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Delicious & Quick Recipes for Oktoberfest Entertaining

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Labor Day has come and gone, but don’t unpack your Halloween decorations just yet – there’s another seasonal event to celebrate first: Oktoberfest! Oktoberfest is the world’s largest Volksfest (aka beer festival and travelling funfair), held annually in Munich, Germany and celebrated in smaller capacities in cities around the world and across the United States. Oktoberfest festivities typically run from mid or late September to the first weekend in October and feature traditional Bavarian drink, food and entertainment. Can’t make it to Munich (or your closest local Oktoberfest celebration) this year? Not to worry – we’ve got three super easy Volksfest-inspired recipes to help you create that Bavarian magic at home.

Succulent Supper 

Sauerkraut (finely cut, fermented cabbage) and potatoes are two major staples in Oktoberfest cuisine. Grab a few cans each of Libby’s® SauerkrautandWhole White Potatoes to make this Pork, Sauerkraut & Potato Skillet Supper. It’s a hearty, succulent one-pot meal that keeps for up to a week in the fridge. Make an extra big batch and stretch out your Oktoberfest celebrations over multiple days. You’ll be just like revelers in Munich, where festivities last from 16 to 18 days.

Super Speedy Sauerkraut

Tight on time this Oktoberfest season? The solution is in this Skillet Ham and Sauerkraut, an authentic and delicious seven-ingredient dish that can be pulled together in less than 30 minutes – no joke! Libby’s® Sauerkraut plays the starring role alongside juicy ham and softened apples. (Fun fact: apples play a big role in Oktoberfest entertaining as well, both in savory dishes like this and in sweet desserts!).

Sausage Symphony 


Yet another star ingredient in Oktoberfest dining? Sausage. Instead of eating the meat by itself—which is how it’s usually consumed at Oktoberfest festivals—combine it with your favorite Libby’s® products in a veggie-laden stew! This Vegetable Sausage Soup brings together a delectable combo of spices (think: oregano, basil and marjoram), healthy veggies (we’re talking Libby’s® Cut Green Beans, Sliced Carrots, Whole White Potatoes green peppers) and of course, sausage, for a meal that’s bottom-of-the-bowl-licking-good. Freeze leftovers and enjoy the taste of Oktoberfest throughout the year!

New Libby’s® Vegetable Pouches Help Deliver Dinner in a Flash

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Marion, N.Y. (September 7, 2016) – Libby’s® Fruits & Vegetables announced today the launch of brand-new Libby’s®  Vegetable Pouches, which will begin rolling out at retailers across the country. A first for the vegetable market, Libby’s® Vegetable Pouches will sit alongside their canned counterparts on the shelf, but cook in less than 60 seconds in their own pouch – no pots or heating containers needed. The result: hot, nutritious vegetables in a flash and more time to enjoy food and family.

“Although most parents know vegetables are healthy, they are served at only 23 percent of dinners[1]. Libby’s understands that parents need options for bringing vegetables to the table that they can feel good about and that help preserve important family time,” said Bruce Wolcott, Vice President of Marketing for Seneca Foods. “New Libby’s®  Vegetable Pouches bring farm-fresh goodness to busy families, providing a wholesome addition that cooks quickly and is easy to enjoy together.”  

Libby’s designed these state-of-the-art, lightweight pouches containing Libby’s® Vegetables to make preparing and serving hot vegetables more convenient than ever. Libby’s® Vegetable Pouches:

  • Come in five family favorites – Sweet Peas, Cut Green Beans, Sliced Carrots, Whole Kernel Sweet Corn and Mixed Vegetables – and are all grown and packed in the United States
  • Stand up straight, are flexible, easy to open and fit nicely into kitchen cabinets, taking up less space  
  • Are shelf-stable – no need for refrigeration
  • Can be served hot or cold, by themselves or as the star ingredient in side dishes, appetizers and other recipes

To introduce the new Vegetable Pouches, Libby’s is teaming up with Donatella Arpaia, Celebrity Chef, Restaurateur and Head Judge on Food Network’s Iron Chef America, to develop exclusive recipes featuring the Vegetable Pouches. Arpaia’s recipes will be featured in the Libby’s® Digital Recipe Box, among hundreds of others that provide quick and easy ideas for preparing and serving vegetables.

