Important Coronavirus Update. Learn More →
Recipes for Braces
Back to Blog

Recipes for Braces

Once you get braces, it’s very important to pay attention to what you eat in order to protect your investment. Foods that are too crunchy, hard, or sticky can either break your brackets or become stuck and difficult to remove. However, that doesn’t mean you have to eat bland, boring food for the duration of your treatment. We at Morita Orthodontics are proud to offer unparalleled orthodontic care to patients in and around Aiea and Honolulu. And along with excellent care, we are happy to provide our patients with recipes that are both delicious and braces-safe. After all, Dr. Scott’s favorite thing (after treating his patients, of course) is food! That’s why we put together a list of both sweet and savory recipes that are safe to eat while you have braces.

Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

Summer is all about friends, family and food! Here is a great recipe that will have everyone asking for your secret recipe!

Ingredients:

  • Olive Oilrecipe-accordianimg1
  • ½ lb lean ground turkey breast
  • 1 cup chopped onions
  • 1 heaping tbsp. of homemade taco seasoning (packaged is also fine)
  • 2 cups of cooked rice (you can use the rice of your preference)
  • 3-4 organic bell peppers, halved and seeds removed
  • 1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
  • ½ cup of organic frozen corn
  • 1 (15-16 ounce) jar of salsa
  • Shredded cheddar cheese

Toppings:

  • Fresh cilantro
  • Sour cream
  • Sliced avocado

Directions:

*It is suggested to cook the turkey before so it is ready to go!

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees
  2. Lightly coat the peppers in olive oil and bake for 20 minutes until cooked through
  3. In a bowl, add the taco seasoning, cooked ground turkey, chopped onions, black beans, corn and rice. You can also mix the salsa in at this time!
  4. Carefully spoon the mixture into each half of the bell peppers and cook the peppers for another 15-20 minutes
  5. Before removing, sprinkle some cheddar cheese over the peppers until it melts.
  6. Top with fresh cilantro, avocado, sour cream and enjoy!

Credit: Meals full of Color

Cheesy Macaroni

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups of dried macaronicheesy_macaroni_12june2015
  • 1 egg
  • ½ stick (4 tablespoons) of butter
  • ¼ cup of flour
  • 2 ½ cups of whole milk
  • 2 teaspoons of dry mustard
  • 1 pound of grated Cheddar
  • Salt
  • Seasoned salt (if desired)
  • ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Cook macaroni pasta until slightly firm. Drain and set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, beat an egg. In a large pot, melt the butter and sprinkle in the flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook for a couple of minutes, whisking constantly. Make sure not to let it burn. Pour in the milk, add the mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook until very thick, for about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low.
  4. Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into the beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking the eggs. Whisk together until smooth. Pour the egg into the sauce, whisking constantly. Again, stir until smooth. Add in the cheese and stir to melt. Add the 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of seasoned salt, and the pepper. Add any additional spices if desired. Taste the sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.
  5. Pour in the drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine. Serve immediately (while it’s still very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish. Add extra cheese if desired and bake until bubbly and golden on top, 20 to 25 minutes. Enjoy! Credit to Ree Drummond.

Chicken Katsu (This is Dr. Scott’s favorite food!)

Ingredients:

  • 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breast (to save money I suggest you skin and de-bone the chicken yourself)chicken-katsu
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 3 large eggs (you will need the whites from 2)
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups panko bread crumbs (no substitutes)
  • 4 tablespoons salt
  • 4 teaspoons pepper

Directions:

  1. Pound chicken breast until about 1/2 inch thin, then season with 2 tablespoons of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper. (Chicken must be flattened to cook evenly.)
  2. Use leftover salt and pepper to season flour.
  3. Separate egg whites and yolks from 2 eggs. Place leftover egg yolks and 1 whole into a bowl to make egg wash.
  4. Whip egg whites until frothy (watery, not stiff like meringue).
  5. Coat chicken in egg whites, then with cornstarch.
  6. Marinate for 15 minutes.
  7. Coat chicken in flour.
  8. Coat with egg wash.
  9. Coat with panko.
  10. Refrigerate for five minutes.
  11. While chicken is in fridge, pour 1 1/2 tbsp of oil into heavy bottom sauce pan. (Deep frying is not suggested because you’ll overcook your chicken, and you don’t want the panko to absorb too much oil.)
  12. Heat oil to 350.
  13. Cook without overcrowding the pan. Enjoy!

* If not serving right away keep in warm oven.

Katsu Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/4 cup orange juice

Directions:

  1. Add soy sauce, sugar, and orange juice into a saucepan on medium heat.
  2. Mix cornstarch and cold water together in a separate bowl.
  3. Add cornstarch mixture to saucepan, stirring constantly.
  4. Sauce is ready when it coats the back of a spoon.

King Trumpet Mushrooms

Ingredients:

  • 5 large trumpet mushroomsking-trumpet-mushrooms
  • 1 shallot
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 2 T butter (I prefer Danish Creamery butter for all of my cooking)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 T Italian parsley

Directions:

Heat oven to broil. Wash and dry mushrooms. Cut mushrooms lengthwise . Heat sauté pan (must be oven proof. Add oil and butter till melted, add shallots, garlic, salt and pepper, ½ chopped Italian parsley and mushrooms. Cook for 15-20 minutes and stir occasionally. When softened, place skillet into broiler for 5-10 minutes till golden brown. Garnish with Italian parsley.

