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.