Miranda Bashaw is a fan of
Your email:
Big flavor in a little cup.
February 25, 2010
Jackson’s Lunch:
I love dips, so consequently we typically have at least one on hand. Ideally, I’d like to try a new recipe every week, but that never happens. My go-to dip has always been hummus, but this week I was determined to give a new dip recipe a go.
I decided on Walnut-Feta Dip because I had a lot of both walnuts and feta cheese in the fridge. It was relatively quick to whip up, and the results are very tasty. The real test, though, was whether or not Jackson would like it.
Jackson generally likes dips, too. I believe his love for them, however, stems more from the potential mess factor of dipping something into a gooey mass rather than from the yum factor as it does for me. Either way, he took one taste and immediately gave me two thumbs up. “Mmm,” is what I believe he said; it was difficult to tell since his mouth was still full.
Both of his teachers commented today on how good it both looked and smelled, so I told them I’d share the recipe with them. I’ll share it here, too.
Walnut-Feta Dip*
1/2 cup walnuts
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 small clove of garlic, peeled
Toast the walnuts in a 375 degree oven for 7 to 10 minutes or until fragrant. Let cool slightly.
Combine all ingredients, including walnuts, in a food processor. Whiz until smooth. Scrape down sides and whiz again.
Super simple and really yummy on veggies or crackers. And since it isn’t at all runny, it works great in a packed lunch.
*Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray’s “Feta and Walnut Dip” on Foodnetwork.com.
This lunch passed three important tests--it's tasty, easy, and Jackson ate it!
February 17, 2010
Some days are much easier than others when it comes to prepping a lunch for Jackson. Today was an easy day thanks to leftovers from last night’s dinner. The onion tart was a big hit with Jackson last night, so I was fairly certain it would be a good lunch entree today.
I made the tart last night in an effort to use up a container of sour cream before the expiration date. It was super simple to throw together and then I got to forget about it for a while as it baked in the oven.
The tart is an easy dish one can put together, throw in the oven and then have it around for whatever. In fact, I’ve been known to make one while I make a completely different dinner just so we have it for lunches the next day. It’s great hot, room temperature, or cold. Here’s how you do it.
Onion and Sour Cream Tart*
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. butter
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 cup reduced fat sour cream
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs, beaten
1 prepared pie crust (I like whole wheat or spelt. I always check the label and avoid partially hydrogenated fats)
In a medium sized skillet, heat oil and butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add onions and garlic to pan. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and slowly saute until soft and golden. Stir in thyme and set aside.
While the onions are cooking, thoroughly mix sour cream and milk together in a large bowl or pitcher. Beat in eggs. Season with another pinch of salt and pepper.
Slowly add onion mixture to egg mixture, stirring while you go. Go slowly so you don’t end up cooking the eggs with the hot onions. Combine completely and pour into the pie crust. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before cutting.
The tart is made like a quiche and would probably be very tasty with ham or bacon added to it, though I’ve always made it meatless. It’s tasty, easy and can be altered in infinite ways with different combinations of add-ins. Plus, it passed the most inportant test of all–Jackson ate it all today!
*This recipe is an adaptation of a recipe from a vegetarian cookbook I used to have. Unfortunately, I’ve misplaced the book in one of our many moves and no longer have or remember the title.
Sandwiches are a very popular lunch item. They are easy, versatile, portable and can be so nutritious.
February 9, 2010
No doubt about it, sandwiches are popular lunch items. In fact, most parents I’ve talked to say they send peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to school with their children on a pretty regular basis. I have nothing against a good* pb & j, but they’re out of the question for Jackson’s packed lunch since his school is peanut free. No matter, the sandwich possibilities are endless.
Marketresearch.com says it best when they declare that if an American thinks up something to eat, it will eventually be tucked between two slices of bread. That’s great news for us folks who pack lunches daily and like variety. Apparently, anything goes!
Sandwiches are easy, versatile, extremely portable and can be very nutritious; however, I tend to get stuck in sandwich ruts now and then. And judging from the amount of pb & j sandwiches I’ve heard are being sent, I’m not the only one.
When I’m feeling stuck, I try to challenge myself a little. I often try to re-do something common like fresh tuna salad instead of canned, curried chicken salad instead of traditional, or biscuits or English muffins instead of sliced bread. I have peanut butter on hand, but I also keep almond and sunflower seed butters in the fridge for a subtle change (Jackson likes almond butter and raisin sandwiches which is a fun twist on pb & j).
For today’s sandwich, I stepped only slightly off the path by using spinach instead of lettuce on Jackson’s sandwich, but I’m always excited to try something new when it comes to what is tucked between the bread slices.
Yesterday on the blog’s Facebook fan page, Kristen Danek mentioned loving peanut butter and chocolate chip sandwiches. I love rethinking the common; it can make lunch so much more interesting and fun. And when it comes to feeding kids, interesting and fun are almost always winners!
* Many peanut butter brands have partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats) and sugar added to them. So make sure to read the ingredient lists and opt for brands made with only peanuts and maybe a little salt if plain peanuts are too bland.
