Perhaps the best and easiest snacks are variations on our favourite comfort foods. We’re sure to have some on hand, and they bring back happy memories. Here are a few recipes that feed our nostalgia.
One of my favourite comfort foods is mashed potatoes, and the instant variety are always at my fingertips so I can curl up in front of the television with a warm bowl. However, with the addition of a few extra ingredients we can make Loaded Mashed Potatoes which are not only warming but nutritious. (For more ideas see Standby Veg: Instant Mashed Potatoes.)
Sometimes the easiest snack is a bowl of cereal, but with little extra effort we can turn the Brits’ favourite comfort food, porridge (or oatmeal), into a quick and tasty snack, especially when you use quick oats. In fact, with its neutral flavour, quick oats can form the basis of both a sweet and savoury meal. In Fruity Porridge and Savoury Oatmeal, I offer you an example of each, but you can let your imagination go to come up with many more.
If you come from an East Asian background, your comfort food might be instant noodles. For those of us who don’t, I’ve provided Simply Noodles, the most basic way to serve noodles, and, in Garlic Butter Noodles and Satay Noodles, something a little spicy. (For more ideas, see Things to Do with Instant Noodles.)
For most Europeans, the ultimate comfort food is bread, the ‘stuff of life’. Here are a few open toasted sandwiches for you, though, you can always put the toppings between two slices of bread and make a ‘toastie’. These recipes suggest wholegrain bread, but you can, of course, use any bread of your choice, including pita bread. (See 6 Ways with Pita Bread.)
And, of course, everyone’s favourite snack is pizza, so I’ve included a couple of pizza recipes that are much quicker than having some delivered.
For more grain-based snack ideas, see Quick and Healthy Snacks: Microwave Rice and Quick and Healthy Snacks: Instant Couscous.
Recipes:
Peanut Butter and Banana Toast
Loaded Mashed Potatoes
- 1/3 cup instant mashed potatoes
- 1 tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp. butter or margarine (optional)
- 1 tbsp. skim milk powder
- 1 portion frozen spinach, thawed (optional)
- Parsley and garlic granules
- In a medium bowl, mix together instant mashed potatoes, skim milk powder, shredded Parmesan cheese, parsley and garlic granules
- Top with butter (optional)
- Add enough boiling water to reconstitute
- Stir in spinach (optional)
Fruity Porridge
- ¼ cup quick oats
- 1 tbsp. almond meal
- 1–2 tbsp. sultanas
- ¼ cup low-fat milk, or 1–2 tbsp. natural yoghurt (optional)
- In a medium bowl, mix together oats, almond meal and sultanas
- Just cover with boiling water
- Cover and microwave on high for 2 minutes
- Cool by stirring in some cold water, milk or yoghurt
Variations:
- substitute ¼ cup frozen mixed berries for the sultanas
- substitute ¼ Granny Smith apple, peeled and finely chopped (and cinnamon) for the sultanas
Savoury Oatmeal
- ¼ cup quick oats
- 1–2 mushrooms, sliced
- 1 portion frozen spinach
- 1 tsp. chicken stock powder
- Pepper
- ¼ cup low-fat milk (optional)
- Place mushrooms and frozen spinach in a medium bowl and microwave on high for 60 seconds
- Add quick oats and sprinkle with stock powder and pepper
- Cover with boiling water and stir
- Microwave on high for 2 minutes
- Cool by stirring in some cold water or low-fat milk
Oatmeal Pizza
- ¼ cup quick oats
- ½ tbsp. cornflour
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- 1 tbsp. natural yoghurt
- 3–4 cherry tomatoes, chopped (or 2 tbsp. diced tomatoes, drained)
- 1 mushroom, sliced (optional)
- 1 tbsp. diced bacon
- ¼ cup shredded mozzarella
- Oregano
- Shredded Parmesan cheese
- Oil spray
- Place rolled oats in the small cup of a bullet blender and process into a smooth flour
