Saint-Charles School is a small school in the scenic Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec. They set up a breakfast program for their 75 students a little more than a year ago. Special education teacher Myriam Servais is the one who got the initiative off the ground, with support from her fellow staff members. “Madame Myriam,” as she is affectionately known, is in tune with the needs of her students. From day one, she has put her all into making the program a success, so that every child can start their morning with a wholesome breakfast.

This year, some extra help was needed to keep everything running smoothly, so the breakfast program decided to reach out to the parent population. Marie-Soleil Aupin-Keighan, a mother of one of the students and a very creative person by nature, responded immediately. As someone bursting with ideas for recipes, decorations, crafts and more, she was the perfect fit for the role of site coordinator. So she decided to take the plunge!

Thanks to the efforts of all the volunteers and the staff members who help out, the breakfast program at Saint-Charles School is a hive of activity every morning. Students from Grades 5 and 6 are also on hand to pitch in with breakfast preps. “Without all these great people, I’d have much less time to plan, organize and cook!” said Marie-Soleil.

It turns out Marie-Soleil is also a wiz at cutting down on food waste: “I work hard to keep waste to a minimum. I’ll inevitably find a way to turn one thing into something else or invent new no-bake recipes to get students to eat food they may otherwise turn their nose up at. I make energy balls and apple sauce popsicles. When yogurt gets close to its best-before date, I freeze it and make yogurt pops. Unopened drinkable yogurt gets put into a blender with frozen fruit to make smoothies. And that’s just the beginning!” This week, she’s testing out a new egg spread. We’re sure that, like everything else she dreams up, it will be a huge hit!

She has generously agreed to share one of the kid-tested recipes she has come up with. Feel like giving it a whirl?

MARIE-SOLEIL’S NO-BAKE ENERGY BALLS

Yield: 32 balls

Ingredients:

• 2 c. (500 mL) soy butter* (WowButter)
• 1 c. (250 mL) granola
• ⅓ c. (80 mL) honey or maple syrup
• ¼ c. (60 mL) raisins

Preparation:

1. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or a reusable silicon mat.
2. Combine the soy butter and honey with an electric mixer or a fork.
3. Add the granola, using your fingers to crumble some of the bigger pieces. Blend together with a mixing spoon.
4. Shape the mixture into balls, about 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) at a time. If it is too sticky to handle, try moistening your hands with a little water. Add extra soy butter and honey if needed for the balls to hold together.
5. Place them on the prepared cooking sheets, making sure they don’t touch. Chill for at least an hour.

N.B.: For special occasions, drizzle melted chocolate over top, as illustrated.

*You can substitute other nut or seed butters if that’s what you have on hand!

These no-bake cookies can be customized to include any extra toppings of your choice!

Serves: 16 | Prep Time: 5 mins | Total Time: 15 mins + 1hr chilling time

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
• 2 tsp honey or maple syrup
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 tsp chia seeds
• 1 1/2 cups oats

Extra

• Chopped almonds
• Raisins
• Pumpkin seeds

Directions

1. Place the peanut butter, honey and vanilla in a bowl.
2. Stir the mixture until well combined, then add in the remaining ingredients.
3. Stir well and ensure everything is well incorporated.
4. Roll the mixture into 16 balls and place the balls on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
5. Press the balls flat slightly and place them in the fridge for at least an hour.

For more delicious recipes, check out the Club’s cookbook!

For Nutrition Month, Breakfast Club of Canada has teamed up with child nutritionist Mélanie Magnan (nutrimini.com) to bring you a simple, irresistible breakfast recipe that kids and parents alike are bound to love. One of Mélanie’s mantras is “Healthy eating should be fun.” Mission accomplished!

Photo credit: Nutrimini

Ingredients (for 1 pizza)

• 1 mini watermelon disc, about 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter, sliced approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick
• ½ c. (125 mL) vanilla-flavoured Greek yogurt
• ½ kiwi, sliced
• 1 or 2 strawberries, sliced
• 12 a dozen fresh blueberries
• ¼ c. (60 mL) mixed granola
• 1–2 Tbsp. (15 mL–30 mL) desiccated coconut

Preparation

• Spread half of the yogurt on top of the disc.
• Top with kiwi, strawberries and blueberries.
• Sprinkle granola and coconut over top.
• Serve with the remaining yogurt on the side.

