon of melted butter and I felt much better about the nutrition of the topping.
  • Sprinkle a little into just about anything you dare: pancake mix, pasta, soup, etc.

Coming Soon:
I am dying to try out a good pumpkin pancake recipe, so I hope to give that a go soon. Stay tuned!

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