Chicken Salad

This is a salad that my mom used to make. It's great for a summer weekend's lunch and also to send in the kids lunch boxes. Very simple and quick to prepare, which makes it a winner!!! Start boiling a chicken breast with the spices that your kids enjoy. I just add salt, pepper, dried thyme and a splash of Worcestershire sauce. When it's done, let the chicken cool down. While you wait, shred two or three carrots in a bowl,  add one cup of corn and half a cup of pitted olives. They can be black or green. I usually cut them in half  just to make sure there are no pits left. When the chicken is cold, I shred it or cut in small pieces and add to the bowl. Now we just have to season with salt, olive oil and a splash of Worcestershire sauce. You can add other spices that your kids enjoy to make them happier. Toss everything together and serve it with shoestring fries (you can find them at grocery stores like Meijer or Kroger). That's how we traditionally eat this salad, but you can omit the fries to make it healthier. 

Shoestring potatoes

The chicken salad

This one was bought at a local grocery store

Empanadas

This  is a recipe that will take some time to get ready even though is super easy to make. So my suggestion is to make it on a Sunday, and send to school Monday and Tuesday. My kids love the empanadas so much that they wouldn't mind bringing them for lunch a couple of days in a row.

The ingredients that yield about 22 empanadas:
1/2 cup of creamy swiss cheese like The Laughing Cow or Polenghi (about 6 wedges)
1/2 cup of butter
1/2 cup of flour
1/2 cup of corn starch
salt to taste

Mix the cheese and butter. Add the rest of the ingredients and combine until together. Make a ball, cover with plastic and leave in the fridge for one hour. To fill the empanadas, I usually cut turkey breast, mozzarella cheese and diced tomatoes. But you can use anything that you like. Open the dough with a rolling pin, use a cup to cut circles and put a table spoon of the filling in the middle. Close the dough circle using a little water as glue. Put the empanadas on a tray previously covered with parchment paper. Brush the empanadas with the mixture made with a egg yolk and a splash of water. Bake them in the oven at 350F for about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!!

Small potato salad

Last week I was at the grocery store with my kids. We were buying vegetables when my daughter saw a package of baby potatoes. She asked if I could make a salad with the potatoes for her school lunch. Sure!!

Baby Potatoes and Arugula

Baby potatoes

For this simple salad, I cooked the potatoes with their skin on for about 20 minutes or until tender. Let them cool down and added arugula leaves, cherry tomatoes and one hard boiled egg. The seasoning was just salt and olive oil. They totally cleaned their lunch bowls!!!!

Veggie wraps

Here I am one more time trying to incorporate vegetables on my kids school lunches. As they love wraps, I created a veggie one with ingredients that they like. I washed one zucchini and one yellow squash, cut them in half, removed the seeds and cut again in thin stripes. After I saute them with olive oil and salt for two minutes. While it was cooling down I shredded one carrot. When I was ready to assemble, I got one multi-grain wrap, arranged  two slices of Havarti cheese (can be any sliced cheese) close to the border and on top put a handful of the zucchini, yellow squash and the shredded carrots. Started by rolling the tortilla and cheese on top of the veggies, then tucked in both sides and finally rolled until the end. To glue I spread a bit of mayo, but I'm sure my kids would prefer hummus. Next time!!!

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Super simple!! This is a little spin on a regular pasta salad that my kids love. I cooked half a package of penne and after it was room temperature, I put it into the fridge to cool down. Then I cut one small tomato in small dices, cut a handful of Kalamata olives in half (just to make sure they didn't have any pits left), and crumbled some Feta cheese. I tossed all the ingredients together, added a couple of basil leaves, drizzled olive oil and seasoned with salt. The kids loved it!!!!!

Raspberry Grilled Chicken Salad

It has been a long time since the last time I posted. It was a long and busy summer, and I was waiting for the kids to go back to school to restart working on my blog. During the last few months, I've been collecting ideas of interesting recipes to try for the kids lunches. Can't wait to make them all.

