portable

Miss out on Spring break? Not to worry: mango, avocado, pineapple, and a few splashes of milk are all you need to go on a miniature tropical getaway.

Why, you might ask, should you add avocado to the smoothie? Don't skip out on it: the fruit imparts a pleasant green hue on the drink, plus it contributes to the overall thickness and mouthfeel of the smoothie, since avocados are naturally high in fat. It won't really affect the flavor, though: this smoothie is all about the mighty sweet mango and mouth-puckering pineapple.

I prefer my smoothies on the thicker side, but keep blending it with more milk until you reach your desired consistency. I like to pop my smoothie in the freezer for 10 minutes or so to really chill it up.

Keep reading for the recipe.

How do you prefer your tortilla chips? Puffed from the fryer and slightly flaky, or crunchy and dense from a trip to the oven? Good news: in less than 30 minutes, you'll have your chips both ways, thanks to two simple techniques.

To bake the chips, generously oil and salt them, then bake them for about 20 minutes, or until they crisp up and are firm to the touch. These chips will stay fresher for longer than the fried variety.

While you're frying, tend to the chips closely, because they only take a few minutes and the heat may need adjusting while you're frying. These chips tend to go stale after a few hours, so plan to make them right before you eat them.

Serve the chips with your favorite queso dip, salsa, or guacamole.

Keep reading for the recipe.

Throughout middle and high school, I practically subsisted on Nature Valley's crisp and crunchy Oats 'n Honey granola bars. To this day, a mere glimpse of the bold green wrapper gets my stomach grumbling. So when I stumbled upon a recipe hack for the snacktime staple, I knew I had to try it for myself.

My first attempt turned out a batch that, while enticing, wasn't quite right; my roommates happily scarfed them down, but to my nostalgic palate, they were slightly too soft, not quite salty enough, and tasted a little raw. Thankfully, with a few tweaks — notably, toasting the oats and swapping out half the honey for brown sugar for a deeper flavor and a crisper, toastier texture — they're everything my teenage self could've wished for. Even better, they're slightly less sweet, leaving my slightly more sophisticated mid-20s persona pleased as punch as well.

Get the recipe, and start snacking.

I'm an unabashed fan of the humble chickpea, whether it's crisp and generously spiced, blitzed into creamy hummus, or pureed in a spicy soup, but perhaps most of all when it's marinated with bold, bright flavors. Satiating, satisfying — the textural contrast of the combined elements is key — this salad is just the ticket if you, like me, are plagued with a touch of brown-bag-lunch ennui. The melange of zesty flavors meld further with an extra day or two in the fridge, making this an option you'll look forward to till you scrape the last bowlful into a to-go container.

Get the recipe and break free from brown-bag-lunch boredom.

The change of seasons may bring to mind shorter hemlines and a rededication to the gym, but it also means that the opportunity to indulge in a favorite balmy-weather treat — s'mores — is just around the corner. Sadly, it's not quite prime bonfire and grilling weather yet, even in Northern California, so I've come up with a fix to tide us over till then: a s'mores-inspired snack (OK, dessert) mix.

Now, I'd like to take credit for this rather clever idea, but that would be disingenuous; inspiration first struck after tasting a sample of Mama Mellace S'mores Snack Mix at the Fancy Food Show. Tasty, but a hair too sweet, and lacking the salty-sweet punch I so crave, this snack mix was on the right track but not quite as delightful as it could be. So, like any good test cook, I set out to re-create it the way my taste buds intended.

Keep reading for the dangerous — I warned you! — recipe.

When you're on the go yet looking for a filling, protein-packed lunch, the Cobb salad wrap has you covered.

In case you aren't familiar with a Cobb salad, it's a classic American salad that is typically loaded with bacon, chicken, blue cheese, egg, and avocado. This recipe isn't about reinventing the wheel — we're just trying to wrap it!

Once the salad is tossed in dressing, wrap it tightly inside a piece of flatbread for an easy way to eat on the go.

