March Break munchies: Fast, kid-friendly recipes

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School’s out! March break is taking place across the nation, a much-needed time to rest up and relax. Some families will be vacationing and some will be staycationing. Whatever your plans are, you’ll need some fast and friendly recipes to feed the kids and yourselves. Here’s a handful of delicious, nutritious dishes that are easy to create, even with little hands involved. And keep them handy as you just know summer holidays are not that far off.

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Apple Gruyere Bites

A quick and easy snack that combines two of our favourite things: apples and cheese! Serves 4-6 as an appetizer. Courtesy of Produce Made Simple (producemadesimple.ca)

1 Honeycrisp (or other favourite apple), cut into 1-inch cubes

Fresh mint leaves

180g Gruyere cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes

Honey, for serving

Toothpicks

Thread an apple cube onto a toothpick, skin side up, followed by 1 mint leaf and Gruyere cube. Repeat with remaining  ingredients. Serve with a small bowl of honey on the side, for dipping.

Turkey Nuggets

Little bites of turkey are perfect for little hands to grab and dip into their favourite sauce. Alongside some oven fries you know your kids will gobble up their dinner! Serves 4 or 20 pieces. Courtesy of Ontario Turkey (ontarioturkey.ca)

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1 boneless skinless turkey breast, about 1 lb.

1 Tbsp. canola or vegetable oil

1/2 tsp. EACH chili powder (or Spanish paprika), garlic powder, salt and pepper

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 1/2 cups corn flakes, crushed

1 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley

Honey mustard, BBQ sauce or ketchup

Cut turkey into about 20, 1-1/2-inch chunks and place in a bowl. Add oil, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper; toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle flour over top and toss to coat well.

Place egg in shallow bowl and beat lightly with a fork. In another shallow dish, combine corn flakes and parsley.

Dip a few pieces of turkey at a time into egg and remove letting excess drip off. Drop into corn flake mixture and coat  well. Place on parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining turkey pieces.

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Bake in 400F. oven for about 15 minutes, turning halfway through until golden and no longer pink inside. Serve with your favourite sauces.

Kids Pizza Party Wraps with Marinara Sauce

Handheld is the way to go for kids on the go! Pizza roll-ups come with all your favourite toppings – veggies, cheese and marinara! Cucumber spears and apple slices make the perfect healthy sides. Courtesy of hellofresh.ca.

2 mini cucumbers

2 Gala apples

6 flour tortillas

1 small container cream cheese

1/2 cup favourite prepared marinara sauce, with more for dipping

1 tsp. garlic powder, divided

1 tsp. oregano,divided

Handful baby spinach

1 red or yellow pepper

3/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Cut cucumbers into quarters lengthwise. Core, then cut apples into 1/2-inch wedges. Set aside.

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Core, then cut pepper into 1/4-inch slices. Spread cream cheese over each tortilla. Spoon marinara sauce over top,  evenly sprinkle garlic powder and oregano, then top with spinach and peppers. Evenly sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Tightly roll each tortilla over filling. Transfer assembled tortillas to a plate. Cover and microwave on high until  cheese is melted, about 1 minute. Serve pizza wraps with additional sauce for dipping plus cucumbers and apples on the  side.

Chocolate Tahini Cookies

This sweet and salty cookie has it all with loads of chunky chocolate, earthy tahini, sea salt and lots of chew. If you don’t have tahini, you can replace with runny almond or runny peanut  butter. Makes 24 cookies. Recipe courtesy of Egg Farmers of Ontario (getcracking.ca)

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2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. kosher or sea salt

4 egg yolks

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup tahini

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp. water

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 bars good quality dark chocolate, chopped

1 bar good quality milk chocolate, chopped

Flaked sea salt or kosher salt

Preheat oven to 375F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks, granulated sugar, tahini, brown sugar, water and vanilla. Stir in dry mixture until just combined. Stir in  chocolate chunks.

Drop batter, in 2 Tbsp. mounds about 2-inches apart, onto 2 parchment paper-lined, rimmed baking sheets. Lightly press  down using your finger on each cookie to help with even spreading.

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Bake 1 sheet at a time for 10 minutes or until bottoms are light golden colour. Let baking sheets cool on wire racks  for 3 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with salt while still warm. Transfer cookies to racks; let cool completely.

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Veal and Pepper Bites

You won’t be able to stop popping these in your mouth! Makes about 32 bites. Courtesy of Ontario Veal Appeal (ontariovealappeal.ca)

1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

4 oz. ground veal

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. smoked paprika

2 Tbsp. seasoned breadcrumbs

1/4 cup corn kernels

1/4 cup diced roasted red peppers

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil or parsley

1 pkg. frozen butter puff pastry sheets, thawed

1 egg, lightly beaten

In a nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat and cook onion for 3 minutes. Stir in veal, garlic and paprika; cook,  breaking up with spoon for about 8 minutes or until no longer pink and onion is softened. Remove from heat and stir in  breadcrumbs. Stir in corn, peppers and basil until well combined; set aside to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, unroll 1 pastry sheet and roll out to 12 x 10 inch square. Cut into 4 long strips and cut each strip into 4  squares. Place 1 tsp. of veal mixture in centre of each square. Fold over one corner to another to form a triangle and  using a fork, press dough together to seal. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet and brush top with egg. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Place baking sheet in centre of 400F oven for about 12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving.