Today many families began that challenge of what to pack in the daily lunch box that will be healthy, tasty and won’t come home still in the lunch box. We have put together some of our tried and proven kiddie and big kiddie favourites for your lunch boxes.
Julie Goodwin’s Zucchini Slice
Makes 1 Slice: – 12 pieces
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
This fabulous Zucchini slice is ridiculously easy to make, tasty and can be served hot or cold. It is a winner with both the little and big kids in our family.
Ingredients
2 zucchini, grated
1 large onion finely chopped
3 rashers bacon finely chopped
1 cup tasty cheese grated
1 cup self-raising flour
½ cup of oil
5 eggs
salt/pepper
Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease and line a non-stick lamington tin.
Combine zucchini, onion, bacon, flour and cheese in a large bowl. Add oil and lightly beaten eggs, and mix. Season with a little salt and pepper. Pour into lamington tin.
Bake for 35-40 mins until golden and set. Allow to cool slightly before cutting.
Vietnamese rice paper rolls recipe
Vietnamese rice paper rolls are full of fresh flavours and this easy to make recipe will have the family filling them with their favourite fillings.
Serving Size: 12
Prep Time: 30 mins
Ingredients:
12 x 22cm round rice papers
1 Lebanese cucumber, cut into short thin strips
1 small red capsicum, cut into short, thin strips
1 large carrot, cut into short thin strips
1 small avocado, cut into short thin slices
50g snow pea sprouts, ends trimmed
3/4 cup coriander leaves
3/4 cup mint leaves
55g unsalted roasted peanuts, finely chopped
3 tbsp Maggi Sweet Chilli Sauce
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
Note: Add your favourite chicken, prawns, pork or cold meat
Method
Rice-paper rolls can be made a few hours in advance.
Simply cover with damp paper towels, the plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
To make the dipping sauce, combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
Place all the ingredients for the rice paper rolls on a bench.
Half-fill a large bowl with warm water.
Dip one wrapper in the water for 20 seconds, or until it is just soft.
Drain off excess water and place on a clean surface.
Place a few pieces of each of the remaining ingredients on the wrapper, about 3cm (1¼ in) from the base.
Fold up the bottom of the wrapper.
Fold in the sides and roll up to enclose filling.
Place on a tray and cover with damp paper towels.
Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling ingredients.
Serve rice-paper rolls with the dipping sauce.
Donna Hay’s Bacon and Cheese Bread Quiches
12 thin slices bread, crusts removed
butter, for spreading
12 slices ham
4 eggs, lightly whisked
½ cup (125ml) milk
1 cup (200g) ricotta
¾ cup (90g) cheddar
Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Spread one side of the bread slices with butter and press into 12 x ½ cup-capacity (125ml) lightly greased muffin tins. Bake for 5–6 minutes or until just golden. Line each bread case with a slice of ham.
Place the egg, milk, ricotta and cheddar in a bowl and mix well to combine. Pour the mixture into the bread cases and bake for 10–15 minutesor until cooked through and golden. Makes 12.
Tip: You can freeze these quiches for up to 2 months. Place in the fridge to defrost and warm in a low oven.
Donna Hay’s Pancetta, zucchini and feta muffins
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small brown onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
450g zucchini (courgette), thinly sliced into rounds
1 cup (80g) finely grated parmesan
½ cup (80g) self raising (self-rising) flour, sifted
½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
sea salt and cracked black pepper
3 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup (120g) sour cream
200g feta, crumbled
12 slices (180g) round pancetta
Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Heat the oil in a medium non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3–4 minutes or until lightly golden. Place in a large bowl with the zucchini, parmesan, flour, parsley, salt and pepper and mix to combine.
Make a well in the centre, add the eggs and sour cream and mix to combine. Fold through the feta and divide the mixture between 12 x lightly greased ½-cup-capacity (125ml) cupcake tins lined with the pancetta.
Bake for 15–20 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Makes 12.
Avocado, Cucumber & Ham ‘Sushi’ Sandwiches
Spread a tortilla wrap with 2 tsp of ¼ avocado along the centre of the wrap and drizzle with lemon juice . Top with seeded Lebanese cucumber sticks and 2-3 slices of shaved ham. Roll up tightly, trim ends and cut into 2cm thick slices.
Team with their favourite fruit.
Avocado and Tuna Sushi Rolls
2 Tsp of spreadable cream cheese
95 g tinned springwater tuna
1/2 avocado
1/2 grated carrot
Place wrap on a chopping board. Spread with cheese. Arrange tuna, avocado and carrot in rows next to each other on bread, leaving a 1cm border along 1 edge and roll up tightly.
Essential Kids Healthy Apple and Berry Muffins
Ingredients
1 tbsp cornflour
440g spelt flour
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 apples, peeled and finely chopped
180g dates, pitted and chopped
235g honey
410ml water
300g blueberries or raspberries
Preheat oven to 180C. Mix cornflour, spelt flour and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl. Add the apples, dates and honey and mix together. Add water and fold together. Fold in berries. The mixture should not be too wet. If it is, add flour. Lightly spray a 12-hole muffin tin with oil and spoon the mixture into the tin. Bake for about 25 minutes.
Makes 12
Recess – Easy school lunch muesli bars recipe
Muesli bars are an easy snack to put in your child’s lunch box each day. Use the muesli bar recipe as a blueprint and add your favourite dried fruits to the mixture – but stay away from adding nuts too if your school is a nut-free zone.
Serving Size: 8
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Ingredients
2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups rice bubbles (puffed rice)
1/2 cup ‘craisins’ (dried cranberries)
1/2 cup currants (Julie uses 1 cup of sultanas instead of craisins/currants)
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds (or linseeds)
150g butter, diced
2/3 cup honey
1/3 cup caster sugar
Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).
Grease a lamington pan or one of similar sizing and line with greaseproof/baking paper. Grease the paper over the top to hold in place.
Mix the oats, rice bubbles, craisins, currants, coconut, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds in a large bowl.
Heat the butter, sugar and honey in a saucepan, melt the butter and stir to combine all ingredients, simmer until mixture becomes more syrupy and honeycomb colour. Take off the heat.
Stir liquid gradually into the dry ingredients and when well combined, spoon into pan/tin. Press down well. Put into the oven for 20 minutes.
The mix should be golden brown on top when you take it out of the oven. Cool in the tray.
Tips
The perfect snack for lunch boxes that the kids can help you make beforehand.
Different dried fruit can be easily substituted for the above selections, so do try different versions with the kids to find their favourites.
Chia seeds are being dubbed as the new superfood on the block. Add them to these muesli bars for a nutritional boost.
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