What's In Our Lunchbox This Week

Here is what we will be sending in the lunchbox this week

1.    Polenta Fries- great warm or cold

This recipe is easy to add veggies to – simply stir in some broccoli or carrot puree for crispy fingers that will keep your tot going all afternoon.

2.    Roasted Veggie "Chips"

Great side to any lunch protein/sandwich. Cut raw veggies into thin rounds (sweet potatoes, zucchini or even parsnip), toss in olive oil and bake on 425 until golden, flipping halfway through bake.

3.    Riced Cauliflower Bowl

Grind down raw cauliflower until small couscous like consistency and replace half the rice with riced cauliflower in a yummy rice bowl with avocado, cheese and a little salsa.

4.    Zucchini Waffles

There are a ton of recipes on the internet to follow. We like to mix parmesan with the zucchini which helps make them a little crunchy!

5.   No-Bake Carrot Balls- something sweet

Figs or dates hold these together, loaded with shredded carrot (or parsnip or beet) and tossed in some unsweetened coconut for a tasty afternoon snack.

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.

Make Your Own... Fruit Leather

In need of a naturally sweet treat for your child's lunchbox or your own? Make your own fruit leather at home! Fruit leathers provide the Vitamin C, fiber, iron, calcium, and magnesium of real fruit in an on-the-go, chewy, satisfying snack. 

Using frozen fruit makes perfectly ripe fruit leathers any time of year. Use a total of about 1.5 pounds of any one or several fruits (about 3 1/2 - 4 cups chopped). We like using strawberries with cherries, but the fruit possibilities are endless! 

 

Homemade Fruit Leather

• 2 cups frozen strawberries; about 1lb, thawed
• 1 1/2 cups frozen sweet cherries, about 1/2lb, thawed
• 1 tablespoon sugar (optional, to taste)
• juice of a lemon (optional, to taste)

Puree the thawed fruit in a blender until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium-sized pot. Bring the puree to a boil. Simmer, stirring occassionally, until reduced to about 1 and 1/4 cups, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Taste. Add sugar and/or lemon juice to taste if you feel your fruit needs a little extra! 

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with silicon baking sheet liner or parchment paper and spritz lightly with pan spray. 

Transfer the hot puree onto the lined baking sheets and spread thinly across baking sheet, about an 1/8 inch thick, using a spatula. Dry the fruit puree in the oven until the surface is smooth and only slightly sticky, about 30 minutes to 1 hour. 

Let leather cool completely at room temperature, about 1 hour. Lightly spritz an additional sheet of parchment with pan spray. Press it on top of the leather, then flip the leather over and remove the pan liner. Roll the leather and then cut the roll into 1" strips. Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to a month or refrigerated for up to 3 months.