“As a working mom, I know firsthand how tough it can be to get the wholesome goodness of vegetables on the dinner table after a busy day,” said Arpaia. “Libby’s® Vegetable Pouches are the perfect solution for these time-crunched moments, as they’re an easy, quick, healthy and delicious addition to side dishes, main courses and even appetizers. I can’t wait to share my new Vegetable Pouches recipes with other busy parents.”

About Libby’s® Fruits & Vegetables

Libby’s, the nation’s second largest brand of canned vegetables, has been a staple on American dinner tables since the 1880s. With 117 product varieties, Libby’s offers among the industry’s most complete lines of canned fruit and vegetables, including Libby’s® Naturals, which contain no added sugar or salt. Since 1983, Libby’s® Fruits & Vegetables have been produced and distributed by Marion, N.Y. based Seneca Foods Corporation, an independent, publicly traded, fully integrated food processing company. For more information on Libby’s and Seneca Foods visit www.senecafoods.com. For information on Libby’s mission, visit www.getbacktothetable.com, like Libby’s on Facebook, or follow @LibbysTable on Twitter or Pinterest.

 

[1] Wansink B, Shimizu M, and Brumberg A. How vegetables make the meal: their hedonic and heroic impact on perceptions of the meal and of the preparer. Public Health Nutrition. 2016. Available at:http://journals.cambridge.org/download.php?file=%2FPHN%2FPHN16_11%2FS1368980012004673a.pdf&code=2317478727e791c5a8274c4fdfabca59 

Food Blogger Picks for Easy Back-to-School Meals

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So long, summer! Back-to-school season is officially here, and with that transition comes hectic mornings, jam-packed afternoons and busy evenings. As schedules fill up, certain priorities can start to slip, but there’s one thing that shouldn’t: healthy eating. Luckily, serving your clan a wholesome, nutritious weeknight meal can be as easy and convenient as 1-2-3. The secret ingredient? Libby’s® Vegetable Cups. These single-serving cups, available in five varieties, are easy to open and packed with vitamins and minerals, making them an ideal lunchbox component and perfect addition to time-crunched weeknight dining. We’ve rounded up two brand new food blogger recipes that showcase the best of Vegetable Cups in back-to-school-inspired dishes.


These Easy Chicken Lettuce Wraps from Lisa at Snappy Gourmet feature Libby’s® Diced Carrots Vegetable Cups alongside protein-packed chicken bits and stick-to-your-ribs sticky rice. The wraps are versatile—you can serve them as a quick lunch, dinner or appetizer—and can easily be personalized for different palates. For an extra special weekday lunch, pack the wrap ingredients in a bento box and let your kids assemble them at school. This recipe serves 4, but you can easily cut it down to a single serving or dial it up for a big crowd. Bonus: each serving costs less than $2.00, making this both a waistline-friendly AND wallet-friendly option.
 
Allison over at Some the Wiser concocted this Quick Chicken Chili using Libby’s® Whole Kernel Sweet Corn Vegetable Cups. It’s super simple to pull together—we’re talking less than 35 minutes from start to finish—and delivers a hearty dose of flavor, nutrition and sustenance. Make a double (or even triple) batch of this on the weekend and pop it in the freezer for an instant dinner on those unexpectedly nutty weeknights. Serve it with a toppings bar (think: shredded cheese, sour cream, plain yogurt, avocado chunks and tortilla chips) for a fun, customizable meal sure to please the whole family. 

