Sneaky Chef Breakfast Ice Creams
The name alone makes kids giggle and school mornings go a bit smoother. Your kids will think you're the best when you call them into the kitchen for their morning "ice cream!" These two-minute recipes are fun enough to entice even the grumpiest of kids. This is the only way I got my youngest daughter, Samantha, to eat anything in the morning!
Our food processor is the only way to puree the frozen fruit without having to add a lot of liquid — and for these small quantities, a three-cup mini food processor works best. These recipes can be quickly converted to a thinner smoothie by adding an extra ½ cup of milk to all the variations below and then mixing them in the blender.
Extra Sneaky Strawberry Breakfast Ice Cream
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients:
- ¼ ripe avocado
- ½ cup frozen strawberries, without syrup or added sweeteners
- 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon honey or sugar
Directions:
- Put all ingredients in food processor and puree on high — hold on tight. The first few seconds are a bit rough until the mixture smoothes out.
- Each makes about 1½ cups of ice cream.
Another sneaky hint: Make popsicles out of these ice creams by pouring them into ice pop molds and freezing the night before. It's double the fun to eat it this way in the morning!
Brainy Brownies
Makes about 30 small brownies
These are the signature recipe from the first Sneaky Chef book. Everyone was amazed that no one—neither kids nor adults—could detect the hidden spinach, blueberries, oat bran, wheat germ, or the missing fat and sugar!
Ingredients:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup Sneaky Chef Purple Puree (see Make-Ahead Recipe below)
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons Flour Blend (equal parts white flour, whole grain flour and wheat germ)
- ¼ cup oat bran
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Butter or non-stick cooking spray
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Butter or spray only the bottom, not the sides, of an 8-inch x 8-inch or 9-inch x 9-inch baking pan.
- Melt the butter and chocolate chips together in a double boiler or metal bowl over simmering water (or in a microwave, checking every 15 seconds). Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool a bit. Meanwhile, in another bowl, stir together the eggs, vanilla, sugar, and Purple Puree. Combine this purple egg mixture with the cooled chocolate mixture.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together Flour Blend, cocoa powder, oats, and salt. Add this to the chocolate mixture and blend thoroughly. Pour the entire mixture into the baking pan.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in pan before cutting the brownies and use a plastic or butter knife. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.
- Keeps for a week in the refrigerator, covered tightly.
Sneaky Chef Purple Puree
Ingredients:
- 3 cups raw baby spinach leaves
- 1½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries, no added syrup or sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons water
Directions:
- Rinse and place the spinach in the food processor first and pulse a few times.
- Add the blueberries and 1 to 2 tablespoons of water; puree on high until smooth as possible.
- Puree keeps for 3 days in refrigerator or 3 months in freezer.
Other Purees by "The Sneaky Chef"
Sneaky Chef White Puree
Ingredients:
- 2 cups cauliflower florets, fresh or frozen
- 2 medium zucchini, peeled and chopped
- 1 to 2 tablespoons water
Sneaky Chef Orange Puree
Ingredients:
- 1 medium sweet potato or yam, peeled and chopped
- 3 medium to large carrots, peeled and sliced into chunks
- 2 to 3 tablespoons water
Directions:
- Boil or steam carrots and sweet potatoes for about 20 minutes, until carrots are very tender.
You can also get The Sneaky Chef's Pasta Sauce and No-Nut Butter at her website www.thesneakychef.com and on netgrocer.com.
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