FRUITY CHICKEN KEBABS
Grapes are a natural for kebabs, but any firm-fleshed fruit would work just fine.
8 ounces roasted deli chicken or turkey, sliced 3/4-inch thick
8 8-ounce wooden skewers
16 green grapes
12 strawberries, cut in half lengthwise
Cut chicken into 3/4-inch cubes. To make kebabs, thread 3 pieces cubed chicken, 2 grapes and 3 strawberry halves onto each skewer in any order. Leave enough space at the bottom so kids can hold the skewers comfortably.
To wrap, lay 2 skewers on a sheet of aluminum foil and fold foil loosely over kebabs.
Makes 8 kebabs.
-- Mealmakeovermoms.com
STRAWBERRY AND CREAM-CHEESE SANDWICH
This sandwich is so delish, your kids won't even notice they're eating whole wheat.
1 tablespoon reduced-fat cream cheese
1/4 teaspoon honey
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
2 slices very thin whole-wheat sandwich bread
2 medium strawberries, sliced
Combine cream cheese, honey and orange zest in a bowl. Spread cream-cheese mixture on bread. Place sliced strawberries on 1 piece of bread, top with the other.
Makes 1 sandwich.
-- Eating Well magazine
NUTS AND BOLTS
Protein doesn't have to be stuffed between two pieces of bread. This easy-to-make trail mix is a great substitute for peanut butter or meat. (Hint: Your kids will think it's party mix.)
1/4 cup pecans
1/4 cup cashew pieces
1/4 cup walnut pieces
1/4 cup whole almonds
1/4 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
4 cups crispy rice cereal
4 cups mini-pretzels
5 tablespoons butter
4-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 225 degrees. In a large bowl, combine pecans, cashews, walnuts, almonds, peanuts, rice cereal and pretzels. Melt butter and add Worcestershire sauce, pour over dry ingredients and mix well. Sprinkle with salt and bake on a cookie sheet for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Store in airtight bags.
Makes about 9 cups.
-- "Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children" (HarperCollins, $14.95)
FLATIRON STEAK WITH CUCUMBER AND GINGER SALAD AND BLACK CHILE MAYONNAISE
So this isn't very practical for a kid's brown bag. But parents gotta eat lunch, too.
1 pound flatiron or sirloin steak
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
4 chiabatta rolls
4 tablespoons regular or Black Chile Mayonnaise (recipe follows)
2 cups peeled, cored and julienned English cucumber
2 tablespoons peeled and julienned fresh ginger
1 cup cilantro leaves
Juice of 1 lime
Season the meat with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add steak and sear for about 5 minutes on each side. Remove from heat and set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the meat against the grain.
Slice rolls in half and scoop out as much bread as possible. Spread mayonnaise on the top halves. Layer sliced meat on the bottom halves and top with a generous amount of cucumber, ginger and cilantro. Drizzle lime juice on top and season with salt. Close sandwich and cut in half and serve.
BLACK CHILE MAYONNAISE
2 chipotle chiles
1 ancho chile
1 cup grapeseed oil
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
Juice from 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Roast chiles in a cast-iron skillet over high heat, turning as they char. They will puff up and turn completely black. Remove from heat and cool.
Discard stems as well as seeds from the ancho. Transfer chiles to blender or food processor and grind until fine. Place in a bowl and combine with oil.
In food processor, combine egg yolk, garlic, lime juice, sugar, salt and 2 tablespoons water, and quickly blend. With processor at low to medium speed, slowly add chile oil in a thin and steady stream until fully incorporated. If mixture sticks, stop blender and use spatula to blend together until smooth. Use immediately or store in fridge for 2 to 3 days.
-- " 'wichcraft" by Tom Colicchio (Clarkson Potter, $27.50)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
Must credit Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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