May 2024
May Events – Dallas Area
March 2024
Easy Family Dinner Featuring WIC Foods
Red Beans & Rice
1 cup diced onion
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tomato, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
½ cup diced bell pepper of any color
1 ½ cups of rice
1 can kidney beans
3 tbsp+ hot sauce (Louisiana, Tabasco, or your favorite hot sauce)
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
Salt & Pepper, Paprika, Red Pepper Flakes, Garlic Powder
Cook the rice according to package instructions. Heat oil in a large skillet then add onions. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes then add in garlic, tomato, and celery then stir together and cook for a few minutes. Add in jalapeno and bell pepper then stir together. Cook until all vegetables are tender. Add in the cooked rice and kidney beans, stir and cook for about 5 minutes. Add in the seasonings and sauces, then cook for about 5 more minutes to allow the flavors to soak in. Serve and enjoy!
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day With Colcannon Mashed Potatoes
Serve up a bowl of good luck with this Colcannon Mashed Potato recipe. This St. Patrick’s Day favorite features WIC-approved vegetables like potatoes, cabbage and milk. It’s sure to be a hit with your family this St. Patrick’s Day and all year long.
COLCANNON MASHED POTATOES
3 large russet potatoes, cut into chunks
7 tbsp butter
⅓ head of cabbage, shredded
2 tbsp garlic, minced
4 stalks of green onion, sliced
1 cup milk
Salt, pepper, garlic powder – to taste
Cut 3 large russet potatoes into chunks and add to a large pot of water with salt. Boil until fork tender then strain the potatoes in a colander. In the same large pot, add about 4 tbsp of butter and melt. Add in shredded cabbage, green onion, and garlic then stir. Cook until the cabbage is wilted, about 10 minutes. Add in the potato chunks, mash with a fork, and stir. Add in the milk ½ cup at a time, along with 2 more tbsp of butter, and stir thoroughly. Add in salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Top with a slice of butter and enjoy!
January 2024
Black Bean Brownies
Craving something sweet? Whip up a batch of tasty black bean brownies using WIC-approved ingredients like black beans and peanut butter! Trust us, you won’t even notice the difference!
BLACK BEAN BROWNIES
3 eggs
3 tbsp oil (vegetable, olive, or avocado)
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup peanut butter
½ cup packed brown sugar
⅓ cup cocoa powder
1 can of black beans (15oz)
Optional:
½ cup chocolate chips for topping
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Coat a 9×9 inch baking pan with oil or non-stick cooking spray. Drain and rinse the black beans. Add all ingredients aside from toppings into a blender and blend until the ingredients look well mixed. Pour into the greased baking pan and cook for 25-30 minutes. Allow the brownies to cool before cutting into pieces and serving. Enjoy!
December 2023
Breakfast Casserole Featuring WIC Foods Is Perfect For Christmas Brunch
You’re in for a treat with this easy and delicious breakfast casserole using WIC approved foods like eggs, milk, and potatoes!
BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
20 oz shredded hash browns, thawed (or you can shred fresh potatoes)
1 lb breakfast sausage, cooked and drained
1 ¼ cup diced mix of onions and bell peppers
2 ½ cups shredded cheese
8 eggs
1 ⅓ cup milk
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika to taste
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and brown the sausage, breaking it up into small pieces, until no pink remains. Drain excess fat in a strainer.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 inch pan with oil or butter.
Add the hashbrowns, cooked sausage, diced onion and bell pepper mix, and 2 cups of cheese. Mix the ingredients together and spread them out evenly.
Crack the eggs into a large bowl, then add the milk and seasonings. Mix until well blended.
Pour the egg mixture over the ingredients in the pan and sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of cheese on top. Bake uncovered for 1 hour.
November 2023
Thanksgiving Stuffing
Impress your Thanksgiving guests with this delicious stuffing recipe, where every bite is a grateful celebration of savory goodness.