The beauty of this salad is that so many interesting and unusual ingredients come together. You may get a bite that's loaded with salty, smoky bacon, while the next will have a large hunk of funky blue cheese. I salivate just conjuring up memories of sinking my teeth into the flavor-filled wrap. To make lunch infinitely better, keep reading for the recipe

We've got a new partnership with the recipe, equipment, and product testing gurus at America's Test Kitchen. They'll be sharing some of their time-tested recipes and technical expertise with us weekly. Today, recipe developer and grilled cheese queen Yvonne Ruperti shows us how to make DIY American cheese; consider it an ooey, gooey, cheesy paean to the grilled cheese sandwich.

I'm not afraid to admit that I love American cheese (yes, like Kraft Singles) by itself, on a grilled cheese sandwich, on a cheeseburger, or even just slapped onto a plate until it's nice and gooey (a childhood pleasure that I never outgrew).

But what exactly is American cheese? I have to think it's the answer to that exact question that's given the stuff such a bad rap. The American cheese you find in the supermarket refrigerator case isn't cheese made in the traditional way (milk that's formed into curds and pressed). Instead, it's either a blend of cheese and additives, or it's a highly processed mixture of ingredients such as water, milk, milk fat, protein, whey, food coloring, flavorings, and emulsifiers. The result is a processed cheese with a mild flavor that melts incredibly well. I wanted to get as close as possible to the taste and texture of American cheese using only pantry ingredients and a food processor. A little tinkering proved I didn't need much; the key was quickly melting together a mix of milk, cheese, and a few other ingredients (including plenty of salt), then giving it a chance to set up with the help of a little gelatin.

By making your own American cheese, you will know exactly what went into it, and you can also include add-ins such as black pepper, roasted red peppers . . . you name it. As I concocted my version of American cheese in the test kitchen, not only did I draw a crowd of curious onlookers, I caused all of the snooty foodies to run for the hills. But that's okay with me; they can keep their Époisses and Robiola — I'm completely content eating my perfectly melty, toasted grilled cheese with American cheese any day of the week.

Keep reading for the recipe.

Say hello to my go-to picnic and backyard barbecue dish: sesame-ginger soba noodle salad. Vibrantly flavored, full of crisp vegetables, and best served at room temperature — I'd argue it's actually tastier the second day — this noodle dish is perfectly tailored for outdoor entertaining (and is a standout brown-bag lunch option as well for similar reasons).

Don't be put off by the laundry list of ingredients; many are pantry staples or easy to source — try an Asian grocer or Amazon, or even sub sriracha for the chili oil if your supermarket doesn't stock it — and the actual prep for the salad is breezy, to say the least.

Get the recipe and toss together a heaping bowl of soba noodle salad.

While making another one of my favorite smoothies, seeing a bunch of ripe bananas in the kitchen gave me the urge to bake some banana bread. Then a light went off — why not combine a smoothie recipe with banana bread to make banana smoothie muffins?

Made with pureed banana, spinach, and strawberries, these muffins came out even more deliciously sweet and moist than anticipated. Skeptics might be turned off by the greenish hue, but just like green eggs and ham, "try them, try them," and this might become your new favorite banana bread recipe.

From Jenny Sugar, POPSUGAR Fitness

Banana Smoothie Muffins

Recipe Notes

These muffins taste best freshly baked, with the edges slightly crispy. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

Ingredients

3 ripe bananas
2 cups packed baby spinach
8 strawberries
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Puree the bananas, spinach, and strawberries in a blender.
3. In a medium-size bowl, combine the flour, sugar, egg, oil, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
4. Pour the smoothie mixture into the bowl and mix well.
5. Put paper or silicone muffin cups in a muffin pan (you'll need two pans for 14 muffins).
6. Spoon the batter, filling each cup about three quarters full.
7. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
8. Allow muffins to cool on a rack and enjoy!

Makes 14 muffins. Here's the nutritional information for one muffin.

Source: Calorie Count

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While the original gimlet, from 1930's The Savoy Cocktail Book, was made with equal parts Rose's lime juice (sweetened, concentrated lime juice) and gin, today's palates prefer a stiffer drink.

Shaken and served straight up, the light green gimlet is still surprisingly sweet and easy to drink, which is why we think it's Mad Men character Betty Draper's go-to cocktail.

The herbaceous gin and syrupy Rose's lime juice combine for a classy cocktail that you'd be happy to drink either noon or night.

Keep reading for the recipe.