Try Siri Daly’s Rainbow Popsicles & Manchego Summer Squash Gratin

Siri Daly, “TODAY” Show contributor, author, food blogger, and mom-of-three, shares two of her favorite recipes from her book Siriously Delicious to try with your kids this summer.

Rainbow Popsicles

If I know one thing, it is that kids love rainbows and kids love popsicles. That is more than one thing, but I can’t help it because I know so much. I’m sure you are also aware that all of us—kids and grownups alike—first eat with our eyes, so anything that is visually appealing is hard to pass up. I had seen versions of these beautiful creations on the Internet, and I was so excited to try out my own recipe.

To make them, you start by blending various combinations of fruits and veggies with yogurt, honey, and lemon juice. For the colors you use strawberries for red, peaches for orange, spinach for green (and I promise, you barely taste the vegetable here), and blueberries for blue. Each layer is distinctly flavorful, and the creamy yogurt base keeps them from melting too quickly. Once poured into the molds, everything swirls together to develop a lovely rainbow of colors that is as nutritious as it is delicious.

Makes 22

Hands-On Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 8 hours, 25 minutes

Blue Layer

1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup vanilla whole-milk yogurt
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Green Layer

1 small ripe banana, sliced
1 cup baby spinach
1 cup vanilla whole-milk yogurt
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Red Layer

1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup vanilla whole-milk yogurt
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Orange Layer

1 cup chopped fresh peaches
1 cup vanilla whole-milk yogurt
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Process each layer separately in a high-powered blender until smooth. Pour the mixtures into 3-ounce ice pop molds, alternating the colors. Top with a lid, and insert craft sticks. Freeze for eight to 12 hours.

Siriously Important:

When pouring the mixtures in the popsicle molds, it’s helpful to think about which mixtures are thicker than others. Alternate thick and thin mixtures so that they don’t blend colors too much. Also, stir the blueberry mixture before pouring into the molds. The pectin will start to make it gel a little if it sits too long.

Siriously Simple:

If you don’t want to make 22 popsicles, swirl the leftover mixture in a glass and drink it as a smoothie or prepare it as a smoothie bowl.

Manchego Summer Squash Gratin

Serves 8

Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes

This might be one of the things I make that Carson requests the most. He grew up loving scalloped potatoes but nowadays doesn’t always crave the heavy richness associated with that dish. Alternatively, this summer squash gratin is light, colorful, and just tender enough with a terrific crunch from the breadcrumbs. (I really sound like a mom when I say things like “terrific crunch,” don’t I?)

The best part about this recipe is how quickly you can make it, especially if you have a mandoline. This handy kitchen tool easily slices your squash and zucchini into uniform circles and will also ensure that they cook evenly. It’s a perfect summer side but also something we tend to make all year long.

2 medium zucchini
2 medium-sized yellow squash
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1⁄4 teaspoons kosher salt
3⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1⁄2 cups shredded Manchego cheese
1 cup panko (Japanese-style breadcrumbs)

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F with an oven rack about eight inches from the heat. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, slice the zucchini and the yellow squash thinly on the bias into 1⁄4-inch-thick slices. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1⁄2 teaspoon of the pepper. Spread half of the squash mixture in a lightly greased, 11-x7-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with 3⁄4 cup of the cheese, and top with the remaining half of squash. Bake until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, stir together the panko and remaining 3⁄4 cup cheese, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 1⁄4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Remove the casserole from the oven, and sprinkle with the panko mixture. Return to the oven, and bake for five minutes. Increase the temperature to a high broil (do not remove the dish), and broil until the top is golden brown, three to five minutes.

Excerpted from Siriously Delicious by Siri Daly. Copyright © 2018 Oxmoor House. Reprinted with permission from Time Inc. Books, a division of Meredith Corporation. New York, NY. All rights reserved.