September always brings an entire bag of mixed feeling to me. It’s always sad to see the carefree time of the year pass so quickly. We become accustomed to the beautiful weather, day in and day out, and forget that we ever needed warmer clothing. The easy outdoor cooking that encouraged us to dine more frequently at home is now moving back indoors.
But September is also rejuvenating, since we see it as the beginning of a new year. We enjoy getting back to a regular routine, which for me means getting the kids back to school. And that brings me to mealtime, which is always a challenge in my home as I try to satisfy everyone’s tastes and favorites. But more challenging is packing the right lunches.
The kids are bored with the same sandwiches day after day, and I’m sure (because I’ve see it as a Parent Volunteer) that’s there’s a lot of food swapping going on at the lunch tables. Having your child eat daily at the school cafeteria may not be wise due to the amount of fat and empty calories the often contain. I am fortunate, in that I live within walking distance of school and, therefore, I normally walk their lunches up to school. Their fellow lunch mates are usually also waiting to see what they are getting for their meal that day, while they pick at their cafeteria food which, sadly, most of it ends up in the trashcan.
Here’s a few winning lunches that I prepare for them. If my picky eaters enjoy them, I’m sure yours will too. I prepare many of these for dinner the night before and pack leftovers for their lunch.
Chicken Teriyaki
I like to serve this with a cup of rice in the lunch bag. It can be warmed up in the microwave, which most schools have. You can always use bottled Teriyaki Sauce if you get stuck.
¼ cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1-1/2 teaspoons fresh minced ginger
1 pound boneless chicken breasts, pounded
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
In a small saucepan, whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, water, vinegar, sesame oil, cornstarch, garlic and ginger. Cook over medium heat until thickened and smooth. Remove from the heat. Add more liquid if too thick.
Pour half the sauce over chicken with sesame seeds. Grill or bake chicken at 425 degrees just until done. Pour remaining sauce over top.
Makes 4 servings
Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce Over Penne
This sauce can be made in larger quantities and frozen for later use. I serve my kids this pasta in a container that can be reheated or served at room temperature. Sometimes I add shrimp or sliced chicken.
4-ounces sun-dried tomatoes
12-ounces penne pasta
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1 cup chicken stock or water
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons good olive oil
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
In a bowl, pour enough boiling water over tomatoes to cover; let soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and cut into smaller pieces.
Cook pasta in boiling water according to package directions or until firm to the bite. Drain and place in serving bowl.
In a food processor, process tomatoes, garlic, stock, parsley, oil, cheese and nuts until well blended. Pour over pasta and toss.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Chicken Caesar Wraps
These wraps stay fresh for their lunches. You can use a bottled light Caesar dressing, but this homemade on is delicious and keeps for days in the refrigerator. Use grilled shrimp as an alternative.
8-ounces boneless chicken breasts
CAESAR DRESSING
1 egg
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 anchovy fillets, minced
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Pinch ground black pepper
3 cups torn romaine lettuce
4 large flour tortillas
Either grill or bake chicken at 425 degrees until done. Slice thinly.
TO MAKE DRESSING - In a large bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients.
Place 1/4 of the chicken mixture in center of a tortilla. Roll bottom of tortilla up and over filling tightly, fold in both sides and continue to roll. Cut in half.
Makes 4 servings
Chicken with Pesto On A Whole Wheat Bun or Tortilla
Most kids love pesto sauce. You can make this in larger quantities and freeze it or, alternately, purchase it from the supermarket. But the homemade is always better and lighter.
PESTO
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts
1-ounce light cream cheese
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons chicken or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 (4-ounce) skin-on chicken fillet portions
6 small whole-wheat rolls or tortillas
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
TO MAKE PESTO - In a food processor, combine basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, cream cheese and garlic; purée. With machine running, add stock and olive oil through the tube. Process until smooth.
Either grill or bake chicken at 425 degrees, spreading some pesto over top. Cook just until done.
Serve with some extra sauce over top of a bun or tortilla.
Makes 6 servings
Beef and Hoisin Fried Rice
My children love "fried" rice. The difference is that this one contains little oil and is still delicious. Use chicken, pork or tofu, or just leave it as a vegetarian dish, if desired. Try using brown rice. Make this up the night before, and you can always use the remainder at dinner.
1 cup long-grain rice
8-ounces grilling steak
1/3 cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2/3 cup chopped carrots
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped sweet red peppers
1 cup chopped snow peas
1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
2 green onions, chopped, as garnish
In a saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Stir in rice. Cover; reduce heat to low; and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Cool.
Preheat barbecue. On grill sprayed with cooking spray, cook steak over medium-high heat for 6 minutes per side or until cooked to your preference. (Or cook in a non-stick grill pan over medium-high heat for 6 minutes, turning once until done to your preference). Dice.
In a small bowl, whisk together stock, soy sauce and hoisin sauces. Set aside.
In a non-stick wok or large frying pan sprayed with vegetable spray; heat over high heat. Cook red peppers, snow peas, garlic, fresh ginger and carrots for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add rice; cook, stirring for 2 minutes longer. Add stock to mixture and beef; cook for 1 minute longer or until heated through. Serve garnished with green onions.
Makes 4 servings
Blueberry-Banana Muffins
These muffins make a great snack for the kids, without all the fat and calories the store-bought muffins or cakes have.
3/4 cup puréed bananas, about 1-1/2 bananas
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup yogurt or light sour cream
1/2 cup blueberries
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 2 muffin pans with non-stick vegetable spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, oil, egg and vanilla until well mixed.
Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda; stir into bowl. Stir in yogurt; fold in blueberries.
Pour batter into muffin cups; bake for about 15 to 18 minutes or until a tester inserted in center of muffins comes out clean.