Recipes: Kids’ back-to-school meals made easy
What’s for lunch? Three words parents usually dread, especially in the age of virtual schooling. The experts at America’s Test Kitchen are serving up two delicious and easy recipes to help make lunch time less of a chore for parents and kids alike. Most important: the recipes are specially tailored for kids to make as well as enjoy (with an assist from grown-ups, as needed).
Recipes — from breakfast and snacks to dinners and desserts — were thoroughly tested by more than 750 kids to make sure they were ideal for young cooks of all skill levels.
So try these two lunch recipes from “The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs.”
VEGGIE WRAP WITH HUMMUS
Servings: 1
Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon lemon juice, squeezed from ½ lemon
Pinch salt
Pinch pepper
1 carrot
1 avocado
1 (11-by-8-inch) piece lavash bread
1/3 cup plain hummus
8 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 up baby spinach
COOKING EQUIPMENT
Small bowl, whisk, vegetable peeler, chef’s knife, cutting board, box grater, butter knife and soup spoon
DIRECTIONS
1. In small bowl, whisk oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper together.
2. Use vegetable peeler to peel carrot. With knife, trim ends of carrot and discard. Holding thicker end, carefully run carrot over large holes of box grater to shred (stop when your fingers get close to greater and discard carrot end). Add shredded carrot to bowl with lemon dressing and stir to coat.
3. Use butter knife to cut avocado in half lengthwise around pit. With our hands, twist both halves in opposite directions to separate. Use soupspoon to remove pit. Use soupspoon to scoop 1 avocado half from skin onto cutting board; discard pit and skin (save remaining half for another use). Place avocado half flat side down on cutting board and chop.
4. Place lavash on clean counter. Use back of soupspoon to spread hummus of lavash, leaving ½ inch border around edge. Top with carrot mixture, avocado, tomatoes and spinach.
5. Fold up bottom of lavash over filling. Fold in sides of lavash over filling, then roll tightly into log. Cut warp in half. Serve.
HAM AND CHEESE SLIDERS
Servings: 2
Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
4 teaspoons yellow mustard
4 potato dinner rolls, sliced open 4 slices deli ham
8 dill pickle chips
2 slices deli cheddar cheese, cut in half
COOKING EQUIPMENT
Rimmed baking sheet, parchment paper, butter knife, oven mitts, cooling rack, spatula and 2 plates
DIRECTIONS
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Use butter knife to spread mustard evenly over insides of rolls.
3. Layer 1 slice ham, 2 pickle chips and ½ cheese into each roll and press down gently (you should have 4 sliders).
4. Place sliders on baking sheet. Place baking sheets in oven and bake until cheese has melted and rolls are crisp, about 5 minutes.
5. Use oven mitts to remove baking sheet from oven (ask an adult for help) and transfer to cooling rack. Use spatula to carefully transfer sliders to 2 plates (baking sheet will be hot). Serve.