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Z CRACKER RECIPES

Author of The Healthy Apple, www.thehealthyapple.com

Amie Valpone, HHC, AADP is a Manhattan based Culinary Nutritionist with a passion for cooking, baking, and healthy living in the Big Apple of NYC, she strives to find the right balance for her clients using whole, natural, unprocessed foods.

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Z Cracker Sweet Potato n’ Parsnip Bake

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 3 large parsnips, peeled and cut on the diagonal
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut on the diagonal
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• Dash of sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• ½ sweet onion, sliced
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• ½ tsp. star anise
• ½ cup Greek plain yogurt
• ½ cup Z Crackers, mashed
• 2 tsp. rosemary, crushed

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cook sweet potatoes, parsnips and carrots together in boiling salted water for 10 minutes or until crisp-tender.
• Drain, reserving 3Tbsp. of the liquid.
• Place vegetables and liquid in a casserole dish.
• In a medium sized bowl, combine olive oil, sea salt, pepper, onion, cinnamon and star anise; mix well and spoon over veggies.
• In a separate bowl, combine Greek yogurt, Z Cracker crumbs and rosemary. Sprinkle on top.
• Bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until completely heated through.
• Enjoy served warm.

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Z Cracker Taco Salad

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground turkey
• ½ sweet onion, chopped
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp. lime juice
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• Dash of sea salt and pepper
• Large bed of romaine lettuce
• Toppings:
  • large Roma tomato, finely chopped
  • ½ cup Z Crackers, mashed
  • cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
  • /2 cup salsa
  • Optional Topping: low-fat sour cream

Directions

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground turkey, garlic and onion; mix well. Cover and cook until turkey is completely cooked. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Add black beans, lime juice, chili powder, sea salt and pepper; mix well.
• Spoon turkey mixture atop a large bed of romaine. Top with tomatoes, cilantro, cheese, low-fat sour cream and salsa.
• Enjoy!

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Z Cracker Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients

• 2 medium acorn squash
• ½ cup water
• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup celery, sliced
• 2 fresh basil leaves
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• ½ cup Greek plain yogurt
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. freshly ground white pepper
• ¼ cup cashews, ground
• ½ cup Z Cracker crumbs
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. parmesan cheese

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash in half lengthwise; remove seeds.
• Place squash, cut side down onto a large baking dish.
• Pour 1/2 cup water into baking dish.
• Cover and bake for 45 minutes or until squash is tender, turning cut side up halfway through baking.
• Meanwhile, cook brown rice according to directions on package.
• In a medium skillet, cook celery, basil and mushrooms until tender and soft. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Add Greek yogurt, scallions, cashews, Z Cracker crumbs, sea salt and pepper. Mix well. Slowly fold in cooked brown rice; stir until completely mixed.
• Spoon stuffing mixture into squash halves. Sprinkle with paprika and parmesan cheese.

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Z Cracker Bison Burgers

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground lean bison
• 1 cup Z Cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp. Greek plain yogurt
• ½ avocado, peeled, pitted and mashed
• 1 cup broccoli flowerets
• 1 cup cauliflower flowerets
• ¼ tsp. curry powder
• ¼ tsp. chili powder
• 2 Tbsp. salsa
• 1 Tbsp. spicy mustard
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 tsp. lime zest
• ¼ cup fresh parsley
• 5 whole wheat burger buns, split
• 5 Romaine lettuce leaves
• 5 tomato slices
• Oil for grill

Directions

• Preheat grill. Place Z Crackers in a resealable Ziploc bag; seal bag and crush with rolling pin or meat mallet to form a crumb mixture.
• In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except buns, lettuce and tomato until well mixed.
• Shape into five 4-inch burgers.
• Oil grill rack; grill burgers over medium heat (covered) for 10-15 minutes; turning half way through to ensure the bison is evenly cooked.
• For each burger, place a cooked burger onto half a bun; top with lettuce, tomato and the top half of bun.

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Z Cracker Tofu Vegetable Medley

Ingredients

• 8 Z Crackers
• 1 block firm tofu, drained and pressed
• ½ tsp. saffron threads
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 small zucchini, chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. asparagus
• 2 egg whites
• ¼ cup white cooking wine
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup sugar snap peas
• 4 cups long-grain rice

Directions

• Cook long-grain rice according to directions on package.
• Place Z Crackers in a resealable Ziploc bag; seal bag and crush with rolling pin or meat mallet to form a crumb mixture.
• In a medium sized pan, steam asparagus and sugar snap peas until crisp and tender; drain.
• Meanwhile, drain and press tofu. Slice into 1 inch cubes and coat with egg whites in a shallow bowl. Then coat tofu cubes with Z Cracker crumbs and set aside.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook cracker-coated tofu cubes, asparagus, sugar snap peas, bell pepper, zucchini and onion in oil for approximately 5 minutes; stirring occasionally until onions are translucent.
• Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook another 10 minutes, stirring frequently until tofu and vegetables are completely cooked.

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Z Cracker Chicken Tenders

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 box Z Crackers
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• ½ cup Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. oregano
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1 ½ lb. chicken tenders
• Optional Side Dippers:
  • Greek plain yogurt
  • Honey
  • Salsa
  • Guacamole

Directions

• Pre heat oven to 475 degrees. Brush a shallow baking pan with olive oil.
• In a food processor, combine crackers until finely ground. Transfer to a shallow bowl; set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine black pepper, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, oregano and sea salt. Coat chicken tenders with mustard mixture, then dip into cracker crumbs until evenly coated.
• Arrange chicken tenders in prepared baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes total; flipping the chicken fingers half way through baking to ensure even cooking.
• Remove chicken fingers from oven and enjoy with a size of Greek plain yogurt, honey, salsa and guacamole.

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Crispy Jasmine Rice Stir-Fry

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups jasmine rice
• 2 ½ cups water
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 orange bell pepper
• 1 tsp. sesame seeds
• 2 Tbsp. dark sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 1 small eggplant, cut into ½ inch cubes
• 1 yellow squash, sliced
• 2 cups baby carrots, halved lengthwise
• 4 fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
• 1 Tbp. olive oil
• ½ cup Z Crackers, mashed

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine sesame oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Cook rice to desired doneness as directed on package. Drain; cover to keep warm.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add spinach, squash, carrots, bell pepper, basil and mushrooms. Cook and stir for 8-10 minutes or until vegetables are crisp and tender.
• Stir in sesame oil mixture, add sesame seeds and toss gently to mix.
• Serve over jasmine rice and sprinkle with Z Cracker crumbs.

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