Italian Bento: By most-wanted-recipes-free.blogspot.com/

(See Note on Bento below)


Italian flavors abound in this bento filled with salami flutes, grape tomatoes, mozzarella sticks, sesame breadsticks, roasted red peppers and marinated artichoke hearts.

Ingredients

4 slices hard salami - rolled into flute shapes 4 grape tomatoes 1/4 cup marinated artichoke hearts (about half a 4 oz. jar) 1/4 cup roasted red peppers (about half a 4 oz. jar) 1/4 cup black olives 6 sticks of mozzarella cheese 6 small sesame breadsticks
A Note on Bento: Bento is, very simply put, a Japanese lunchbox that's making waves across the U.S.. Traditionally made with rice, meat, poultry or fish and pickled or other cooked vegetables, bento can be as intricate or simple as you'd like. The bento I send always come back empty and the kids prefer them to the usual bagged lunch. Bento boxes can be as simple or elaborate as the food they hold, from laquered boxes with built-in dividers to reuseable plastic containers available just about everywhere lately. It's important to keep moist foods separate from dry foods to decrease the risk of spoilage. Silicone muffin liners are ideal for keeping foods separate, but anything from dry lettuce leaves to waxed paper works as well. While leftovers are perfect, any food that tastes as good chilled as it does hot will do. To keep foods cold until lunch time, small condiment packets like kethcup, mustard, mayo or relish, when frozen, are the perfect size ice-pack whether meant to be consumed or not. Fill-ins help food keep its shape and stay put; some ideas for fill-ins are grape tomatoes, grapes, baby carrots, individually wrapped cheeses and dried fruit. Experiment with your own kids' favorites and have fun with it, your kids will have the most envied lunches at school.

Italian Turkey Sliders with Honey Dijon Mayo: By most-wanted-recipes-free.blogspot.com/

Sliders are very popular right now and this version made with ground turkey and baked rather than fried is not only good, but good for you. My kids ate these like there was no tomorrow and even the pickiest of them finished his plate without a complaint. Served with baked Parmesan fries this was the perfect 'fast food' meal and the cost per slider is about 45 cents -- that's good, too.

Ingredients

• 20 ounces lean ground turkey
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 clove garlic - minced
• 1/2 teaspoon basil,, dried
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano,, dried
• 1 teaspoon salt
•  freshly ground black pepper
• 16 dinner or slider rolls
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon honey Dijon mustard

Directions

1. Combine ground turkey, cheese and all seasonings. Mix together well.
2. Shape turkey into 16 small patties.
3. Place patties on a greased baking sheet.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 - 10 minutes or until cooked through. Be careful not to cook too long or they will become dried out.
5. Combine mayonnaise with honey Dijon mustard and stir until well blended.
6. Place on rolls and top with honey Dijon mayo.

Fried Rice: By most-wanted-recipes-free.blogspot.com/

Leftovers are boring, blah and take up too much refrigerator space, right? I don't think so. I often make extras just for the sake of having leftovers for other dishes. Rice is one of those leftovers I look forward to morphing into a whole new dish. Leftover rice is a great and frugal filler, delicious with gravy, yummy under chili and perfect in my very favorite leftover rice dish: fried rice.

While there are versions of fried rice made with just-cooked rice, I find that I get the best results from rice that has been cooked and left to chill overnight. This recipe is the most basic, with optionals and notes added on ways to make it even more delicious.

Hands-On Time: 10 minutes
Ready In: 10
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 cups cold cooked rice 4 tablespoons soy sauce 1 clove garlic, minced (optional) 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion 2 cups cooked and cubed chicken (optional) 2 cups cooked veggies (optional) 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola 

Directions

1. Heat a wok or large non-stick skillet over high heat.
2. When oil starts to "shimmer", turn the heat to medium-high.
3. If using garlic and/or green onions add to oil now and stir.
4. Add chicken and vegetables if using and mix well.
5. Quickly add rice and continue to stir until rice is separated and coated with oil or mixed evenly with chicken and veggies.
6. Sprinkle soy sauce over rice and stir until distributed well throughout rice.