Better yet, make your own nut butters. All you need is a food processor and roasted nuts of any variety. Dump the nuts into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and let it rip! Scrape down the bowl every now and then. It may take a few minutes, but you’ll soon have nut butter, and fresh is so good (and almost always cheaper)! Store in the fridge.
Chicken salad is a classic lunch item and a family favorite. This is one version we especially like.
January 11, 2010
Chicken salad is one of those things almost everyone seems to like. It’s simple. It’s versatile. What’s not to like? My family is no exception; we love it!
Curried Chicken Salad is a version we are particularly fond of. I use roasted chicken breast. Store-bought rotisserie chicken or canned chicken breast work, too (drain first if you use canned). Shred the chicken. Add plain yogurt to moisten. Sprinkle in a good amount of curry powder (for two large chicken breasts, I use about two tablespoons–we love curry, though). Mix in chopped cashews, a few chopped scallions, a small handful of raisins or dried cranberries and some cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.
It’s great on greens, which is how Jackson had it today. It’s also quite tasty on toast (we like it on rye) or by itself. It’s a nice alternative to classic chicken salad.
No tricking necessary to get Jackson to eat this cabbage slaw.
January 5, 2010
I had to trick Jackson into eating sauerkraut (I told him he’d have good luck if he ate it, and he ate all of it), but getting him to eat this cabbage dish is easy. It’s tangy and slightly sweet thanks to the reduced apple cider vinegar. Plus, the texture is fantastic. We had it for a dinner side dish last night, and I sent it in his lunch today. It’s great warm or at room temperature and is a very affordable dish since cabbage is so cheap.
Braised Cabbage Slaw (adapted from Everyday Food magazine, March, 2004)
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 head cabbage (I like savoy, but green cabbage works, too), shredded
4 carrots, shredded
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt
pepper
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
3 or 4 smallish potatoes, thinnly sliced
Heat oil over medum heat in a large, heavy bottom pan with a tight fitting lid. Add in onion, cabbage, carrots, and garlic. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 7 minutes until the veggies are slightly softened.
Raise heat to medium-high. Add vinegar and water. Bring to a boil. Add potatoes and reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender and all veggies are wilted. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed.
The Roasted Red Pepper dip isn't authentic Romesco sauce, but it's still tasty. And I made a double batch of gumbo and froze it just for occasions like this one.
January 4, 2010
I’ve had lots of people ask me where I get ideas for Jackson’s lunch, and the truthful answer is anywhere I can. I’m always looking for new ideas or better ways of doing something I already do. I scour magazines for recipes whenever I can. I read cookbooks. I watch cooking TV shows. It certainly helps that I enjoy doing these things, but I also find activities like these important and essential to feeding my family. No one likes boredom, even when it comes to food, so I’m always on the look out for new ideas. Restaurant menus have been an invaluable source of ideas.
When we eat at a restaurant, Jackson is always given a children’s menu if one is available. I began to notice he usually enjoyed the coloring and games, but much of the time the children’s menu items didn’t appeal to him. He’d end up sharing my or my husband’s meal and leaving his meal either on the table or in our fridge after bringing it home in a doggie bag. Yes, it’s true that the children’s menu items in restaurants are normally cheaper, but it isn’t a savings at all if he isn’t eating them.
That was when I began “studying” restaurant menus. While Jackson colored the kids menu, I read the descriptions of regular meals searching for things that might appeal to him without breaking the bank. Appetizers and soup items are generally less expensive than “adult-size” entrees, so I started ordering things like chicken satay, Thai summer rolls, and Italian wedding soup for him. He loved many of the things he tried, so then my search for recipes for these things began.
Since time, or lack of, is an issue, I look for shortcuts or easier ways to prepare dishes without sacrificing taste or healthfulness. For chicken satay, I grill extra chicken at dinner and then quickly put together a simple peanut sauce in the morning to serve with it. For summer rolls, I wrap extra salad with either shrimp or chicken in wonton wrappers—things don’t have to be authentic or perfect to be tasty. And things like soup, I make big batches and freeze them in portions.
My thought is this: We are constantly told to be good role models for our children, but how many of us order mac and cheese when we go to a seafood restaurant? Who of you orders a grilled cheese sandwich at a nice Italian joint? I say let kids eat what we eat. Find out what their palates adore and, if you can, prepare those things at home with your own special twist (healthier, quicker, easier) either for lunch or dinner. No boredom there, and their lunchboxes (or dinner plates) will likely thank you for it, not to mention your kids themselves!
Roasted Red Pepper Dip
1/3 cup toasted almonds
1 garlic clove
1 8 oz jar roasted red peppers (packed in water), drained
1 tsp. vinegar (I like red wine or balsamic)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt
In the bowl of a food processor, grind almonds until they resemble cornmeal (don’t grind for too long or you end up with almond butter).
With the motor running, drop in the garlic clove to finely mince.
Add the peppers and vinegar and pulse to chop and combine.
