Kitchen Notes August 18 th - August 22 nd Unless otherwise noted at the top of the recipe, every lunch meal is for a single serving. Ingredients in the shopping list reflect the servings for that particular meal. Time saving tips: Meal 1: This lunch can be prepared and assembled ahead of time. Meal 2: This lunch can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic wrap. Meal 3: This lunch can be prepared and assembled ahead of time. Get two meals out of the tuna salad mixture by using leftovers to make sandwiches. Family Sized 1: Make these the night before or double the recipe and freeze before baking. In the morning, take out thawed deep-dish pizza cups and toast in toaster oven. Family Sized 2: Make this pasta salad ahead of time and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to feed your entire family. Inside the Lunchbox: Meal 1- Tropical Fruit Cup Meal 2- Ricotta & Honey Sandwich Meal 3- Tuna Avocado Salad Cucumber Cups Family Sized 1- Pizza Calzones Family Sized 2- Almost a Rainbow Pasta Salad MOMables
Tropical Fruit Cup 2 kiwis 1 mango 1 Tablespoon honey ½ cup yogurt 1. Slice kiwis. Peel mango and cut into chunks. 2. Toss kiwis and mango with 1 tablespoon of honey. 3. Top ½ cup yogurt with fruit mixture. 4. Packed in a chilled thermos. MOM Tip: This lunch can be prepared ahead of time. Don t forget to pack with your child s favorite sandwich for a heartier lunch. MOMables
Ricotta & Honey Sandwich 2 slices hearty oat bread, lightly toasted 3 Tablespoons part-skim ricotta cheese 1 teaspoon honey 1. Spread 3 Tablespoons ricotta cheese on one slice of bread. 2. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon honey. 3. Top with other slice of bread. MOM Tip: Purchase a large ricotta tub and utilize leftovers for dinner in a creamy pasta or lasagna recipe. Gluten-Free Option: Use gluten-free bread or see resource guide for recipe.
Tuna Avocado Salad Cucumber Cups Makes 8-10 cups 1 cucumber 5oz canned light tuna, packed in water, drained 1-2 Tablespoons mashed avocado Salt, pepper, and/or onion & garlic powder, to taste 1. Combine tuna, avocado, salt, pepper, and/or onion & garlic powder. 2. Slice cucumbers into small discs. Make a well into the middle of each cucumber disc, making room for tuna salad mixture. 3. Pile on some tuna salad mixture and pack. MOM Tip: To make a fun pattern on the cucumber discs, use a vegetable peeler to peel a few green ribbons off the cucumber before slicing into discs. Vegetarian Option: Replace tuna with 2 hard-boiled eggs.
Pizza Calzones Yields: 8 pizza calzones 1 Tube (8pcs) refrigerated simply biscuits ½ cup tomato sauce 1/3 cup diced black olives Nitrate free pepperoni, chopped 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese Any other pizza toppings 1. Separate dough into eight rolls; with a knife slice rolls in half but do not cut all the way through (if you lay it flat it looks like the number 8). 2. Lay split biscuits flat on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. 3. Spoon pizza sauce into one side -about two teaspoons in each. Sprinkle with toppings and cheese. Fold other side of biscuit over and seal edges using a fork. 4. Bake at 375 for 13-15 minutes or until crusts are browned and cheese is melted. MOM Tip: You can also use your own homemade pizza dough. Just roll out dough about ¼ thick, cut it in circles with a biscuit cutter or topside of a glass, stuff mini calzones, top with another piece of dough and press tightly with a fork. The pictured calzones were made using ½ whole wheat pizza dough in this MOMables recipe: http://www.momables.com/how-to-makegrilled-pizza/ Make Ahead: Make these the night before or double the recipe and freeze before baking. Add an extra 3-5minutes if baking them directly frozen. Or, bake and freeze fully cooked. In the morning, take out thawed deep-dish pizza cups and toast in toaster oven. They won t be hot but they will be crispy for lunch. Do not microwave to warm up; dough will be chewy by lunch. Gluten-Free Option: Use gluten-free bread or see resource guide for recipe. Vegetarian Option: Omit pepperoni.