Breakfast Lox And Chevre Open-Faced Sandwich

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup of Chevre (goat cheese). You can use crebreakfast-sandwicham cheese too, but there is a nice consistency with soft, light spreadable cheeses
  • 2 slices of lox (wild if possible, but sometimes it’s not always accessible)
  • 1 lemon wedge
  • Fresh dill
  • 1 T caper
  • 2 thin slices of red onion
  • 1 slice of wheat toast

Directions:

Toast bread, thinly slice red onion, spread generous amount of chevre on toast, layer with lox, add capers, red onion, squeeze lemon juice and garnish with dill. Serve with latte or brewed coffee.

Credit: Dr. Kim Morita – Follow her on Instagram: thymesensitive

Thin Mint Sundae

Ingredients:

  • 6 Girl Scout Thin Mint cookiesthin-mint-sundae
  • Vanilla ice cream or mint chocolate chip ice cream
  • ¼ dark chocolate almond bar
  • Mint sprig

Directions:

Take ice cream out of freezer to soften for 10 minutes. Crush 4 cookies to a rough crumble. Mix into slightly softened ice cream and re-freeze for 15 minutes. Use knife to chop dark chocolate almond bar; save the rest for a snack. Spoon ice cream into a bowl, sprinkle dark chocolate pieces over top, garnish with 2 thin mint cookies and mint sprig. Enjoy!

Credit: Dr. Kim Morita – Follow her on Instagram: thymesensitive

Gingerbread Skeletons

These cookies are a twist on the traditional gingerbread man! Make them at your next Halloween Party for an unexpected, delicious treat.

Ingredients:gingerbread-skeletons

  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • ¾ cup butter or margarine (softened)
  • ½ cup molasses
  • 1 egg
  • 3 cups Gold Medal™ all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground cloves
  • 1 container of 1 lb Betty Crocker™ Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting

Directions:

  1. Beat brown sugar, butter, molasses, and egg with an electric mixer in a large bowl. Turn to low and beat in flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and cloves.
  2. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface, gather into a ball, and press into a flat disk. Wrap with plastic wrap, refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.
  3. Heat oven to 350ºF. Lightly spray cookie sheets with cooking spray. On lightly-floured surface, roll dough until it is about ¼ inch thick. Cut with floured 4-5 inch gingerbread man cookie cutter. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Reroll dough and cut additional cookies.
  4. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until no indentation remains when touching the center. Remove the cookies and place on cooling racks. Let stand for 30 minutes.
  5. Remove the lid and foil seal from frosting container to microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir until smooth. Spoon frosting into re-sealable food-storage plastic bag and seal. Cut off a tiny corner of the bag and twist above the frosting. Squeeze to pipe the frosting in a skeleton design of your choosing.

Credit: Betty Crocker

Hot Chocolate Mixers

Check out the below recipe for a great tasting holiday treat. Remember not to bite the candy cane until it is melted, otherwise you can risk breaking your brackets!hot-chocolate-mixers

Creates 12 hot chocolate mixers

Ingredients:

  • 12 full-size marshmallows
  • 12 candy canes
  • ½ cup melted semisweet chocolate (white or milk chocolate)
  • ½ cup crushed candy canes

Directions:

  1. Place a piece of parchment paper on a flat surface.
  2. Line up marshmallows and stick miniature candy canes into the middle of each marshmallow.
  3. Dip into melted chocolate, sprinkle with crushed candy canes and set onto parchment paper.

Let chocolate harden and enjoy by dipping into a cup of hot chocolate for a sweet peppermint delight!

Hawaiian Pineapple Jack O’ Lantern

In order to create a pineapple jack o’ lantern there are a few steps to make it happen.lantern_110515

First begin by slicing out the center of the pineapple. Use a spoon and or your hands to scrape the pineapple remnants.

Once the pineapple is hollowed out you will then rinse out the pineapple with water and pat dry with a paper towel.

Now the carving begins! Once you are done with the carving then put a small candle in the center for added affect.

*Credit to Crista for the idea!

or drop a Comment!

Drop a Comment

Archives

Notice of Temporary Closure

RE: COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

To our valued patients,

In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), President Trump, the American Dental Association and the Hawaii Dental Association are recommending all dentists postpone nonemergency dental procedures for 2 weeks. Our practice is committed to protecting the community and avoiding using valuable resources that our first responders and frontline healthcare providers will need.

Our office will be closed effective today, Wednesday, March 18, and we plan to resume regular hours on Wednesday, April 1. If you are experiencing a true dental emergency including swelling or severe tooth pain, please call your general dentist office, and listen closely as emergency contact info will be available. For all nonemergent questions, please email us at [email protected].

We are so sorry for the burden this places on your schedules, but your continued health and safety are our number one priority. Our office is working diligently to reschedule all patients with existing appointments within the next 2 weeks. We will continue to evaluate the situation as it evolves and determine on a weekly basis when it is appropriate for us to return to normal orthodontic patient care. We ask for your compassion and understanding at this time as we all work together to keep Hawaii healthy.

Sincerely,

Your Morita Orthodontics Ohana