For today's salad, I did some prep work yesterday. I cut one chicken breast in 1/2 inch slices and marinated it (for about two hours) in tarragon, salt, Worcestershire sauce and Zesty Lemon Grapeseed Oil (you can always use other spices if you want). I bought the oil from a friend who sells Wildtree products. Grapeseed oil is an alternative for olive oil and it's known for it's moderate high smoke point, which means it takes longer to burn, making it great for sauteing among other things. Later, I grilled the chicken in a non greased pan until it was golden brown and cooked all through. Important: If you think that this is a lot of work, just season the chicken with salt and grill. It will taste good as well.

This morning, I washed two romaine hearts and cut them in small bites. Then I put a handful of the greens in a container and topped with the chicken cut in pieces, half slices of a cucumber and some raspberries. The dressing I decided to send on the side to prevent the greens from being mushy too soon. I mixed two parts of olive oil, one part of balsamic vinegar and salt. 

My daughter has been asking me to add to the blog that they love to bring to school the Stonyfield Organic Super Smoothie. I have to admit that I love it too!! The Smoothie comes in different flavors but our favorite is Strawberry Banana. By the way, I find it at Whole Foods Market.

Salad wrap with hummus

Today I did a simple salad wrap. I spread hummus (recipe is on a previous post) in a tortilla, put two slices of Havarti cheese, side by side, overlapping each other. Then I seasoned some greens and cherry tomatoes with olive oil and salt, and put them on top of the cheese. I rolled the edge of the tortilla, tuck in the sides and rolled the rest. The kids enjoyed it a lot. 

Meal in a quiche

Last Friday I did something that most people will find very unusual... Some time ago, my husband suggested a recipe in which I should put all the components of a meal in a quiche. It didn't sound good to me, but he thinks that food should be practical, and thought it could be a good idea. So, I finally decided to give it a try. In a bowl I mixed 2 grilled chicken tenderloins in small dices, 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice, 4 broccoli florets thinly sliced, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, 3 eggs, and salt (to taste). Then filled some greased muffin molds (3/4) and baked them around 20 min in a 350F preheated oven. My kids liked it and my husband, of course, loved it!!!!!!!!

Ciabatta Sandwich

Today was sandwich day. So I tried to make something a little bit different. As my daughter doesn't like to eat sliced tomatoes, I took another direction. I washed and took the seeds out of a tomato, then I put it in a processor with olive oil and salt to make a "paste". I spread it in one of the sides of a ciabatta bread, and topped it with two slices of buffalo mozzarella. On the other half of the bread, I spread the store bought pesto sauce that I already mentioned in another recipe. Super delicious!!!!

Zucchini Muffin

For yesterday's lunch I tried a different version of an old muffin recipe. Here's what I did: in a bowl,  add 1 cup of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 3/4 cup of ricotta, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup of milk, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 seedless shredded  zucchini and salt to taste. Mix everything to incorporate. If you think that the mixture is too dry, add a splash of milk. Fill greased muffin molds(3/4) and bake them around 20 min in a pre-heated 350F oven. Check if they are done with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, they are ready. The family really enjoyed them!!!!!

Ricotta salad sandwich

I'm always trying to create something simple but different for the kids. So I  processed ricotta cheese, black Kalamata olives, olive oil and salt. Then I spreaded a thick layer of the ricotta paste on a slice of rye bread, added 2 slices of tomatoes and slices of hard boiled eggs. Seasoned with olive oil and salt, and topped with another slice of the bread. I split this sandwich in half, and made two meals out of that. Sent with yogurt and some fruit (or maybe a natural cereal bar), it makes a good school lunch.

Hummus and vegetables

Today I assembled a simple lunch for the kids that they really enjoy. I used a salad container from Rubbermaid that seems to make lunch more interesting for them... I filled a little container with homemade hummus, and added cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumbers and organic tortilla chips. I used to send carrot strips with this meal, but now that my daughter is wearing braces, I'm skipping this one. But any vegetable that your kids like will do!!

About the hummus... I bought it from different stores and they are also very good, but once I started doing my own, well, it makes the family happy!!! I use 1 can of cooked and peeled garbanzo beans, 2 tablespoons of Tahini, half a lime, 1/4 cup of olive oil, salt to taste and a splash of water. Run everything in the processor, adjust seasonings and it's done. The water can be more or less, according to your taste, if you like thicker or thinner. The Tahini brand that I used was Once Again Organic Tahini, I already found it at Meijer and Whole Foods Market.

