Back to school recipe ideas

Jane's white bean banana blondies

Ingredients:

• 1 x tin Macro organic cannellini beans, rinsed, drained and patted dry

• ½ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp bi-carb soda

• ¼ cup maple syrup

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup oats (rolled or quick oats are fine)

• 4 Tbsp butter, melted (or coconut oil of dairy free)

• 1 banana - half sliced and reserved for topping and the other half lightly mashed

• Optional: 2 Tbsp white chocolate chips, for extra topping

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a slice tin with baking paper.

2. Place your oats in a food processor and pulse a few times to break them up a bit, then add the other ingredients – except the sliced banana for the topping – and blitz to a batter consistency. Don't worry if some of the oats aren't smooth, it just adds texture.

3. Pour into the lined tin and scatter the top with the reserved sliced banana and the white choc chips if using.

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and firming up. Allow to cool completely before slicing as it will be fudgy in the middle.

Note: this will keep in an airtight container for up to a week.

Roast sweet potato hummus

Using fresh veggies from Woolies fresh food and paired with the below as well as fresh cut veggies and apple for dipping. 

Pro-tip: Woolies has pre diced sweet potato and pumpkin that you can use to save time too. 

• Can be served with 

. Macro Lentil Bites Pumpkin 6pk

. Macro Chickpea Chips Spinach 69g

. Macro Lentil Bites Carrot 6pk

. Woolworths Wise Wheat Hi Fibre White Loaf 640g (as toast bites or little pieces)

. Woolworths Wise Wheat Hi Fibre Seeded Rolls 4pk (as a spread on the rolls or for dipping) 

. Macro Chia Sesame Snaps 3pk

• This is a great way to add extra 'hidden' veggies to level up your hummus for extra nutrients and flavour.

• It's great to pack with extra fresh veggies and all the Macro crackers in a lunchbox. 

• You can do a version with beetroot, corn, onions, carrot, or even peas – all kinds of roast veggies – to vary the flavour up. 

• You can make it ahead of time to take to school. 

Recipe:

Roast veggies Ingredients: 

• 1 large sweet potato (about 500g)

• 1 head garlic

• olive oil

Hummus ingredients:

• 1 x tin chickpeas, drained with the liquid reserved

• 1 tsp ground cumin  

• ½ tsp smoked paprika

• ⅓ cup hulled tahini 

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• juice of one large, juicy lemon

• ¼ tsp salt

• ¼ tsp cinnamon 

Optional garnish: toasted sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds or toasted chickpeas for garnish 

Method: 

1. Begin by roasting your sweet potato and garlic. Preheat the oven to 180C and wash and dry the sweet potatoes — leave the skin on, it has a lot of the fibre and nutrients. Rub the sweet potatoes with olive oil, place on a baking tray.

2. Cut the top off your head of garlic to just expose the cloves inside, pour a little olive oil over it, wrap it tightly in foil and place on the baking tray with the sweet potato. Place the tray in the oven and bake for 1 hour or until the sweet potato is sweet and soft. 

3. Place the sweet potato into a food processor and squeeze the cooked garlic out of its skin into the mix. Add all the hummus ingredients to the food processor too and blitz until smooth. If you need to loosen it, add a little of the reserved chickpea liquid and blitz again.  

4. Serve topped with an extra drizzle of olive oil and a scattering of extra smoked paprika. Scatter over optional seed toppings of your choice and vegetable sticks, crackers and bread for dipping. 

Ready wrapped chicken and cream cheese burrito

This recipe uses Woolworth's soft wholegrain wraps, light spreadable cream cheese and a classic BBQ chicken as the main ingredients.  

The trick with these is to make them ahead. Wrap them in foil and then pop them into the sandwich press in the morning… still wrapped in the foil. Or eat them chilled. No mess, no fuss. Ready wrapped. 

RECIPE: 

Ingredients: 

• Woolworths soft, wholegrain wraps (8 pack)

• 200g Woolies BBQ chicken meat, stripped from any bones and shredded (or tinned tuna, tinned chicken or pre-cooked smoked chicken etc)

• 250g Woolworth's cream cheese light

• ½ Tbsp Woolworth's taco seasoning 

• ½ cup shredded cheese (Mexican mix or Pizza blend works well)

• 1 x tin Woolworth's Mexican style 3 bean mix, lightly mashed

• ½ cup woolworths taco sauce

• (optional) 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce

Method: 

1. Set aside the wraps and the lettuce. In a large bowl mix all the other ingredients for the filling until well combined and then chill in the fridge for ½ an hour or until needed. 

2. When you're ready to fill your wraps, lay them out and divide the filling evenly between them – adding lettuce if you will be eating the wraps fresh, but leaving it out of you will be heating the wraps. Roll each wrap up into a burrito with the ends folded in to hold the filling completely inside and wrap each burrito in foil to keep it fresh and to secure it closed. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until needed. 

Note: To warm them you can simply place them in the sandwich press – foil and all – and toast them until the cheese is melted and the middle is hot and then pack in a thermos bag to keep warm. Or pack them chilled in a cool bag with a chiller brick and eat them cold.  

Note: These can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

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