*Ingredient Tips
Almost any veggie can be used -- we like frozen green peas or snow peas and julienned carrots. Beef, pork or shrimp are all good protein ideas. Make sure they are bite sized pieces and are cooked well before adding. Garlic is optional because it is not the norm for fried rice. I find it lends a delicious depth to the finished dish. Freshly grated ginger and a bit of sesame oil added with the neutral oil are nice additions.

Chicken Chili: By most-wanted-recipes-free.blogspot.com/

This hearty chili is tempered by the surprising addition of apple cider, which makes it a very kid-friendly dinner. It's mom-friendly too, because it utilizes a rotisserie chicken, and comes together quickly. I always like to top mine with sliced jalapeno peppers and cilantro to give it an extra kick, but the kids like it topped with lots of grated cheese and sour cream. Serve with a salad and warm corn muffins.

Ingredients

• 1 rotisserie chicken, skin and bones removed and meat shredded
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 whole onion, chopped
• 1 yellow or red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic,, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon oregano, dried
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 small can diced green chiles
• 1 (fourteen-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups apple cider
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 cans white beans,, rinsed
•  salt and pepper
•  grated cheese, sour cream, sliced onions, sliced jalapenos for topping

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-low heat.
2. Add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies are tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Add garlic and cook for one minute more. Add chili powder, oregano and bay leaves and stir to combine.
4. Add diced green chiles, diced tomatoes, apple cider, chicken broth and shredded chicken. Raise heat and bring to a boil.
5. Cover partially, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Add beans and simmer for five minutes more or until heated through. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.
7. Ladle into bowls and top with desired ingredients.

Pizza Twister: By most-wanted-recipes-free.blogspot.com

Ingredients for Pizza Dough:
Flour 8 ounces
Instant yeast 1 tbsp
Salt ½ tsp
Sugar 1 tsp
Water to knead
Ingredients for Filling
Chicken breast (cut into thick strips) 2 
Salt ½ tsp
Black pepper ½ tsp
Soya sauce 1 tbsp
Chili sauce 1 tbsp
Vinegar 1 tbsp
Ingredients for Batter:
Self raising flour 4 tbsp
Corn flour 2 tbsp
Salt ¼ tsp
Chili sauce 1 tbsp
Egg 1
Oil 1 tbsp
Baking powder ¼ tsp
Milk (to make batter) as required
Capsicum (thinly chopped) 1 
Chicken salami 8 slices
Mozzarella cheese grated 2 tbsp
Chili sauce 2 tbsp
Tomato paste 1 tbsp
Oregano leaves ½ tsp
Dry self raising flour as required
Oil for frying
Method for Pizza Dough:
In a bowl mix all together 8 ounces Flour, 1 tbsp Instant yeast, ½ tsp Salt, 1 tsp Sugar and knead with lukewarm water into soft dough, leave to rise for 30 minutes covered. Make into 2 to 3 balls, roll into a dinner size plate chapatti and grill on a hot griddle from both sides, don’t brown too much, remove and keep in a napkin till serving time.
Method for Chicken:
Cut each chicken breast into two pieces, marinate with ½ tsp Salt, ½ tsp Black pepper, 1 tbsp Soya sauce, 1 tbsp Chili sauce, 1 tbsp Vinegar for 30 minutes, dip in prepared batter, spread lavishly in dry self raising flour, deep fry in a frying pan till golden.
Method for Batter: In a bowl mix together 4 tbsp self raising flour, 2 tbsp corn flour, ¼ tsp salt, 1 tbsp chili sauce, 1 egg, 1 tbsp oil, ¼ tsp baking powder and make thick batter with milk as required.
To Make Sauce:Mix together 1 tbsp tomato paste, 2 tbsp chili sauce, ½ tsp oregano leaves with ¼ cup water and cook for 5 minutes, remove cool and use.
To Serve:
Spread pizza chapatti on surface, brush with 2 tbsp sauce, spread 2 tbsp mozzarella cheese, 2 strips of chicken fried, 2 tbsp chopped capsicum, 4 slices of salami, roll tightly from sides and then all along. Serve hot.