What’s Cookin’ Rutland - Healthy Holiday Foods
Dianne Lamb, Nutrition and Food Specialist
University of Vermont Extension
December 2010
Dried Bean Soup Mix in a Jar Serves 7
Ingredients:
1/3 cup of each of six different legumes, the more colorful the better. Here are some suggestions:
Kidney beans Red lentils
Split yellow peas Small red beans
Black beans Split green peas
Seasoning Mix
¼ teaspoon hot dried pepper flakes
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules, no salt added
1 ½ teaspoons dried minced onion
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dried parsley flakes
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon celery seed
Place mixed seasoning in a small bag or make a packet from plastic wrap and label.
Directions for Making Soup:
Dried Bean Mix (2 cups)
1 can (14 ½ ounces) stewed tomatoes, no salt added
Seasoning Mix
Sort legumes and throw away any discolored beans. Place in large Dutch oven or stock
pot. Rinse beans well and drain. Pour six cups of cold water over beans. Cover and let soak
overnight. Drain beans. Cover with fresh water. Cover pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce heat to low. Simmer 1 hour. Add tomatoes and seasoning mix. Stir. Cover pot and
simmer 30 minutes. Uncover beans and continue to simmer until beans are tender and soup
thickens. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers in a shallow pan within two hours. Leftover ham,
chicken, beef, or vegetables can be added to the soup.
Each 1 cup serving contains 260 calories, .5 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat,
0 mg cholesterol, 48 g carbohydrate, 14 g dietary fiber, 17 g protein, 210 mg sodium.
Recipe source: Kansas State Cooperative Extension
Gingerbread Mix
Make up Gingerbread Mix and give with the recipes for cut-out gingerbread cookies, ginger
cookies and gingerbread cake. Or measure out amount of gingerbread mix needed to make one
of the recipes. Put mix in an attractive container---glass, plastic, can or heavy duty food bag.
Include the recipe. If you are giving the cut-out gingerbread cookie recipe attach a seasonal
themed cookie cutter.
Ingredients:
8 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon cloves
2 cups sugar 1 tablespoon ginger
¼ cup baking powder 1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda 1 ¾ cup liquid canola oil
1 ½ teaspoon salt
Directions:
In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cloves, ginger and
cinnamon. Mix well. With a pastry blender, cut in vegetable oil until evenly distributed. Mixture
will resemble cornmeal in texture. Put in a large airtight container. Label. Store in a cool, dry
place. Use within 10 to 12 weeks. Makes about 13 cups of GINGERBREAD MIX.
Gingerbread Cut-Outs Makes about 2 dozen
“Paint” on the glaze and decorate with candies and raisins. They’re also great unadorned!
Ingredients:
3 cups GINGERBREAD MIX Icing Glaze:
1/3 cup molasses 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten 2 tablespoons hot water
¼ cup flour ½ teaspoon vanilla
Icing Glaze, see below
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease baking sheets. In a medium bowl, combine
GINGERBREAD MIX, molasses, egg and flour. On a lightly floured surface, roll out to ¼ -inch
thickness. Cut into shapes. Place on prepared baking sheets. Bake 8 to 12 minutes, until edges
are browned. When cooled, brush on Icing Glaze. Decorate as desired. Makes 2 dozen cookies
depending on size of cookie cutter used. Put similar sized cookies on the same baking sheet so
the cookies will cook evenly
Icing Glaze: Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Stir until smooth. Thin with water, if
necessary, to reach consistency for brushing.
Sugar & Spice Gingerbread Makes 1-9” cake
Ingredients:
½ cup milk
1 egg
½ cup molasses
2 ¼ cups GINGERBREAD MIX
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter and lightly flour a 9-inch square pan. Combine milk, egg and
molasses in a medium bowl. Add GINGERBREAD MIX and stir until blended. Pour into
prepared pan. Bake about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool
in pan 10 minutes, then cool on a wire rack. Serve with fruit and whipped cream or ice cream.
Snappy Ginger Cookies Makes about 24 cookies
Ingredients:
3 cups GINGERBREAD MIX
1/3 cup molasses
1 egg
Sugar
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease baking sheets. In a medium bowl, combine
GINGERBREAD MIX, molasses and egg. Blend well. Chill dough for easier handling, if
desired. Shape into 1-inch balls. Roll in sugar. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking
sheets. Flatten balls with bottom of a small glass. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until edges are
browned. Make about 24 cookies.
Variation:
Roll balls in mixture of 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 3 tablespoons sugar before flattering.
Recipes using Gingerbread Mix adapted from: Make-A-Mix Cookery by Karine Eliason, Nevada
Harward and Madeline Westover, H.P. Books, Tucson, AZ, 1978.
Better Bars Makes 24 bars
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked beans (1-15 oz. can) kidney, pinto or navy beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup molasses 1/3 cup dried milk
½ cup unsweetened applesauce 1 cup flour
1 egg, beaten 1 tsp. cinnamon
½ cup vegetable oil ½ tsp. baking soda
1 cup raisins ½ tsp cloves
Directions:
Mash beans into a paste or puree in blender or food processor. Place beans in mixing bowl. Add
molasses, applesauce, egg, oil and raisins. Stir lightly. Add dry ingredients and stir just to
combine. Bake in a greased 9” x 13” pan at 350° for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted
into center comes out clean.
Each bar contains 130 calories, 5 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 10 mg cholesterol,
19 mg carbohydrate, 2 g dietary fiber, 3 g protein, 130 mg sodium.