Foodland Ontario says start the school year off right with
tasty nutritious lunches that the kids will love to make as
well as eat.
Try these ideas:
• Roll 'em up! Spread cream cheese and jelly or cream cheese
and shredded Ontario carrot on a whole-wheat tortilla and serve
as is or roll into a log and slice into pieces.
• Make salsa with tomatoes, onions and green peppers. Pour
it into a small plastic container and pack baked tortilla or
pita chips in plastic wrap for dipping. Other good snack
options: pack carrot sticks, celery and cauliflower with a
creamy dip or apple, peach and pear slices with a yummy yogurt
dip.
• Kids love leftovers. Wrap up last night's cold pizza or
pasta salad for tomorrow's lunch. Make flavourful sandwiches by
combining leftover grilled vegetables, such as red peppers with
cream cheese or cold cuts. Make sandwiches extra appealing by
cutting them into fun shapes with cookie cutters.
Young people can be tempted get out of their veggie comfort
zones and to try something new with tasty recipes such as these
for sweet potatoes.
Packed with vitamin A and other nutrients, sweet potatoes
deserve a regular spot on your family's menu. Enjoy them baked
in their skins or try these recipe ideas:
• Sweet potato fries: Toss peeled and sliced sweet potatoes
with olive oil and fresh or dried rosemary or thyme. Bake them
in an even layer on a cookie sheet in a 425°F (220°C) oven for
20 minutes, turning them halfway. Dip fries in homemade basil
mayo.
• Sweet potato with apple slices: For a superb side dish,
bake sweet potato and apple slices together with maple syrup,
brown sugar, butter and pecans in a casserole dish. Serve with
a slice of ham or pork and green beans.
• Sweet potato pie: A savoury sweet treat, enjoy homemade
sweet potato pecan pie with a dollop of whipped cream or a
scoop of vanilla ice cream.
And now about rapini...A favourite in Asian and Italian
cuisines, rapini, also known as broccoli raab, is a versatile
vegetable that will add flavour and nutrients to favourite
dishes. Rapini should always be cooked; blanch it for one
minute and then dry and sauté, steam boil or stir-fry it.
Try Ontario rapini as a topping on pizza, added to pasta dishes or tossed with olive oil,garlic and pine nuts for a healthy side dish.
