For my girls Text copyright © 2013 by Katie Sullivan Morford. Photographs copyright © Chronicle Books LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. ISBN 978-1-45213903-6 The Library of Congress has previously cataloged this under: ISBN 978-1-4521-0829-2 Designed by Eight Hour Day Photographs by Jennifer Martiné Food styling Karen Shinto Prop styling by Leigh Noe Chronicle Books LLC 680 Second Street San Francisco, California 94107 www.chroniclebooks.com Contents INTRODUCTION: Why a Lunch-Box Book? 6 CHAPTER 1: Brown Bag Basics, 8 Know Good Nutrition, 10 Keep Food Cool, 16 Give Lunch a Makeover, 17 About Ingredients, 18 About Recipes and Portions, 19 CHAPTER 2: Getting the Job Done, 20 Fill Your Arsenal, 22 Plan Ahead, 23 Troubleshooting, 25 Six Steps to a Superb School Lunch, 26 Mains, 27 CHAPTER 3: Stellar Sandwiches, 28 Hippie-Dippie Bagel Sandwich, 31 Smoked Salmon Tea Sandwich, 32 Anything Goes Salad Sandwich, 33 Italian Picnic Sandwich, 34 Turkey and Veggie Dagwood, 36 Turkey and Hummus Cuties, 37 Waffle Iron Grilled Cheese, 38 Chickpea Panini, 40 Deconstructed Caprese, 42 CHAPTER 4: Salads Kids Will Love, 46 Jar of Everyday Vinaigrette, 49 Kiddie Cobb Salad, 50 Takeaway Taco Salad, 52 Fattoush Salad, 53 Kid-Pleaser Chicken Caesar, 54 Where’s Waldorf? 55 Asian Lunch-Box Slaw, 56 CHAPTER 5: Pinwheels, Pizzas, Wraps, and Roll-Ups, 58 The Perfect Date, 60 Peanut Butter Pinwheels, 62 BLT Roll-Ups, 64 Pesto Pita Pizza, 65 Prosciutto and Arugula Lavash Pizza, 66 Sweetie Pie Quesadilla, 68 CHAPTER 6: Leftovers Made Over, 70 Teriyaki Fried Rice, 72 “Take Two” Tabbouleh, 74 Curried Quinoa with Tangerines and Dried Cranberries, 75 Love Salad, 76 “Me So” Happy Noodle Soup, 77 Shortcut Chicken Noodle Soup, 78 Creamy Black Bean Soup, 79 Easy Cheesy Thermos Beans, 80 Oodles of Sesame Noodles, 82 Tuna Pasta Classic, 84 Chinese Tacos, 85 BBQ on a Bun, 86 Sides, 89 CHAPTER 7: Fruit and Veggie Sides, 90 I Heart Watermelon, 92 Honey-Lime Melon, 93 Very Berry Skewers, 94 Teensy Tropical Salad, 95 Winter Jewel Box Salad, 96 Juice Box Applesauce, 98 Really Ranch Dip with Veggies in the Raw, 100 My Thai Peanut Dip with Garden-Fresh Faves, 102 Guacamole and Crunchy Crudités, 103 Hummus with a Twist and Veggies to Dip, 104 CHAPTER 8: Crunchy Extras, 108 Coconut Granola Bark, 110 Pumped-Up Party Mix, 112 Skinny Mini Cheese Straws, 113 Cinnamon Wonton Crisps, 114 “Betcha Can’t Eat Just One” Parmesan Kale Chips, 116 DIY Microwave Popcorn, 118 CHAPTER 9: Goodies, 120 Cocoa-Dusted Almonds, 122 Rosie’s Energy Balls, 123 Sour Cherry Oatmeal Bars, 124 Chocolate Chip–Pretzel Cookies, 126 Petite Pumpkin Gingerbread Cupcakes, 127 Tender Cranberry Streusel Muffins, 130 Everybody Loves Chocolate Pudding, 132 After School, 135 CHAPTER 10: Tide-Me-Overs, 136 “Perfect Every Time” Hard-Boiled Eggs, 138 The Comfort of Cottage Cheese and Crackers, 140 Italian Quesadilla, 141 Crispy Applewiches, 142 Out-of-the-Box Peanut Butter Granola Bars, 144 Dreamy Mango-Orange Pops, 146 Creamy Banana Shake, 147 Raspberry Sneak, 148 MOM-APPROVED LUNCH-BOX SUPPLIES, 150 RESOURCES, 151 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS, 152 INDEX, 153 TABLE OF EQUIVALENTS, 156 Introduction Why a Lunch-Box Book? My friend Pam, a mother of two, can practically turn out a dozen golden popovers with her eyes shut. Claire, also a mom, tackles even the most sophisticated recipes with the ease of a professional. And Suzanne churns out family dinners each night in such an orderly fashion, she could teach Martha Stewart a thing or two. But ask any of these übercapable moms—or dads, grandparents, or other caregivers, for that matter—how they feel about packing school lunches every day and you are likely to hear a groan, a sigh, or, quite possibly, a growl. WHAT GIVES? First off, packing lunch is a relatively thankless task; we aren’t even around when the kids crack those containers open. Plus, filling a lunch box is booby-trapped with challenges: keeping some foods hot and others cold, preventing sandwiches from going mushy and fruit from bruising, figuring out what kids will like (and eat!), and doing it all in the few extra minutes of the day you really don’t have. And that’s not even taking into account the folks who have to work around a kid’s food allergy or a ten- year-old who’s suddenly gone vegan. Phew! It’s a lot to cover.