Chick of the sea sandwich sushi!

Here at Peas of Mind, our mission is to get kids to eat their veggies.  We always say that we reinvent the classics! We take those unhealthy dishes kids love to eat, like pizza and fries, and infuse them with veggies for a nutritious meal the entire family will enjoy. Studies show that kids are more likely to eat foods that they had a hand in making; so instead of the regular ole sandwich format, we’re making Sandwich Sushi for the lunchbox. Not only is this a healthy reci-pea but a fun project your kids will enjoy preparing with you!

We reinvented the classic tuna fish sandwich using chickpeas instead of tuna. Did you know that chickpeas have almost as much calcium as a glass of milk plus loads of fiber and protein? So grab your kids, a rolling pin and enjoy some quality kitchen time together making chick of the sea sandwich sushi!

Ingredients:

-2-3 slices of whole wheat bread

-1 ½ cups of drained chickpeas

-1 small apple, diced

-½ medium onion, diced

-1 celery stalk, diced

-3 kosher dill spears, diced

-6 sheets of seaweed, torn up into small pieces

-1/4 cup reduced fat mayonnaise

-Squeeze of lemon

Pour chickpeas into a food processor and pulse until lightly ground.  Add mayonnaise, a squeeze of lemon and seaweed and pulse a few more times until the texture resembles tuna. Spoon mixture into a mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients, stirring until thoroughly mixed.

Cut the crust off the sandwich bread and flatten each slice with a rolling pin. Top with filling. Cut into 1” slices and eat like sushi!

Other sushi sandwich options:

For breakfast: top flattened bread with bananas and peanut butter.

For a snack: top flattened bread with hummus, avocado and julienned veggies.

Pack These in Your Children's Bento Box

You will be the coolest mom during lunchtime when you pack your child one of our 'multi-sandwiches' in their lunchbox. Little will they know that there was much thought put into your sandwich choices as each sandwich provides an important nutrient for a successful school day; iron for heathy blood cells, protein for muscles, veggies for health and wellness, B vitamins for brain function. 

Make each of these 4 sandwiches on Sunday, cut them in quarters, and put the multi-sandwich together by picking one quarter of each of the unique sandwiches. (yields 4 lunches)

The Multi Sammy

Iron (Waldorf Tea Sandwich)
• Cream cheese
• Leftover cooked chicken
• Sliced apple (drizzled with lemon juice)
• Walnuts

Protein (Curried Tuna Tea Sandwich)
• Canned tuna
• Plain yogurt (instead of mayo)
• Mustard
• Curry powder
• Raisins

Veggies (Egg Salad Tea Sandwich)
• Asparagus Pesto (see reci-pea below)
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Havarti cheese

B Vitamins (Halava-Banana Tea Sandwich)
• Slice of Halava (sesame butter confection)
• Sliced banana
•Drizzle of honey

Asparagus Pesto
• 1 bunch of asparagus
• 1-2 TBL lemon juice
• 2 TBL chopped basil
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 TBL of reserve water from steamed asparagus
• salt/pepper to taste

Wash asparagus and trim off the woody ends. Chop into thirds and put into a steamer for about 5 minutes, until tender-crisp. Drain the asparagus and reserve 2 TBL of the steaming water. Put asparagus, lemon juice, basil, parmesan cheese, and asparagus water into a food processor and pulse until a rough puree forms. Add salt and pepper to taste.