- Mix in cornflour and baking powder
- Empty into a bowl and mix in yoghurt to make a thick batter
- Turn out onto a cutting board and knead gently into a ball
- Line a baking tray with baking paper and spray with oil
- Flatten dough out onto baking tray
- Sprinkle with tomatoes, mushrooms and bacon
- Top with cheeses and oregano
- Bake in a pre-heated, hot (200°C) toaster oven for 20 minutes
Simply Noodles
- 1 portion instant noodles
- 1 tsp. chicken stock powder
- ½ tsp. soy sauce (optional)
- Dried onion, garlic granules and pepper (or Chinese 5 spice)
Stovetop Method:
- Fill a small saucepan with 3cm water and bring to the boil
- Stir in stock powder, soy sauce (optional) and spices
- Add noodles and simmer for 2–3 minutes
- Serve with or without broth
Microwave Method:
- Break noodle cake into 2–4 pieces
- Place noodles with flavourings in a 1 litre bowl
- Cover in cold water
- Microwave on high for 2 minutes
- Stir and let stand for 2–3 minutes
- Serve with or without broth
Garlic Butter Noodles
- 1 portion instant noodles
- 1 tbsp. butter or margarine
- ½–1 tsp. crushed garlic
- 1 tsp. soy sauce
- Chives and chilli (optional)
- Douse noodles in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain, reserving some of the water
- In a small saucepan over a low heat, melt butter and sauté garlic and chilli (optional)
- Add soy sauce with 1–2 tbsp. retained noodle water
- Stir in noodles and heat through
- Sprinkle with chives
Satay Noodles
- 1 portion instant noodles
- ½–1 tbsp. peanut butter
- 1 tsp. soy sauce
- 1 tsp lime or lemon juice
- Mild curry powder and chives
- Douse noodles in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain, reserving some of the water
- In a small saucepan over a low heat melt peanut butter with soy sauce, lime juice and spices
- Stir in ¾–1 cup retained noodle water, mix thoroughly and bring to a gentle simmer
- Stir in noodles and simmer for 1–2 minutes
- Sprinkle with chives
Fast Pizza
- 1–2 slice/s wholegrain bread
- 3–4 cherry tomatoes, chopped (or 2 tbsp. diced tomatoes, drained)
- 1–2 mushrooms, sliced
- 1–2 tbsp. diced bacon
- 2–4 tbsp. shredded mozzarella
- Shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
- Butter or margarine
- Lightly toast and butter the bread
- Place toast on an oven tray (lined with baking paper)
- Sprinkle bread with Parmesan cheese (optional)
- Distribute tomatoes, mushrooms and bacon across the bread
- Top with mozzarella
- Bake in a pre-heated, moderate (175°C) toaster oven for 10 minutes (or grill for 5 minutes)
Cheese and Tuna Parcels
- 1–2 slice/s wholegrain bread
- 1 x 95gm can tomato flavoured tuna
- ¼ cup shredded mozzarella (or 1 cheese slice)
- Lightly toast bread
- Drain tuna
- Place toast on an oven tray (lined with baking paper)
- Spread tuna over toast
- Top tuna with mozzarella or cheese slice
- Bake in a moderate (175°C) toaster oven for 10 minutes (or grill for 5 minutes)
Variation: substitute tuna in oil or spring water (drained) for the flavoured tuna
Peanut Butter and Banana Toast
- 1–2 slice/s wholegrain bread
- 1 small banana, ripe
- Peanut Butter
- Cinnamon
- 1–2 tbsp. natural yoghurt (optional)
- Toast bread and spread with peanut butter
- Peel, slice and mash banana
- Spread over bread
- Sprinkle with cinnamon and top with a dollop of yoghurt (optional)
Variation: omit peanut butter or substitute with butter or margarine (and honey)
Smashed Avocado on Toast
- 1 small avocado
- 2 tsp. lemon or lime juice
- Garlic granules, chilli, pepper and/or coriander (optional)
- 1–2 slice/s wholegrain bread
- Olive oil (optional)
- Chop avocado flesh and scoop into a bowl
- Add juice and mash with a fork
- Season with spices of your choice (optional)
- Toast the bread
- Drizzle toast with olive oil (optional)
- Spread avocado on toast