The BariGirls: St. Pat's Green Snacks! 🍀
Channel: Hen House Markets
Date: 2024-03-14

Consider yourself lucky! The BariGirls have a full spread of healthy and green snacks for your St. Patrick's Day celebrations!

Green Bean Fries

2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 large egg, beaten
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound fresh green beans (about 40 beans), washed and trimmed
cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly spray a large half-sheet baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place the flour and beaten eggs in separate mixing bowls. In a shallow dish, combine panko, parmesan, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Toss the green beans in the flour to lightly coat them. Shake off any excess flour.

Dip the coated green beans into the egg mixture, allowing the excess to drip off.  Toss into the panko mixture, pressing firmly so that the crumbs stick on.  Transfer the breaded green beans to the prepared baking pan in a single layer. Spray them with cooking spray.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden-brown and crispy.

Wasabi Cream Dipping Sauce
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp wasabi paste

Combine all ingredients, mix well and serve.

Garlic Kale Chips

1 medium-sized bunch of kale washed, dried well
2 tsp olive oil
Pinch or two of salt
Pinch of garlic powder

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Wash and dry one bunch of kale, making sure the leaves are completely dry. If there's any moisture left on the leaves, it will result in soggy kale chips.

Rip the leaves off the stems and away from the chewy veins of the kale and into chip-sized pieces.  Arrange the pieces of kale on an unlined baking sheet.  Drizzle the olive oil evenly over kale as possible. 

Using your hands, gently massage the oil into the kale leaves, making sure to massage the oil well into all the folds and onto the entire surface of each kale leaves. At first it may not seem that 2 teaspoons of oil will be enough but adding more oil will only add too much moisture. If you find you need a tiny bit more oil, add it one drop at a time.

Once you've finished massaging the kale, sprinkle a pinch or two of sea salt and a pinch of garlic powder over the kale and add the pan to preheated oven.

Bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan, flipping any pieces that are starting to look crispy and bake for another 10-15 minutes, watching the pan closely for the last 7-8 minutes to prevent over browning.

Remove the pan from oven and leave the kale chips on the pan for 3-5 minutes before serving so they can crisp up even more!

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

4 strips turkey bacon, cut into small strips
6 cloves garlic, minced 
1 yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, grated
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional 
2 cups cauliflower florets
4 cups chicken stock, divided 
6 cups broccoli florets, chopped 
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese 

Heat a large pot over medium heat add turkey bacon strips and sauté until crisp, and then remove from the pot. 

Add minced garlic, diced onion, cauliflower florets, salt, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes to the pot. Sauté for 3-4 minutes.

Next, add three cups of chicken stock to the pot and bring soup to a simmer. Let the soup simmer for 15-20 minutes until the cauliflower is tender.

Carefully transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth and creamy.  Carefully pour the pureed soup base back into the pot. 

Next, stir in the remaining chicken broth, grated carrots, and chopped broccoli florets until well combined. Let the soup simmer for 5-10 minutes until the broccoli is tender.

Lastly, stir in the shredded cheese until well combined and thoroughly melted. 

Serve the soup warm topped with crispy turkey bacon and sliced green onions.