Back-to-School: Q&A with Iron Chef America Donatella Arpaia

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It’s that time of year again: back to school. While this season is full of exciting transitions and new beginnings, it can also be a hectic, stressful period. As schedules fill up, certain priorities–like eating healthy and enjoying quality family meals together–can start to slip. That doesn’t need to be the case though, and here to help is Donatella Arpaia, a regular judge on The Food Network’s Iron Chef America and The Next Iron Chef, a NYC restaurant owner and mother to a 4-year-old son. Donatella sat down with us recently to share her favorite tips and tricks for making the shift from summer to school as seamless, healthy and fun as possible. She also created two special kid-friendly recipes to help Libby’s fans kick off back-to-school season in a wholesome, delicious way!

The back-to-school transition can be bittersweet as we bid adieu to summertime fun while welcoming the excitement of the new school year. Do you have any tips for creating special traditions that celebrate this change of seasons?

During this hectic period, I think it’s crucial to create family traditions and not just back-to-school “to do” lists.  You can do this by scheduling a last “lazy day of summer” and plan the perfect day with your kids—whether it’s a day at the beach, a movie or a picnic—whatever it is, make it fun and leave all phones at home.

Also, for most families, food is an important part of making traditions. Create culinary memories together by baking a snack with your kids to go in their lunchboxes the first week of school. Celebrate the first day of class with an extra special breakfast and dinner.

With packed schedules, added extra-curricular and crazed morning routines, the start of a new school year can be an especially hectic time for families. What tips do you have to ensure that healthy eating doesn’t fall by the wayside?

It helps to plan meals ahead of time as much as possible. I like to create a menu for the week so I can see if it’s balanced. (For example, you don’t want to serve red meat everyday!). Advance preparation leads to better choices for your family, and I like to prepare recipes the night before that actually taste better the next day like my Quinoa Salad with Corn and Peas.

Quinoa Salad with Corn and Peas

Healthy after-school snacking is an essential antidote to pre-dinner crankiness. Any favorite snack recipes?

Fruit and cheese is a perfect and easy afternoon snack because it doesn’t fill kids up too much before dinner, but sustains and satisfies. I like to combine Libby’s Pear Slices with a few cubes of cheese.

If we’re being honest, packed school lunches often times feel “blah.” What do you do to keep things healthy, yet creative?

Step 1: Get out of the boring sandwich rut! Buy fun, bento-style containers and create yummy recipes incorporating veggies that your kids will love, like my Sesame Soba Noodle Salad with Green Beans. It’s flavorful and healthy, and you can top it with grilled chicken for extra protein.

Sesame Soba Noodle and Green Bean Salad

Incorporating kids into the kitchen routine can be a great way to spark culinary curiosity and encourage healthy eating from a young age. What tips do you have for bringing young ones on board? 

Make your kids feel important by giving them their own work station! Set up a small cutting board and bowl and give them their own tools to cook, mix and bake with. Be sure to do this when you’re not rushing and don’t criticize them or micromanage. It’s important to let them have fun while you do the actual cooking and teach them along the way. I bought my son his own apron and we made a paper chef hat – he felt very proud!

What advice do you have for parents of picky eaters who worry about their kids eating enough fruits and veggies? 

I have a picky eater! If it was up to my son, his diet would consist of chocolate, pancakes and ice cream. When it comes to picky eaters, it’s important to be consistent and don’t let them wear you down. Every day, encourage them to eat something new. Find fruits and veggies that they like and build on that. Incorporate new fruits and veggies into their favorite foods. Also, I know some say not to “reward with food,” but it works for me. I tell my son that if he eats his fruits and veggies or tries something new, he can have a small sweet reward! Find what works and don’t feel guilty about it.

Sending youngsters off to school with a nutritious breakfast is crucial, but this is often easier said than done. Any tips for making sure a healthy meal first thing actually happens?

