Oven-Roasted Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic or a pinch of garlic salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
- Slivered almonds (optional)
Preparation
- Thoroughly rinse asparagus.
- Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus.
- Place asparagus in a bowl and drizzle evenly with olive oil.
- Sprinkle asparagus with garlic (or garlic salt) and pepper. Gently toss to coat.
- Spread asparagus evenly on cookie sheet.
- Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes, or to desired degree of tenderness. Transfer asparagus to a serving dish; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and/or slivered almonds.
Enjoy!
Enjoy strawberries this season!
In need of a healthy spring and summer snack idea? Try strawberries!
Oven-Dried Strawberries
Strawberry time is here! They’re on sale everywhere and ready to be picked in the fields in many areas. If you buy too many strawberries to eat before they go bad, try drying them out in the oven. They smell delicious and taste even better.
Strawberries are super easy to oven dry as long as you have time. The prep time is about 5 minutes, and the total oven drying time is about 3-4 hours.
Here are the directions for oven drying strawberries:
- Line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice strawberries in half, or in thirds or even quarters if they are big berries. Remove the white part that’s inside the berries (usually in larger ones) and lay them cut side up on a baking tray. Place your baking tray in a low oven. 200 degrees F or as low as your oven goes.
- Depending on how large your strawberries are and how dry you want them, the strawberries will take between 3-4 hours to dry. Turn the berries over after about 1 1/2 hours so that the seedy side is up.
- Peel the dried strawberries off the parchment paper, and store them in an air tight container.
Enjoy!
Picnic Food Safety Tips
As the weather gets warmer, you may start thinking of planning a picnic. Here are a few simple rules to assure that your food remains safe to eat:
- Take only the amount of food to be eaten to avoid having leftovers.
- Pack the perishable foods in a cooler with ice and freezer packs and keep your cooler in a shady spot.
- Moist disposable towelettes are great for cleaning your hands.
Check here for more ideas: https://food.unl.edu/healthy-bites-july-national-picnic-month
MyPlate: Teaching Kids of All Ages to Use this Resource
The website, www.choosemyplate.gov is filled with information to support a healthy diet and lifestyle. Did you know the website has a section specifically for kids called MyPlate Kid’s Place? It is loaded with kid-friendly information and activities that are fun and engaging. Take some time with your children and visit http://www.choosemyplate.gov/kids/index.html to learn more.
There are 4 sections to the site:
- Games (filled with fun interactive games that make learning about healthy eating fun)
- Activity Sheets (print out word scrambles, crossword puzzles, coloring sheets and more)
- Videos/Songs and,
- Move More (provides links to information about ways to be more active)
Lisa