C&K Lunchbox Bites

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 slices thick wholemeal bread
• 1/3 cup Nuttelex (melted) or olive oil
• 1 tsp dried herbs
• 1 tsp mild paprika

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 170C. Cut bread into sticks and place on a lined baking tray. Drizzle over the Nuttelex/olive oil and sprinkle the dried herbs and paprika. Toss to evenly coat. Bake for 8 minutes and allow to cool before packing.

INGREDIENTS:

• 120ml full cream Greek yoghurt
• Mint leaves
• ½ cucumber (no seeds)
• ½ tsp crushed garlic
• ½ tsp honey

METHOD:

Finely dice the cucumber and chop the mint. Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix well to combine. Store in a sealed container in the fridge until ready to use.

TIPS: 

• This spread is amazing on sandwiches (as pictured), in pastas, or as a dip.
• Honey isn’t recommended for infants under 12 months old - please keep this in mind if your child likes to share with younger siblings or friends.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup chopped dates
• 1 tbs wattleseed
• Water
• 1 cup oats
• 1 cup desiccated coconut
• Optional: your choice of nuts or seeds

METHOD:

Put the dates in a saucepan, add enough water to almost cover them, and sprinkle in the wattleseed. Cook over medium-low heat until dates soften and absorb most of the water (the texture should be fairly thick). Use a food processor to blitz the oats, coconut, nuts and seeds together. Add the dates to the food processor and blitz again. Roll into balls and allow to set.

TIPS:

• You may need to adjust the amounts of each ingredient to reach the right consistency - add some extra oats or coconut if too wet or sticky, add a little water if too dry. You should be able to roll the mixture into a ball and have it hold its shape.
• This recipe is very versatile and easy to experiment with flavours.
• Make a big batch as they can keep in the freezer for up to 3 months, making it a quick and easy lunchbox option.

INGREDIENTS:

• 300g sushi rice
• 50ml sushi vinegar or rice wine vinegar
• Soy mayonnaise (Kewpie), or vegan mayonnaise for an egg-free version
• Nori sheets
• Sushi fillings. Tuna, cucumber and grated carrot is a favourite with the children, but you can also try chicken, smoked salmon, avocado, shallots, bean sprouts, roasted capsicum, tofu/tempeh… anything you want!
• Soy sauce for dipping/drizzling

METHOD:

Wash the rice in cold water until the water runs clear. Place the rice in a pot or rice cooker and cook as per the instructions on the packet. When the rice is cooked, cool slightly and add the sushi vinegar, fluff, and cool to room temperature.

Place the nori shiny side down on your sushi mat, wet your hands and spread a thin layer of rice at one end to cover almost half of the nori. Place your selected fillings on the first third of the rice layer and add a line of mayonnaise. Wet the exposed nori, and roll.

Wrap sushi in cling wrap and refrigerate until adding it to your lunchbox.

TIPS:

• Children LOVE to get involved in sushi-making. Why not let them choose which ingredients they will add to their sushi and let them help with rolling (they may need a little help to get the roll started so it stays tight!)

INGREDIENTS:

• 250g Greek yoghurt
• 100g diced pineapple (tinned or fresh)
• 1 garlic clove, minced or finely chopped
• Thumb-sized piece of ginger, finely grated
• 2 sprigs of coriander, leaves chopped
• 1 sprig of mint, leaves chopped
• Juice of half a lime
• ½ teaspoon garam masala, plus extra to serve
• ¼ cucumber, finely diced or grated

METHOD:

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Transfer to a small airtight container and serve with extra garam masala and pineapple.

TIPS:

• Eat as-is, add to wraps, or use as a dip.

INGREDIENTS:

• 150g self-raising flour
• 100g salted butter, chilled and cubed
• 75g cheddar cheese, grated
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• 20g parmesan, grated

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 200C. Rub the grated cheddar cheese into the flour, paprika and butter until a dough has formed. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to approximately 5mm thick and cut into shapes of your choosing. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden. Allow to cool before packing.

INGREDIENTS:

• 100g vermicelli noodles
• Prawns, Chinese pork, chicken, tofu, etc
• ½ cup coarsely chopped coriander and mint
• ½ continental cucumber, cut into matchsticks
• 1 carrot, grated or julienned
• 1 punnet snow pea sprouts
• 10 rice paper wrappers
• 5 lettuce leaves, (oak, cos, iceberg - whatever you prefer), halved
• 1 spring onion, thinly sliced
• Hoisin sauce for dipping

METHOD:

Prepare the vermicelli as per the directions on the packet. Strain, drain well, then cut into rough 10cm lengths with scissors and place in a bowl. Add meat/tofu, coriander, mint, carrot and cucumber. Season to taste and set aside.

Fill a large bowl with hot water. Working with one wrapper at a time, submerge wrapper in water to soften (10-30 seconds), then transfer to a clean damp tea towel. Working quickly, spoon about 1/4 cup vermicelli mixture along the centre of the wrapper, add half a lettuce leaf, a few snow pea sprouts and some spring onion, fold in the ends, then roll to form a sealed cylinder. Place on a tray lined with baking paper and cover with a damp tea towel. Serve with Hoisin sauce.

TIPS:

• This recipe is great to make for family dinner, with the leftovers simply popped in lunch boxes for the following day and stored in the fridge.

INGREDIENTS:

• 375g self-raising flour
• 120g tomato paste or relish
• 300g shredded ham
• ½ bunch chives, chopped
• 180g grated cheddar (or similar bitey cheese)
• 125ml oil
• 250ml milk
• 2 eggs
• Sea salt and cracked pepper, to taste

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 180C. Mix all dry ingredients together. In a second bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, and milk together and season with salt and pepper. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined (don’t over-mix). Divide the mixture into muffin trays and cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool before packing.

TIPS:

• These are great for baking in bulk and freezing, wrapped in clingwrap or a zip lock bag. They can be popped straight into lunchboxes from the freezer.
• Try these variations:
  • Add a cup of chopped spinach or grated zucchini for extra vegetables.
  • Ham can be substituted for BBQ chicken or chorizo.
  • To make a vegetarian version, omit the meat and add semi-dried tomatoes and chopped olives.
  • Replace half the cheddar with feta, and/or top with extra cheese before baking.