Again, with the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil. Taste for seasoning and add salt a little at a time. This is a great dip for veggies, but it’s also yummy on chicken, fish or pizza.
Jackson and the lunch he helped prepare.
December 22, 2009
Most mornings, Jackson wakes up about an hour before we have to head out the door for school. That gives him just enough time to wake up with a cup of milk, have breakfast, get dressed and washed up, and play for a few minutes before we’re off.
This morning, for what ever reason, he woke up about 20 minutes earlier than usual just as I was about to start packing his lunch. This gave him the opportunity to have a say in what went into his lunch, and he loved helping out. Plus, it made the job easier on me. This is how I did it.
First, I asked if he wanted to help get his lunch together, and he enthusiastically answered, “Yes!” I told him he needed a protein, a grain, and some veggies and/or fruit. For the protein, I gave him some available options: egg, turkey, or cheese. He chose an egg, and I decided to scramble it with some veg.
For a grain, I asked if he would rather have bread, crackers, or pretzels. He chose bread, so I asked him if he wanted anything on it. He said peanut butter and fruit spread, but since peanuts aren’t allowed at his school, I suggested cream cheese or almond butter. He chose cream cheese. (After the sandwich triangles were made, he wanted to try one. He ended up eating two of them while we were packing.)
Next were veggies. He opened the fridge and got out the celery and broccoflower completely on his own (he ate broccoflower while we packed, too–hooray!). I asked if he wanted hummus for dipping the veg, and he said yes.
When I asked what fruit he wanted to bring, he said, “None.” Since he had so many veggies packed already and a little fruit spread on his sandwich (made with all fruit and no added sugar), I didn’t have a problem with a fruitless lunch.
We set the lunch up for the photo, and Jackson said, “Oh, I can’t wait to eat lunch today!” That’s what I want to hear–excitement about eating a healthy lunch. When I picked him up from school and asked how lunch was, he said, “Very yummy and I ate everything!” And he had.
I definitely believe when kids are involved in food prep they’re more likely to eat. Maybe next time we have beets for dinner, I’ll get Jackson to help in fixing them. Maybe then he’ll eat them instead of clamping his lips together, wrinkling his nose and shaking his head “no” when I ask him to give them a try. Somehow, I don’t think it’ll work out quite the same way with beets.
Here’s my hummus recipe:
1 small garlic clove
1 can low-sodium garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste)
juice of half a lemon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
water
With the motor running, drop garlic clove into the bowl of a food processor to finely chop. Stop the motor, remove the lid and add beans, tahini, lemon juice, salt, and Tabasco. Replace the lid and turn the motor back on. While the ingredients whir around, slowly add some water a tablespoon at a time until the hummus reaches a creamy consistency (I use about 3 Tbsp. of water, but it’s really personal preference depending on how thick or thin you like your hummus). Taste for seasoning.
I use hummus as a dip for veg, crackers, or pita chips. It’s also great on sandwiches or added to a vinaigrette to give it body and creaminess. Yum! Jackson (and most everyone else I know) loves it.
I like to make sandwiches with things other than traditional slices of bread for something a little different.
December 9, 2009
I try to plan ahead as much as possible, but when it comes to lunch I’m more of a “shoot-from-the-hip” kinda girl. I plan our dinner menus every week and shop accordingly, but I can never seem to do the same for lunch.
Part of the challenge is the way we prepare and eat these two meals. With dinner, we all eat the same thing as a family at dinner time. But with lunch, I take care of Jackson’s in the morning, mine in the afternoon, and Adam puts his own together. We’re all over the map when it comes to lunch.
One strategy that has helped me get a little more organized, though, is making extra dinner so that we have leftovers. Then, when it’s time to throw together Jackson’s lunch, I have some options at hand. I can either give him what we had the night before for dinner (or some portion of it), reinvent the leftovers, or find something else to give him.
With today’s lunch, I used leftover thyme biscuits from last night’s dinner. I had extras because I made sure to make more than we needed and set them aside. Then, this morning all I had to do was slice and top it. It’s no more difficult than making a regular sandwich, but it’s a nice alternative to regular bread. Plus, I knew Jackson would like the biscuit since he ate it last night and said, “Ooo, so yummy!”
I adapted a traditional drop biscuit recipe to make the biscuits a little healthier. Here’s the recipe:
Herb Biscuits 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour 1 Tbsp. baking powder ½ tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. salt 1 Tbsp. minced herbs (thyme, sage, rosemary, or dill—whichever you like) 4 Tbsp. olive oil ½ cup nonfat plain yogurt ½ cup nonfat milk
Sift all dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Mix in herbs. Stir in olive oil until the flour mixture looks sandy in texture.
In a small bowl or measuring pitcher, mix together the yogurt and milk. Add to the flour mixture and mix just until all dry ingredients are wet. Add a tiny bit more milk if the mix is too dry.
Spoon onto a parchment lined baking sheet in 8 equal piles. The biscuits rise as they bake, so make sure there’s space between them. Bake at 425 for 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
