Note/Suggestions: This recipe can be doubled or tripled and kept frozen for 3-6 months.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless, boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-3 bite pieces
• 3 cups fresh breadcrumbs*
• 3 T Paul Peurdonne Chicken Seasoning
• 1 cup safflower oil or other vegetable oil

Equipment:

• two cookie sheets or freezer safe tray
• tin foil or parchment paper or baking mat
• whisk
• one platter
• two shallow vessels: one large, one medium

Directions:

1. Line a cookie sheet or freezer safe tray with tin foil, paper or mat.
2. Set up three stations: 1.) platter of prepared chicken; 2.) medium-sized shallow vessel for oil; 3.) large shallow vessel for breadcrumbs.*
3. Using a whisk, mix together the breadcrumbs with chicken seasoning.
4. Take chicken pieces in batches of 3-4 pieces at a time, and dip into oil, then coat both sides and edges with breadcrumbs. Press breadcrumbs onto chicken, firmly alternating sides.
5. Place chicken pieces on the prepared tray in a single layer. Continue process until all chicken is coated.
6. Cover trays with plastic wrap and place in freezer overnight.
7. When chicken pieces are frozen, place into a labeled freezer bag and return to the freezer for use in the future.

To Cook: Remove the amount you want to cook (2-3 per child) and cook on a cookie sheet (with parchment paper, a baking mat or sprayed with cooking spray) at 350F for about 20 minutes. For a crunchier coating, flip the pieces over about half way through the cooking process.

Note: Cook these the night before and send them to school cold, with carrots sticks, an apple and a piece of cheese.

Tip: Fresh breadcrumbs allow you to choose what ingredients go into your dish. Choose healthy whole grain breads. If you are allergic to wheat, choose potato bread or an alternative bread. Fill food processor with bread, crust and all. Process until bread is reduced to small crumbs. Empty bowl and continue with more bread. I do this with a whole loaf of bread and put the unused, unseasoned crumbs in a resealable bag then into the freezer. It only takes a few minutes to do. With breadcrumbs at the ready, other recipes are easier to accomplish.

The process for the following two recipes is the same as above. 

Note/Suggestions: This recipe can be doubled or tripled and kept frozen for 3-6 months.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless fish fillets cut into small pieces, about 2-3 bites per peice size
• 3 cups fresh breadcrumbs*
• 3 T Paul Peurdonne Fish Seasoning
• 1 cup Safflower Oil or other vegetable oil

Fish Options: Tilapia, Sole, Catfish, Halibut, Cod, and Bass are all good choices for this recipe. Check local markets and availability in your area. Frozen fillets work well too.

Note/Suggestions: This recipe can be doubled or tripled and kept frozen for 3-6 months.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless pork cutlets cut into small pieces, about 2-3 bites per piece size
• 3 cups fresh breadcrumbs*
• 3 T Paul Peurdonne Pork Seasoning
• 1 cup safflower oil or other vegetable oil

Lunch Ideas: Cook these the night before and send them to school cold, with carrots sticks, an apple and a piece of cheese.

Note/Suggestions: This is a great all purpose, go-to food. It is a healthy breakfast, school snack, classroom treat or after school snack. Making them in muffin tins with liners adds the ease of portion control and portability. This recipe will make 48 regular sized muffins.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups puffed whole grain cereal: rice, wheat, corn, multi-grain or combination of cereals will do.
• 1 ¼ cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 ¼ cup white wheat flour
• ½ cup nonfat dry milk
• 2 t baking soda
• 2 t apple pie spice (or ground cinnamon)
• ½ t salt
• 2 cups applesauce
• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
• ¾ cup chopped dried fruit or berries: apricots, goji berries, craisins, cherries, apples, raisins, etc
• 2/3 cup safflower oil (or other vegetable oil)
• 2 t vanilla
• 4 large egg whites

Equipment:

• standing mixer with paddle or sturdy hand mixer and stable bowl
• standard sized muffin tins
• muffin liners - optional

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Prepare muffin tins by greasing them with butter or Pam or using muffin liners. You can cook these in two batches to make life easier. Use muffing liners if you do so.
2. Put all dry ingredients in mixer and mix well.
3. Add applesauce, oil, vanilla, egg whites, and dried fruit. Mix until well incorporated.
4. Add blueberries and mix again until just worked through, but the blueberries aren’t completely smashed.
5. Fill each muffin tin just over half way. Try to fill each tin evenly. Using a standard ice cream scooper works well to accomplish evenness.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Cool for five minutes in the tins and then transfer to a cooling rack until completely cooled.
8. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks or freeze for up to three months.

Tip: To add a frosting, mix light whipped cream cheese with juice from left over berries to sweeten and color. Spread on cooled muffins.

Note/Suggestions: I love to make a bunch of these and keep in the freezer for those busy mornings of crazy weeks when I need quick and easy lunchbox fillers. The kids love them, even my preschooler eats up all his burrito.. Besides it only takes a few more minutes to make an extra 12 or so of these once you are started.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup cooked rice (recipe to follow)
• ¼ cup seasoned black beans (recipe to follow)
• ¼ cup shredded cheese (I use the pre-shredded Mexican mix or medium cheddar)
• 2 oz. (about 4 T) shredded or chopped meat (optional) - leftovers work well here
• burrito-sized tortillas of choice*

Optional items: La Victoria Green Taco Sauce, chopped tomatoes, sliced black olives, chopped sweet bell peppers and green onions, Salsas (regular, mango, pineapple, etc.)
*There are many flavors of tortillas on the market: tomato, spinach, multi-grain, etc. Try out a new one and see if your family likes it.

Equipment:

• one counter sheet (parchment paper square)
• Scotch tape
• marker

Directions:

1. Lay out a tortilla flat on a clean work surface.
2. Layer the first three (four, if you are using meat) ingredients at about 1/3 of the way into the tortilla in the center.
3. Fold the front of the tortilla over the filling and then fold in the two sides, enclosing the filling.
4. Continue rolling the tortilla around the filling.
5. Us the same method wrapping the counter sheet around the burrito. Secure with Scotch tape.

Tip: You can make these ahead in a large batch and freeze them. Mark them with “Heat for 1 Minute” on the wrapper. Put the frozen burritos in lunch boxes to be re-heated at school.

Rice:
Heat 2T of olive oil in a 2 quart pot. Heat 2 cups of rice kernels in oil and coat well. Add 3½ cups water* and a pinch of salt. Stir well. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer. Stir well once more and cover. Leave for about 20 minutes and then check. Stir again and re-cover. Cook for about another 10 minutes or until tender.
*Substitute all or part of the water for chicken or vegetable stock for a richer tasting rice. I like to use a long grain light brown rice.

Black Beans: (You can substitute red beans or pinto beans if you want)
Drain and rinse well, a can of beans. Heat 1 t of olive oil in a sauté pan. Add beans with a ½ t garlic powder, ½ t sea salt and ½ t ground pepper. To make this more interesting, you can also add ½ t ground cumin and ½ t of ground coriander. Stir to coat and heat through. You can also combine all ingredients into a glass bowl, cover and heat in microwave at 1-minute intervals until hot and steamy.