Back-to-School Snacks with a Taste of Travel

Summer vacations have come to an end, but travel expert Jennifer Weatherhead shares three ways we can keep those memories alive from our desks at school and work.

Since food has the ability to tap into all five senses, Jennifer created three simple recipes designed to transport you to Hawaii, Mexico or Thailand, with no long line-ups or expensive flights.

Hawaii: If you love the beaches of Hawaii, Jennifer’s tropical smoothie bowl, inspired by their local fruit stands will take you there. Her secret ingredient is Taste Hawaii, a pineapple and almond cream cheese by Castello that’s creamy and fruity with a hint of nuts.

Hawaiian Sunrise:

Ingredients:
Castello Taste Hawaii Cream cheese
Coconut Milk
Granola
Tropical fruits

Blend half a ring of Taste Hawaii with some coconut milk to create a creamy texture. Add some granola to a bowl, top with your favourite tropical fruits (pineapple, mango, papaya, dragon fruits, passion fruit) and spoon the cream cheese mixture on top. Garnish with toasted coconut, toasted chopped almonds and more fruit.

Mexico: This hot queso dip whisks you away to mariachi in the Mexican moonlight – a welcome image while at school or work. Jennifer blends Taste Mexico, a sweet and spicy pepper cream cheese by Castello, with lime juice and more peppers and bakes it until bubbly. Serve with authentic mini tacos and mariachi music to bring it all to life!

Fiery Fiesta Queso Dip:

Ingredients:
Castello Taste Mexico Cream Cheese
2-3 Limes
1-2 Jalapeno peppers
Chipotle pepper

Directions: Whip one ring of Castello Taste Mexico Cream Cheese in a bowl until completely mixed and smooth. Squeeze in the juice from 2-3 limes (depending on how much you like lime!) For extra heat, you can add in a chopped jalapeno pepper or two, but you can keep it simple with the sweet and spicy mix in the cream cheese. Spoon into a baking dish and top with a chipotle pepper (for an extra kick), and bake for 15-20 mins at 300F, just until bubbly. Serve with crunchy veggies and tortilla chips.

Use the same cream cheese to make an easy crema for tacos and corn–just whip the cream cheese with some extra lime juice, and a little sour cream if you need to thin it out more, and drizzle over just about anything!

Thailand: Elevate your back-to-school sandwich and take yourself to Thailand at the same time! Spread Taste Thailand, a chili and ginger cream cheese by Castello onto a toasted baguette and top with avocado, chilis, cilantro and even a fried egg. The smooth cream cheese offers a sweet coconut and hint of pickled ginger that conjures images of the beautiful beaches of Phuket.

Spicy Thai Avocado Toast:

Ingredients:
Castello Taste Thailand
Toast
Olive oil
Fried Egg
Thai Red Chillies
Chilli crunch
Cilantro
Pickled Ginger

Directions: Toast your favourite bread for avocado toast (Jennifer recommends a baguette toasted in a pan with a bit of olive oil.) Spread some Castello Taste Thailand Cream Cheese over the toast. Make it as thick as you’d like! Top with avocado, a fried egg, and amp up the flavours with Thai red chillies, chilli crunch, cilantro and some pickled ginger

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Nadia Elkharadly

Nadia Elkharadly is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of Addicted Magazine. Her myriad of addictions include music, fashion, travel, technology, boxing and trying to make the world a better place. Nadia is also a feminist, an animal lover, and a neverending dreamer. Keep up with her on social media through @thenadiae.