Snack Fest

Back to school equals back to schedules, back to homework, back to lunch-packing…and back to snacks. After-school snacks, that is. We’re looking for easy and fast, also yummy enough that whatever we put out will be enjoyed, no complaints, and will pave the way for whatever is next (math, anyone?).

Here are just a few ideas, courtesy of our Friday online column “Back Porch Table.” There are more where these came from, whether you’re looking for snacks, sides, mains, or desserts. Take a look here.

Peach Toast makes for the perfect bite: juicy, sweet peaches; crunchy toast; creamy, minty ricotta; salty prosciutto; bitter arugula; acidic balsamic reduction. 

Peach Toast

When my friend Brooke came back from a girls’ weekend in Oxford, Mississippi, she couldn’t stop talking about the Peach Toast she and her friends ordered twice before dinner. This is the friend I unflinchingly trust with dress choices, approaches to handling sticky situations, and restaurant suggestions. Peach Toast, thanks for coming.

Peach Toast is another name for Peach Crostini, it’s just that peach toast sounds so much more Mississippi – and southern. This is the perfect bite: juicy, sweet peaches; crunchy toast; creamy, minty ricotta; salty prosciutto; bitter arugula; acidic balsamic reduction. As one of my tasters said, this one is a tasty summer explosion, much more than the sum of its parts. Make sure to enjoy this one while it's still peach season

3 ripe peaches
½ tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
12 ¼-inch slices baguette, cut at a diagonal
1⁄8 cup plus ¼ teaspoon olive oil, divided
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus a pinch more, divided
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup ricotta
1 ½ tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves
¼ cup arugula
6 thin slices prosciutto, cut in half (so that you have 12 slices)
Balsamic reduction

Cut the peaches to about 1⁄8-inch thick slices. Place them in a medium bowl and toss gently with the sugar and lemon juice. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush with the olive oil, then sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bake the baguette slices for 10 minutes, until the edges begin to turn golden.

In a small bowl, use a fork to vigorously whisk the ricotta, mint, ¼ teaspoon olive oil, and a pinch of kosher salt together. Divide the ricotta evenly among the baguette slices and spread to cover. Top with arugula, then prosciutto, then peaches. Drizzle the balsamic reduction over the tops and serve immediately.

Crispy roasted rroccoli served with a Lemon Tahini Dip makes for an addictive, healthy snack or side dish. 

Roasted Broccoli with Lemon Tahini Dip

Here’s a healthy snack or side that nobody will complain about. The idea is kind of like putting cheese on veggies – it makes everything better, right?

We roast broccoli at a high heat, so that it gets crispy edges and a mild, almost sweet flavor. When you toss it together with a little bit of lemon juice and generous salt and pepper before roasting, you wind up with broccoli that is addictive. Whoever thought “broccoli” would be in the same sentence as “addictive?”

Also, Lemon Tahini Dip is a game-changer. Super simple to whisk together, you could drizzle it over the broccoli – or salad, or roasted sweet potatoes, or asparagus, or whatever strikes you.

8 cups broccoli florets (about 2 broccoli crowns, separated into florets and cut into 1-inch pieces)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice from ½ lemon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

For the Lemon Tahini Dip ¼ cup tahini
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, smashed
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. On a sheet pan, toss the broccoli together with the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, until the broccoli has some brown, crunchy edges.

Make the Lemon Tahini Dip. Use a fork to whisk together the tahini, water, vinegar, and lemon juice. It will look clumpy, but keep whisking, as it will eventually come together into a smooth sauce. Stir in the garlic and salt. Remove the smashed garlic clove before serving.

Salt and Pepper Popcorn is a punchy twist on a classic. (Photo: Andria Dilling)

Salt and Pepper Popcorn 

Am I the only one who considers popcorn a food group? I’ll admit I’ve gotten more than a little flak about my popcorn obsession. Especially about the part where I sneak my own – and everyone else’s – into the movies. Sadly, we don’t go to theaters like we used to, but we still have Netflix.

I’ve written about Truffle Parmesan Popcorn, about Truffle Butter Popcorn, and here we are with Salt and Pepper Popcorn. It’s the easiest thing to shake some salt and pepper on top of your popcorn, but wow does it make the popcorn pop (sorry). You won’t go back to plain, and I would bet this could be the start of your own personal popcorn addiction.

2 tablespoons coconut oil
½ cup popcorn kernels
2 tablespoons salted butter
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Melt the coconut oil over medium-high heat in a 7-to 9-quart stockpot with a lid. When the oil has melted, drop in 3 popcorn kernels. Cover the pot with the lid. When those test kernels pop, add the remaining popcorn kernels, and swirl them around to coat them with the coconut oil. Cover the pot and wait until you hear popping. When you do, reduce the heat a little bit and begin shaking the pot, with the lid slightly ajar (letting out a little steam makes crispier popcorn), until the popping just about stops. Remove from the heat immediately. Pour the popcorn into a large bowl. 

Keep the stockpot off the heat but add the butter to the pot and swirl it around to melt. Drizzle the butter over the warm popcorn, then sprinkle with salt and lots of pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as you like.

Note: If you prefer to use a bag of microwave popcorn, just be sure to decrease the salt to account for the salt that’s already added to the bag.

SWEET TREAT Easy, quick, and oh-so-yummy, White Chocolate Crunch keeps well in a cookie jar on the counter. (Photo: Andria Dilling)

White Chocolate Crunch 

Stop reading if you are in any way anti-sugar. But if you enjoy a sweet, crunchy treat, White Chocolate Crunch is your friend.

This started in “Back Porch Table” as Valentine Sweetheart Snack Mix, with heart-shaped Cheerios and pink and red M&Ms and sprinkles. But this Crunch is so good it would be a shame to limit ourselves to once a year. This is a munchie nobody will be able to stop munching on.

2 cups Life cereal
3 cups Honey Nut Cheerios cereal
10-ounce bag mini marshmallows
10-ounce bag M&Ms Minis
½ cup chopped, toasted almonds
20 ounces white chocolate

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, use your hands to toss together the cereals, marshmallows, M&Ms, and almonds. 

Place the white chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 50 percent power for 30 seconds. Stir. Repeat at 15-second intervals until the chocolate is smooth and pourable.

Pour the melted chocolate over the cereal mix and stir to coat everything with the chocolate. Turn the snack mix out onto the two baking sheets and spread to the edges. Let cool before breaking into bite-sized pieces. Store in an air-tight container.