WIC Inspired Recipes

March 2024

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day With Colcannon Mashed Potatoes

2024-03-08T13:29:53+00:00March 7th, 2024|Categories: Meal Planning, Recipes, WIC Food, WIC Grocery Shopping, WIC Nutrition|Tags: , , , , , |

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

2024-01-10T01:55:08+00:00January 9th, 2024|Categories: Meal Planning, Recipes, WIC Food, WIC Grocery Shopping, WIC Nutrition|Tags: , , , |

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!

November 2023

Thanksgiving Stuffing

2023-12-12T02:18:37+00:00November 21st, 2023|Categories: Meal Planning, Recipes, WIC Food, WIC Grocery Shopping|Tags: , , , , |

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!

October 2023

Halloween Stuffed Peppers

2023-10-18T19:47:40+00:00October 18th, 2023|Categories: Meal Planning, Recipes, WIC Food, WIC Grocery Shopping|Tags: , , , , , , , |

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

2023-10-05T13:20:22+00:00October 4th, 2023|Categories: Meal Planning, Recipes, WIC Food, WIC Grocery Shopping, WIC Nutrition|Tags: , , , , , , , |

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.

September 2023

Peach Smoothie

2023-09-18T12:29:17+00:00September 14th, 2023|Categories: Meal Planning, Recipes, WIC Grocery Shopping, WIC Nutrition|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Sprinkle cinnamon on top of this tasty peach smoothie to make it the perfect fall treat while we’re still experiencing summer temperatures. Gather up these WIC-approved foods to make this refreshing treat. 

DELICIOUS PEACHY TREAT

1 cup vanilla yogurt

1 peach, sliced (or 1 cup frozen peaches)

1 banana

1 cup milk

1 cup ice

Cinnamon (optional)

Blend the first five ingredients. Pour into a cup and sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon.

Thai Pasta Salad

2023-09-15T20:12:18+00:00September 4th, 2023|Categories: Meal Planning, Recipes, WIC Food, WIC Grocery Shopping, WIC Nutrition|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Get ready to impress everyone with your cooking skills with this amazing Thai Pasta Salad! It’s bursting with colors and flavors that will make your taste buds explode. Not only is it super easy to make, but it’s also a great way to use up your WIC-foods in a delicious and nutritious way. Don’t wait any longer, give it a try tonight and surprise your family with a mouthwatering meal!

THAI PASTA SALAD

1 box of whole wheat pasta

1 cup diced red cabbage

1 cup diced cucumber

½ cup shredded carrots

⅓ cup diced green onion

Sauce:

½ cup peanut butter

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp soy sauce

½ cup water

Cook the noodles according to the package instructions, drain and set aside to cool. While the pasta is cooking and cooling, chop your veggies and make the sauce. Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until smooth. Add all of the pasta, veggies, and sauce together in a large bowl and toss together. This recipe makes about 6 servings.

Summer Smoothie Series: Coffee Smoothie

2023-09-15T20:25:07+00:00September 2nd, 2023|Categories: Meal Planning, Recipes, WIC Food, WIC Nutrition|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Delightful Summer Treat For Parents

Tired parents, listen up! Get ready to wake up and feel energized with this awesome coffee smoothie. Made with WIC ingredients + coffee, it’s the perfect way to recharge. Plus, it’s a refreshing treat you can enjoy any time of day. Just a heads up though, if you’re expecting or breastfeeding, remember to take it easy on the caffeine.

COFFEE SMOOTHIE

1 banana

⅓ cup peanut butter

1 cup of coffee, cooled to room temperature (you can use caffeinated or decaffeinated)

¾ cup of milk

1 ½ cups of ice

Blend & Enjoy!

August 2023

Summer Smoothie Series: Berry Smoothie

2023-08-30T13:59:51+00:00August 24th, 2023|Categories: Meal Planning, Recipes, WIC Food, WIC Nutrition|Tags: , , , , |

BERRY SMOOTHIE

1 cup vanilla yogurt

½ cup strawberries, chopped (fresh or frozen)

½ cup cherries, pitted (fresh or frozen)

½ cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

1 banana, peeled

1 cup milk

1 cup ice

Blend & enjoy!

Summer Smoothie Series: Green Smoothie

2023-08-30T14:00:20+00:00August 15th, 2023|Categories: Meal Planning, Recipes, WIC Food, WIC Grocery Shopping, WIC Nutrition|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

GREEN SMOOTHIE

This green smoothie has quickly become a breakfast favorite, as it’s packed with lots of good fats that give you a great start to the day by feeling nourished and energetic.

2 avocados, pitted & peeled

2 bananas, peeled

1 cup vanilla yogurt

1 cup milk

1 ½ cups ice

Blend & enjoy!