Back to School Lunch!

Happy Back to School! I don’t know about you guys, but it seems earlier and earlier every year. That being said, adults get a little bit of freedom back, and kids get to catch up with old friends. First day of school screams new outfits, summertime tales, fresh notebooks, new teachers, and old haunts.

We came up with a great back to school lunch delicious to kids (it has been child tested) and it is chock full of great things such as broccoli, yam, apple…but it is all snuck in with a twist!

On the menu we have: broccoli cheese whole wheat pasta, yam chips, and cinnamon apple rice krispy treats. Enjoy!

Ingredients will make about 5 servings

Pasta:
1 box whole wheat pasta (we used rotini because it is fun)
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup shredded cheddar
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large head broccoli
Kosher salt

Yam Chips:
1 large yam
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt

Cinnamon Apple Rice Krispy Treat:
5 Cups Rice Krispy Cereal
5 cups small marshmallows
1 Large green apple
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter + some for greasing
¼ cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Bring a large pot of water, and a small pot of water to a boil. In the meantime cut the large head of broccoli into smaller pieces. When large water comes to a boil, pour in pasta. When small water comes to boil, pour in broccoli. In a medium sized pot start melting butter right before pasta is done, cook pasta 9-12 minutes or until slightly al dente. Cook broccoli about 5 minutes or until tender when poked with fork.

Once butter is melted, strain and pour in pasta. Stir pasta so that it gets coated in butter, pour in broccoli and stir more. Pour grated cheese in thirds and stir so that it doesn’t melt in clumps. Sprinkle salt in to your liking.

For the chips I suggest using a mandolin, because they are awesome! Preheat oven to 415 degrees.

Clean outside of yam before slicing. Slice yam relatively thin, not so thin that you can see light through it, but no so thick that they snap in half…they should be able to bend. In a bowl, toss with olive oil.

Lay out on cookie sheets and very lightly sprinkle with salt, they get salty very easily.

Bake about 10 minutes, or until you see little brown spots pop up. Rotate halfway through.

These Rice Krispies don’t hold together as tightly as the old fashioned kid without apple, so we are adding a bit more marshmallow…but who cares, they won’t be around long because they are so quickly devoured!

Before doing anything, make sure to grease bottom and sides of 9”x11” pan.

Start by cubing apple into pretty small pieces about a centimeter cubed. In a small sauce pan melt butter and sugar. When melted pour in apple pieces, stir to coat, then add 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Stir frequently for about 10 minutes until apple is soft. Set aside.

In a medium/ large deep sauce pan melt marshmallows while stirring constantly. Add teaspoon of cinnamon and stir for two more minutes. Add in apples and stir in completely. Then add in cereal and stir that in completely.

Using a greased spatula, pour mix into your already greased pan, pushing mix in as tight as possible. Let cool, and then slice!!

This is such a delicious combo, I suggest that adults enjoy it too!

Healthy-ish Pasta Salad

As summer quickly approaches, Memorial Day just passed, weather heats up;  our invitations to BBQs rapidly increases. There is a typical BBQ spread of hamburgers, hotdogs, potato salad, guacamole, chips, and the ever mayonnaisey (new word you guys) pasta salad. Did we mention that summer is also bikini season/ buff man season? No need to add extra fat to your diet, but also no need sacrifice flavor.

We have made for you a healthy-ish pasta salad! Bring this to the next BBQ you go to or the one that you have!

Ingredients: serves 5-10 people (depending on the size of your sides!!)

1 box of whole wheat pasta
2 pieces of corn
2 large beefsteak tomatoes
2 large carrots
3 green onions
3 Tablespoons lite mayonnaise
3 Tablespoons lite Greek yogurt
2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sea salt

 

Start by boiling a large pot of water with a pinch of salt.

Create your mise en place for your pasta salad. Cut all the kernels off the corn by holding the fat end of the corn and using a knife, run a blade down along the center the corn, cutting the kernels off. Set aside. Dice the two tomatoes into small pieces, set aside. Peel, and thinly slice the carrots, once sliced, chop into smaller pieces, set aside. Cut any browned ends of the green onion, and the little frizzle as well, thinly slice, from end to end, set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together yogurt, mayonnaise, and white wine vinegar.

Once water boils, add pasta and let cook about 8-10 minutes or until the pasta is slightly al dente. Once cook, drain water, and add pasta to a large bowl. Add yogurt  and mayonnaise mix to pasta, and lightly toss while adding salt a little at a time. Add in vegetables.

Set in refrigerator to cool, and then take to whatever lovely eating party you are attending! YAY!