Almost a Rainbow Pasta Salad 1 cup cooked pasta (spiral pasta shown) ½ cup colorful veggies (halved grape tomatoes, chopped carrots, chopped yellow bell pepper, and chopped broccoli shown) 2 teaspoons olive oil Salt & pepper to taste 1. In a bowl combine all the ingredients and mix well until evenly combined. 2. Cover and chill in refrigerator. 3. Serve with fresh fruit & veggies of choice. MOM Tip: Make this pasta salad ahead of time and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to feed your entire family. Gluten-Free Option: Use gluten-free pasta. MOMables
Weekly Menu Lunch item Ingredients Directions 2 kiwis 1 mango 1. Slice kiwis. Peel mango and cut into chunks. Tropical Fruit Cup 1 Tablespoon honey 2. Toss kiwis and mango with 1 ½ cup yogurt tablespoon of honey. 3. Top ½ cup yogurt with fruit mixture. Ricotta & Honey Sandwich Tuna Avocado Salad Cucumber Cups Pizza Calzones Almost a Rainbow Pasta Salad 2 slices hearty oat bread, lightly toasted 3 Tablespoons part-skim ricotta cheese 1 teaspoon honey 1 cucumber 5oz canned light tuna, packed in water, drained 1-2 Tablespoons mashed avocado Salt, pepper, and/or onion & garlic powder, to taste 1 Tube (8pcs) refrigerated simply biscuits ½ cup tomato sauce 1/3 cup diced black olives Nitrate free pepperoni, chopped 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese Any other pizza toppings 1 cup cooked pasta (spiral pasta shown) ½ cup colorful veggies (halved grape tomatoes, chopped carrots, chopped yellow bell pepper, and chopped broccoli shown) 2 teaspoons olive oil Salt & pepper to taste 4. Packed in a chilled thermos. 1. Spread 3 Tablespoons ricotta cheese on one slice of bread. 2. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon honey. 3. Top with other slice of bread. 1. Combine tuna, avocado, salt, pepper, and/or onion & garlic powder. 2. Slice cucumbers into small discs. Make a well into the middle of each cucumber disc, making room for tuna salad mixture. 3. Pile on some tuna salad mixture and pack. 1. Separate dough into eight rolls; with a knife slice rolls in half but do not cut all the way through (if you lay it flat it looks like the number 8). 2. Lay split biscuits flat on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. 3. Spoon pizza sauce into one side - about two teaspoons in each. Sprinkle with toppings and cheese. Fold other side of biscuit over and seal edges using a fork. 4. Bake at 375 for 13-15 minutes or until crusts are browned and cheese is melted. 1. In a bowl combine all the ingredients and mix well until evenly combined. 2. Cover and chill in refrigerator. 3. Serve with fresh fruit & veggies of choice. Printer Friendly Menu
Weekly Shopping List Lunch # Grocery Item Other Groceries Fresh Produce 1-F2 Fresh fruit for the lunch box 1-F2 Fresh lunchbox veggies 1 2 kiwis 1 1 mango 3 1 cucumber 3 1-2 T. mashed avocado F2 ½ cup colorful veggies (grape tomatoes, carrots, bell pepper, broccoli, etc) Deli Meats Nitrate free pepperoni Dairy & Refrigerated 1 ½ c. yogurt 2 3 T. part-skim ricotta cheese 1 tube (8pcs) simply biscuits 1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese Bakery 2 2 slices hearty oat bread Frozen Items Canned/Bottled/Packaged 3 5oz light tuna, packed in water ½ c. tomato sauce 1/3 c. diced black olives F2 1 c. pasta, your choice Staples 1, 2 1 T. honey + 1 t. 3 Onion and /or garlic powder, to taste F2 2 t. olive oil