STUFFING
1 loaf of bread*, cut into ½ inch cubes
½ onion, diced (about 1 cup)
3-4 stalks celery, finely diced (about 1 ½ cups)
1 medium carrot, grated
½ lb ground sausage (I use Turkey sausage)
¾ cup unsalted butter
⅓ cup fresh parsley, finely minced
3 tsp fresh sage, finely minced
2 cups chicken broth*
Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder, to taste
NOTES:
Bread: For best results, use a heavier bread like wheat bread, cornbread or sourdough, not a light and airy sandwich bread like Wonderbread.
Make ahead instructions: Prepare the stuffing 1 day in advance to give the flavors time to soak in. To make ahead of time, prepare as directed but don’t bake it. Store in a covered casserole dish in the fridge. Before your Thanksgiving meal, remove the stuffing from the fridge and allow it to sit on the counter for 30 minutes to bring to room temperature, then follow the baking instructions.
Vegetarian/Vegan: To make this vegetarian, leave out the sausage. To make this recipe vegan, use oil instead of butter and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Cut the bread into cubes using a sharp serrated knife. Try not to smash the bread too much as you’re cutting. Spread the bread cubes out onto a baking sheet to dry out for at least 24 hours, OR set your oven to 200 degrees F and cook for 2 hours to dry, tossing them occasionally.
Finely dice the onion and celery, grate the carrot, and mince the parsley and sage.
Brown the sausage and break it into small pieces as it cooks. Drain the sausage well and use a paper towel to soak up excess grease.
Melt the butter in a pan on medium heat and add the onions and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the carrots and cook for 3 more minutes. Add in the sage and gently stir in, cook until the sage is starting to wilt and release its flavors.
Add the dried bread cubes into a mixing bowl, sprinkle in the parsley, add the cooked sausage, and gently mix together. Pour the veggies with butter over the dried bread cubes and sausage and gently mix again to combine.
Slowly add in the chicken broth. Start with 1 cup and slowly pour small amounts of broth as you stir gently. It is important not to pour all of the broth in at once, as it will make soggy spots in the bread. You want to make sure the bread is slightly moist, but not overly wet. Add in your seasonings at this time as you’re stirring.
Pour the stuffing into a greased casserole dish and cover with tin foil.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes. Enjoy your Thanksgiving stuffing!
Crock Pot Split Pea Soup
Cozy up with a filling split pea soup slow-cooked in a crock pot. A bowlful of goodness that’s great for chilly days, and perfect for using up holiday leftovers like ham or a ham bone!
Split Pea Soup
1 onion, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
2 large carrots, diced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 bag (16 oz) of split peas
1 box (32 oz) of chicken broth
2 tbsp butter
1 ½ cups of diced ham, or a leftover ham bone
Seasonings: Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Paprika, Celery Seed
Add all ingredients into a crock pot and set to high heat. Cover and cook for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. If you like your soup thinner, you can add extra chicken broth or water. Enjoy!
October 2023
Halloween Stuffed Peppers
Use WIC approved foods to make these Halloween stuffed peppers!
Ingredients:
1 cup steamed rice
1 can black beans
½ can of corn
1 cup of diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
½ cup minced cilantro
1 cup shredded cheese
4 large bell peppers
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
Mix the first 5 ingredients together in a large bowl, then mix in ¾ of the shredded cheese.
Use a small knife to cut the bell peppers like a jack-o-lantern and use a spoon to fill the bell peppers with the mixture. Set the filled peppers into a baking tray and top with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake for 25 minutes then let them cool for 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Halloween Deviled Eggs
Use WIC approved foods to make this fun Halloween recipe!
6 boiled eggs
1 avocado
Green & Purple or Red food coloring
Paprika, Salt & Pepper to taste
Boil 6 eggs. Crack the shell of each egg all around with a spoon, but don’t peel them! Add the boiled eggs into a bowl filled with water that covers all of the eggs, and add red or purple food coloring to the water. Let them sit in the fridge overnight to soak up the food coloring and give a spooky spider web effect. Peel the eggs and cut in half. Remove the yolk and add to a bowl along with a sliced avocado. Mix the yolk & avocado together and add green food coloring to enhance the color. Add a spoonful of the green mixture to each egg and top with paprika, salt & pepper.