Best Lunch Box Ever (14 page)

6
LEFTOVERS MADE OVER

WARM AND NOURISHING,
this panfried rice is a brown-bag favorite. The dish starts with a couple of scrambled eggs to which rice, edamame, and seasonings are added. If you happen to be making eggs for breakfast, it's just a few extra steps to make this savory lunch dish. Naturally, brown rice is more nutritious than white. Leftover farro or barley make tasty substitutions.

MAKES 2 TO 3 SERVINGS

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 green onions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced

1
¹
/
₂
cups leftover cooked rice

¹
/
₂
cup cooked shelled edamame

1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce

In a medium skillet, heat the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the eggs and scramble until just cooked. Add the green onions, cooked rice, edamame, and teriyaki sauce, and cook, stirring often, until everything is warmed through, about 2 minutes.

Divide the fried rice between two or three thermoses.

MAKE-AHEAD NOTES:
can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. In the morning before school, warm up and pack into the thermoses.

CLASSIC TABBOULEH
is made with bulgur along with loads of chopped parsley. Here, I've scaled back the parsley and boosted other kid favorites: cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and feta cheese. Although not traditional, quinoa and couscous can be used instead of bulgur. If you want to increase the amount of protein, add
¹
/
₃
cup cooked chickpeas or lentils to the mix.

MAKES 2 OR 3 SERVINGS

1
¹
/
₂
cups leftover cooked bulgur, quinoa, or couscous

¹
/
₄
cup chopped English cucumber

8 cherry tomatoes, halved

¹
/
₄
cup minced fresh parsley

¹
/
₄
cup crumbled feta cheese

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Pinch of salt

In a medium bowl, add the bulgur, cucumber, tomatoes, parsley, feta, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Stir gently with a fork until the ingredients are evenly distributed.

Divide the tabbouleh between two or three containers.

MAKE-AHEAD NOTES:
mix together the bulgur, cucumber, tomatoes, parsley, and feta a day ahead. The lemon juice, olive oil, and salt are best added the morning before school. Store in the refrigerator.

WONDERING WHAT TO DO
with the quinoa left over from dinner? Here's your answer. This tasty grain salad hits all the right notes: sweetness from the tangerines, tang from the cranberries, and crunch from the almonds. Among grains, quinoa has a high protein content, and the almonds give this dish an added boost. Feel free to swap out the quinoa for couscous.

MAKES 2 OR 3 SERVINGS

2 tangerines, peeled

1
¹
/
₃
cups leftover cooked quinoa or couscous

¹
/
₄
cup toasted slivered almonds

¹
/
₄
cup dried cranberries

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

¹
/
₂
teaspoon curry powder

Generous pinch of salt

Cut the tangerines in half crosswise. You'll have four halves. Set aside one of the halves for its juice. Pull apart the tangerine segments of the three remaining halves and put into a medium bowl.

Add the cooked quinoa, almonds, and cranberries to the bowl. Using your hand, squeeze the juice from the remaining tangerine half over the quinoa. Add the olive oil, vinegar, curry powder, and salt, and stir until the ingredients are evenly distributed.

Divide the curried quinoa between two or three storage containers.

MAKE-AHEAD NOTES:
mix together the tangerines, quinoa, almonds, and cranberries a day ahead. The vinegar, oil, and salt are best added the morning before school. Store in the refrigerator.

YOUR KIDS
will
have
to know how much you love them because you feed them nutritious foods like this salad. OK, maybe not. Maybe they'll grumble that you're giving them legumes instead of Lunchables. But after a few bites, it may just win them over. In addition to being over-the-top healthful, this salad is superflexible. You start with chickpeas or lentils (red, brown, green—any kind is fine), add fennel or celery, stir in dried currants or raisins, and add a fragrant hit of fresh mint (if you have it). Kids can eat it straight up, or feel free to pack pitas or sturdy lettuce leaves so they can scoop up the goods.