Ingredients
Serves 10-12Oat, Banana & Raspberry Cake
1 cup rolled oats
375 ml boiling water
150g unsalted butter, diced
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup caster sugar 2 eggs
1 tsp natural vanilla extract
1½ cups plain flour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen (I prefer frozen because they hold their shape when mixing)
Topping (Optional):
¼ cup rolled old-fashioned oats (not instant)
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tbsp plain flour
25g chilled butter, cut into small pieces
Onigiri Japanese Rice Balls (Yumi)
1 cup short grain white calrose rice
1/3 cup wild rice
1/3 cup black quinoa
1/3 cup red quinoa
1/3 cup black rice
1/3 cup red (Thai) rice
Dried flat seaweed (can be the sheets, can also be the individual sachet pieces)
Fresh ground salt
Optional:
1/3 cup adzuki beans
1/3 cup mung beans
Optional fillings:
Tinned tuna
Umeboshi plums
Japanese daikon pickle
Method
Oat, Banana and Raspberry Cakes (Arianne)
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
To make the cake, place the oats into a bowl and pour over the boiling water. Stir and leave for 5 minutes and then drain off water thoroughly. Cool until lukewarm.
Cream the butter and sugars in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla. Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder into the bowl. Add the oats, bananas and raspberries to the mixture and fold to combine.
Spoon into mini muffin cases or regular size (depending on the size/appetite of your child).
To make the topping (if using), place all the ingredients into a bowl and rub the butter into the mixture with your fingertips until well incorporated and small clumps form. Sprinkle evenly over the cakes.
Bake for 20 minutes and then check with a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean they are ready. This will depend entirely on the size of cakes you make. Remove to a cooling rack and dust with icing sugar when cold.
These cakes freeze extremely well and are useful for keeping lunchboxes cool. Not only do they taste delicious, they are relatively healthy! If bananas are not your thing, substitute with finely chopped or grated apples or pears, or any stonefruit that is in season that you like. They are also delicious with nectarines.
Onigiri Japanese Rice Balls (Yumi)
Get 1/3 of a cup of every grain EXCEPT WHITE RICE and soak overnight, combined, in the pot in which you intend to cook the rice.
Optional: Add 1/3 cup of adzuki beans and/or 1/3 cup of mung beans. Also soak overnight in the same pot.
The following day, about half an hour before you're ready to start cooking, add ONE CUP OF SHORTGRAIN, WHITE RICE. I have tried cooking this with brown rice but you need the white rice for the starch and stickiness. Wash and rinse the whole pot. The water will be dark red. This is good! Rinse it a couple of times.
Put enough water in the pot for there to be 1cm of water above the grains/rice. Cook on high with lid on until it starts to froth and boil. Leave the lid on and cook for another 10 minutes on low. All the liquid should be absorbed.
While the rice is still warm, press it into your onigiri mould (or use your hands to shape). It works best if the mould has been rinsed in cold water and is still a bit damp. Unmould the onigiri, dust in fresh-ground salt, then wrap in seaweed. Eat immediately! If you're sending them to school or there's a lag between the making and the eating, try to keep the seaweed separate so it stays crispy then add it at the last minute.
Note: This totally works with just white rice, cooked with absorption method. Onigiri moulds are available from Asian grocers for around $3.00.
Options: Stuff the onigiri with pickles, tuna, umeboshi plum, etc.
Tip: If eating soon, don’t refrigerate. Leave on bench to cool so that they retain their texture. Otherwise place in fridge once cool and include a frozen pack in the lunchbox.
Sandwich Ideas
Cut sandwiches into fun shapes using cookie cutters.
Try different combinations such as cream cheese, avocado and pepitas (toasted pumpkin seeds) on wholemeal bread – Yum!
Other lunch box additions:
Hard boiled egg - Lunch boxes with Love have great little egg shapers that can turn your boiled egg into a bunny or car or bear shape. Too Cute!
Cut carrot with cookie cutters into shapes to make it fun.
Also try cherry tomatoes, cheese cubes, pretzels and corn cakes (either plain or filled with jam or vegemite and stuck together).
Guacamole Dip:
Combine 1 mashed avocado, 1 chopped tomato, 1 crushed garlic clove, juice of 1 lime and some chopped spring onion (optional). Serve with carrot and celery sticks or pita chips.
Pikelets:
1 cup wholemeal flour
1 cup milk
1 large egg (or 2 small)
1 tablespoon caster sugar (optional)
Pinch of salt
Whisk all ingredients to form a smooth paste. Heat pan and drop in dessert sized spoonfuls
When bubbling (after about 2 minutes) flip. Cool on a wire rack and freeze in freezer bags separated with baking paper. Or they keep in the fridge for about 3 days. Serve with butter and jam or cream cheese and chives. Great also as an after school snack.
Top Tips for a Healthy Lunch Box from Fresh for Kids
• Always include fresh fruit and vegetables. Vary the selection to keep it interesting.
• Offer a variety of whole grain breads, rolls, pita bread and flat breads.
• Use avocado as a spread instead of butter or margarine.
• Use reduced fat dairy foods. Cheese and yoghurt are ideal.
• Kids need a serve of protein at lunchtime. Ensure you include lean meat, egg, peanut butter, chickpeas or tuna.
• Add a chilled bottle of water and limit juice.
Fresh for Kids have created a 5 Day Healthy Lunch Box Meal Plan and a Quick, Recess, Lunch and Snack Recipe Booklet which are free to download to give parents some fun and healthy ideas for their children’s school lunch boxes.
Visit www.freshforkids.com.au for more top tips.