How often I’ve walked into the kitchen in the morning to hear my wife mumbling to herself.
“What’s the matter, Love?” I would warily inquire. I learnt over the years to tread carefully when approaching a discontented female. (A lion with a thorn in it’s foot would be a good comparison).
A low inaudible grumble was the reply. Something else I’ve learnt. Never say ‘speak up, I can’t here you‘ unless you want to start world war III!
After some shoulder hugging, hair stroking and other pacifying techniques I’ve perfected over the years, I would eventually find out that the cause of her miserable state was that the children were tired of sammies in their lunch boxes to school.
My wife was at her wits end. How could she satisfy her little darlings (I would have said brats) desire for something more interesting in their lunch boxes.
I retreated to the study. This was a job for Super dad. I took out my phone and started to write, I knew the answer would come…..
CHICKEN AND SPINACH TRIANGLES
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 Tbsp flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 rotisserie chicken breast, shredded
- 150 grams Swiss chard, wilted
- 125 ml white cheddar cheese, (optional)
- 1 dash salt and pepper
- 2 rolls puff pastry
- 1 egg, beaten
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C.
- Melt butter over medium high heat in a saucepot.
- Add flour and cook for a minute.
- Add milk in a thin stream while stirring, to avoid lumps. Cook for 3-4 minute. If 7
- Stir in chicken pieces and wilted swiss chard. Remove from heat and stir in cheese.
- Remove mixture from pot and allow to cool.
- Roll out pastry on a floured surface to 4mm thick.
- Cut pastry into 9cm squares, place a spoon of filling on one corner leaving a border.
- Brush the edges of pastry with egg, fold closed and glaze with remaining egg.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden.
- Cool on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container in the fridge.
EGG-FREE APPLE AND CINNAMON MUFFINS
Ingredients
- 375 ml whole wheat flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
- 180 ml applesauce, unsweetened
- 125 ml milk
- 1 banana, mashed
- 1 Golden Delicious apple, grated
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C.
- Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a bowl.
- Mix applesauce, milk, banana and grated apple in a separate bowl until well combined, then add to flour mixture.
- Divide mixture equally in a prepared muffin tray.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
- Cool on a drying rack and store in an airtight container.
TOMATO AND SPINACH CRUSTLESS QUICHES
Ingredients
- 6 Eggs
- 1 Cup milk
- 1 Dash salt and milled pepper
- 125 Grams cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 Cup cheddar cheese, grated
- 75 Grams baby spinach, wilted
Method
- Preheat oven to 160°C.
- Whisk together eggs and milk in a bowl and season.
- Stir in tomatoes, cheese and spinach.
- Divide equally in a prepared muffin tray.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until cooked through.
- Allow to cool on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container in the fridge.
Note : Swap spinach with any other veggies your kids like. You can even add tuna or chicken.