Quick chicken wrap

This morning, I had planned to send cheese quiche for the kids. But they asked me if I could change plans and send a wrap, which they love!!! There was just one detail: I didn't have the usual ingredients for the wrap... In the fridge I had cheese and some grilled chicken tenderloin leftovers. So I sliced it very thin, put inside slices of provolone cheese and wrap everything. To close ("glue"), I spread some Dijon mustard (their favorite). They were so happy that they were bringing something that they chose!!!!

Pasta Salad

Yesterday night I started thinking about what to send in the kids lunchboxes. I was tired and didn't feel like doing anything too complex... So, I boiled some pasta (rigatoni) in water and salt and planned to add a sauce the next morning. To the cold pasta I would add pesto sauce, which is my kid's favorite, and we had Pasta Salad!!! Sometimes, I add cherry tomatoes cut in half and diced fresh mozzarella cheese. It's a hit with the kids!!! But you can always change the cheese and add a vegetable of your choice.

As I mentioned I used store bought pesto. During the summer months, when I grow herbs, I make my own sauce. I skip the garlic, because my husband doesn't like it. But when it's cold, I find it easier to buy at the store. This one from Costco, Kirkland brand, is extremely tasty and the whole family loves it. It can also be used on sandwiches, pizzas and chicken dishes. IMPORTANT: it contains pine nuts!!!

Healthier cafeteria meals

Yesterday I was reading the March issue of Bon Appetit magazine and I saw something that really caught my attention. Google was offering amazing healthy food options at their offices' cafeterias. It seems that the company is really trying to offer a better quality of meals to their employees. Aside from that, there is a whole logistic on how to position the different items at the cafeteria to help people make healthier choices. How cool is that!? I think that is great when companies offer choices for their employees to better their lifestyles. If the adults start to get used to eat healthier, they will eventually bring that habit to their homes, and their kids will benefit from that. 

Mini cheese quiches

Today I made something quick that the kids really love, and it is also a good idea for an appetizer or even a side dish. It is a basic cheese quiche recipe that I bake on muffin molds, which turns out to be very practical for the kids to eat at school. Following I'll write down the ingredients, but keep in mind that the cheeses are just suggestions. They can be changed according to taste.

1/2 cup of Queso Blanco

1/2 cup of Parmesan

2 eggs

1/2 cup ricotta 

1 Tbsp chives

Salt to taste

The base of this quiche is the combination of the ricotta and the eggs. So, any other kind of cheese can be added as well as different herbs. Preheat oven at 350 F. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Fill the greased muffin molds with the mixture (3/4 of the mold), and bake for around 20 minutes. Check if its done with a toothpick. If it comes out dry, it's ready. Enjoy!

Pasta with broccoli

Friday I did something very simple and fast, and one of my kids' favorite: Pasta with broccoli. With just four simple ingredients, I created a lunch that is extremely appealing for them. Easy to fix and also easy for them to eat. I used cooked pasta (your choice), cooked broccoli ( I boil it for 2 minutes in just a bit of water to keep its nutrients), Parmesan cheese and olive oil.

I cut the broccoli in very tiny pieces and mix together with the pasta, Parmesan and olive oil. It's a hit with my kids. I also sent reduced fat milk and dried blueberries.

Welcome

Eating healthy was always very important for me. Taking time to cook food from scratch has been a priority, and when my kids reached school age, I decided that I was going to prepare healthy meals for them to bring to school. My husband and I are from a culture in which lunch is the big meal of the day. So, providing a school lunch that is healthy and nutritious is a must. It also has to be something that appeals to the kids and easy to eat, considering that they don't have too much time at lunch. I'm always looking for recipes that I can modify, to make them tasteful for them and easy to prepare for me. To the meal, I usually add milk or a low sugar juice and a desert that consist of fresh or dried fruits.

Talking to moms at school and in our community I've heard complaints on how frustrated they were not to have many ideas for school lunches. The working moms would say that they didn't have too much time to prepare something original for their kids. And considering that my kids' classmates complimented on their meals several times, I had the idea of starting this blog where I could pass on the recipes and ideas that I was using. My plan is to select healthy and easy to make small meals, adding pictures that will help parents and caregivers on their busy routines. I hope that they will be helpful.