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Recipe by Anick Lamothe – Une mère poule un peu dingue

This dish is a snap to put together ahead of time. Just reheat and enjoy! You can prepare the whole thing from scratch or, better yet, use leftover holiday turkey for a tastebud-tantalizing way to avoid unnecessary food waste.

Yield: 4 servings | Preparation time: 40 minutes | Cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

Puréed squash

• 1 butternut squash
• 2 Tbsp. (30 mL) butter
• 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) milk

Turkey

• About 1¼ lb (600 g) skinless, boneless turkey breast
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 1 onion, quartered
• A few bay leaves
• Salt and pepper

• 2 Tbsp. (30 mL) butter
• 4 shallots, minced
• 2 8 oz (227 g) packs of cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• ½ tsp. (2.5 mL) cloves
• ½ tsp. (2.5 mL) allspice
• ¼ c. (60 mL) all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ cups (500 ml) turkey, chicken or mushroom stock  
• 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 425^○F (220^○C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Slice the squash in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Lay the halves on the sheet pan, cut side down. Bake for 1 hour. Remove from the oven, flip the halves over and let cool slightly. Lower the oven to 350^○F (180^○C).
2. While the squash is cooking, place the turkey breast in a saucepan and cover completely with water. Add the chopped carrot, celery and onion, along with the bay leaves, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a summer and cook, covered, for 1 hour. Remove the turkey from the broth, let cool 10 minutes and then pull apart using two forks. Strain the broth and discard the vegetables. Set the chicken and broth aside.
3. In a large frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the mushrooms and diced carrot and celery, stirring regularly, until the moisture has evaporated, about 5 to 8 minutes.
4. Stir in the cloves, allspice and the flour and mix well. Add the stock, vinegar, salt and pepper, and stir until it thickens. Add the pulled turkey. Divide the turkey mixture into four single-serve ovenproof dishes.
5. Scoop out the squash into a bowl. Add the butter and milk. Mash together using a potato masher and, when smooth, spoon out on top of the four prepared dishes, spreading uniformly over the turkey mixture.
6. Bake for 10 minutes and serve.

*Note: Don’t throw out the rest of the turkey broth. Use it to make a chill-chasing soup!

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This recipe has been adapted from OnceUponAChef.com

The festive season is almost upon us and what better way to celebrate than with lots of yummy food! Strata casseroles are perfect for this time of year since they can be made in big batches the day before and customized to what you have on hand. This comforting recipe is also the perfect way to use up any leftovers you may have (bread, fruits, veggies, milk, cheese) before schools close for the holidays!

Servings: 8 to 10

Ingredients

• 1 lb (454 g) chopped frozen spinach, thawed and thoroughly drained
• 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 c. (2 L) whole wheat bread, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes (about 11 slices)
• 2 (500 mL) grated cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, feta — whatever cheese you’d like!)
• 9 large eggs
• 2¾ c. (680 mL) milk of choice
• 1 tsp. (5 mL) salt
• ¾ tsp. (3.75 mL) black pepper
• ¼ (1.25 mL) ground nutmeg
• 2 Tbsp. (30 mL) Dijon mustard(optional)

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and drained spinach, and cook 2 minutes more. Set aside.
2. Grease a 9′ x 13′ (23 cm x 33 cm) baking dish. Spread a third of the bread cubes in the dish and top evenly with a third of the onion-spinach mixture. Sprinkle with a third of the cheese. Repeat layering twice, ending with cheese.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg and Dijon (if using) and whisk until well combined. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the strata. Cover the strata with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.
4. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Bake the strata, uncovered, until puffed, set and golden brown all over top, 70–75 minutes. Let stand 10–15 minutes before serving.

Try customizing this recipe by substituting different vegetables for the spinach (roasted squash cubes, steamed broccoli, chopped peppers). You can also try experimenting with a sweet variation by skipping the onion, garlic, cheese and mustard and adding in:

• 3 sliced bananas, ½ c. pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds, ⅓ sugar

OR

• 3 sliced apples, ½ c. raisins, ⅓ c. brown sugar

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