Co-op Shows How to Make Healthy Summer Snacks

Looking for something to snack on that's not junk or processed and is easy to throw together? With school ending in less than a week, the  offered a hands-on healthy simple summer snacks seminar Tuesday in the Greenbelt Youth Center.

One of the recipes the class learned and sampled was called joy balls. "This is basically a raw candy," Co-op produce department manager, Ellen Siegel, said as she demonstrated how to make them.

She mixed almond meal together with honey and added nuts and raisins before rolling them in shredded coconut. Siegel recalled first learning the snack in the late '60s from hippies in a commune.

Tuesday's recipe came from Cosmic Cookery by Kathryn Hannaford, but Siegel encouraged variations.

While Siegel rolled the dough into balls, Co-op membership and outreach coordinator, Kim Rush Lynch, shared another snack idea -- stuffing an avocado with chicken salad or tuna. "We call them avocado boats," she said.

Rush Lynch and Siegel came with about ten recipe handouts, which Rush Lynch said will also be in the handout display case in the Co-op for those who want copies.

Pick them up, while they last. Here's  a sampling of recipes the Co-op is giving away:

• Joy Balls
• Green Pea Dip
• Kale Chips
• Apple and Avocado Salsa
• Peach-Papaya Salsa
• Minted Green Pea Soup
• Pumpkin Seed Parmesan Spread
• Traditional Spanish Gazpacho
• Toasted Squash Seeds
• Mango and Plum Peachy Smoothies

I'll leave you with one of Siegel's own recipes:

Traditional Spanish Gazpacho

Ingredients

• 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cubed
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons red wine, balsamic or raw apple cider vinegar
• 6 tomatoes (about 2 lbs.), quartered
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon course ground sea salt
• 1/2 cup to 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Cut up all of the vegetables and put them in the blender.
2. Add water, vinegar and seasoning and blend for a minute.
3. Add olive oil last, which will help to thicken the soup. Continue to blend to desired consistency.
4. Garnish with a few coarsely chopped veggies and/or croutons.