Although I pack my son a healthy lunch, I can’t ensure that he’s actually eating it, but I DO have control over breakfast and dinner. Parents often think that veggies can’t be incorporated into breakfast so they miss this “veggie” opportunity. It is so important to make sure kids get a protein in the morning. I like to sneak peas into scrambled eggs and then add some cheesy goodness so that my son doesn’t even realize he is eating veggies for breakfast! Try this with your kids using my recipe for Scrambled Eggs with Peppers & Peas. It features Libby’s Vegetable Cups,which I’m a huge fan of because they’re a fast, convenient and easy way to provide a healthy portion of veggies any time of day, but especially in the morning.


Scrambled Eggs with Peppers & Peas

I recommend starting the transition to a healthier breakfast before the school year begins. Have your little ones help you prepare breakfast and make them part of the process. This way, they’ll be more likely to try your food, and by the time school starts, they’ll be used to seeing green in their eggs!

Five Reasons You Should Probably Eat More Beets

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Beets are more than just pink, earthy-tasting vegetables. They’re nutrition powerhouses packed with essential vitamins and minerals that keep your body humming and your heart happy. What’s more, their unique flavor and colorful hue bring an exciting pop to your palate AND your plate. Here are five reasons you should eat more of these produce gems, along with three Libby’s recipes that celebrate the absolute best beets have to offer.

1)     Beets may combat cancer.

Scientific studies have demonstrated that the high levels of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents found in beets may help lower the risk of many types of cancers.

2)     Beets are loaded with six different important nutrients. They’re an excellent source of folate, vitamin A and K, and a very good source of manganese, copper, and potassium. Give a “toast” to good health with these adorable and tasty Beet & Bean Salad Crostini.

 

3)     Beets can fend off hunger. Beets are high in fiber, which helps with satiety and regularity. For a refreshing, healthy and delicious lunch that will keep mid-afternoon stomach rumblings at bay, try this Grilled Beet & Peach Spinach Salad featuring Libby’s® Sliced Beets alongside grilled Libby’s® Peach Slices, candied walnuts and blue cheese.

4)     Beets can help your body cleanse itself.

Beets have also been shown to support your body’s natural detoxification process. That’s thanks to betalin, a compound naturally found in beets (which, fun fact, gives them their red color!), as it captures toxins and pushes them out via the urinary tract.

5)     Beets can lift your spirits. They contain betaine, a substance that calms the brain and is used in other forms to treat depression. Beets are also a source of tryptophan (found in chocolate as well), which contributes to a sense of well-being. Reach your nirvana with this Pastry Wrapped Roasted Beets & Brie. It makes a warm and flaky appetizer, side dish or even dessert.   

A “Toast" to Summer: Spreadable Snacks & Dips

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School’s out, the kids are home and the weather is heating up – all signs that summer is here! And that doesn’t just mean it’s time to get out the beach toys and roller blades. It’s also time to try some new summer recipe! Dips and spreads are perfect when the temperatures start to rise. Whether you’re throwing a backyard barbeque with your family and friends or whipping up yummy snacks for the kids, these are a few dishes that everyone can enjoy this summer.

Layer on the Fun 

Take a lesson from Iron Chef Donatella Arpaia and combine your favorite veggies into one delicious dip. This summer get colorful with her recipe for Seven Layer Dip. With seven full-flavored layers, your friends and family will be raving about every bite. From the Libby’s Whole Kernel Sweet Corn® to the Cut Green Beans®, this dip is packed with mouthwatering flavors and nutrients. Enjoy this at your next party with tortilla chips or veggies!

Turn Up the Heat

Spice things up with this Smoky Skillet Hot Corn Dip, perfect for topping on crackers, bread or endive. This flavorful dip satisfies taste buds with the combination of cheeses paired with hot jalapenos and Libby’s Whole Kernel Sweet Corn®.

Switch It Up

 

Step out of your mayo and mustard comfort zone and mix it up with unique sandwich toppers, like Smoky Carrot Hummus Sandwich Spread.  Incorporating veggies into lunchtime favorites is a simple and tasty way to ensure your family is getting the nutrients they need in the most satisfying way possible! If you’re looking for something lighter, layer it on toast or crackers – making the spread the star of your meal.