Back 2 School Brilliance

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As summer comes to a close and you prepare to send the little ones back to school, you might start thinking about ways you can help ensure their lunches are nutritious, portion controlled and enjoyable. It’s no secret that many cafeteria lunches are questionable in nutritious value, packed full of preservatives and usually lacking in variety. Passanante’s Home Food Service knows our customers take pride in the food they provide to their families – so why should that all stop come September?

We’ve pulled together an assortment of back to school lunch ideas to help you continue to provide the same quality of food to your children year round. These lunch box heroes are simple, easy and can be customized for your child’s taste and preferences in a snap.

Lunch Box Recipes

Lunch Kebabs

Most of us have had the “Lunchable” debate with our kids… you know the one. Your child wants to eat Lunchables everyday at school but you know the nutritional value of the meal and the quality of the meat is questionable. We all know the reason our kids want Lunchables isn’t because they’re just so delicious, it’s because they’re fun to eat. Lunch kebabs are even cooler and give your kids a chance to play with their food while giving you peace of mind about what they’re eating. Try out a couple of the combinations or make up your own… we promise your child will love them!

  • Canteloupe + Ham + Green Grapes + Mozzarella Balls
  • Salami + Italian Bread Cubes + Grape Tomatoes + Fresh Basil + Mozzarella Balls
  • Turkey + Apple Cubes + Celery Slices + Swiss Cheese
  • Bacon + Lettuce + Italian Bread Cubes + Tomatoes
  • Turkey + Colby Jack + Bell Pepper

Sog-Free Sammys

There’s nothing worse than packing a sandwich in your child’s lunch box only to see it come back with them in the afternoon. What a waste! But if the sandwich you packed is soggy can you really blame them? A trick of the trade is to always place a barrier between the condiments and the bread. (Example: Bread, cheese, condiment, meat, lettuce, bread) Try it out and hopefully you wont get any more sammy surprises after school.

Pin Wheel Sandwiches

Another great option if the standard sandwich is getting boring is pin wheel sandwiches. Just substitute the bread with your favorite wrap, roll meats, cheeses and veggies up like an enchilada and slice into poppable pin wheels. Your favorite variety of peanut butter sandwiches also works great in a pin wheel whether its paired with jelly, honey, banana or green apple — they’re all delicious.

Quiche

Quiches are a great lunch box option if you’re looking to mix it up. Use this opportunity to sneak in spinach, zucchini, onion, asparagus and any of the other veggies you struggle to convince you child to eat at dinner. When paired with egg, ham, turkey, bacon, sausage, or potato these veggie villains will slide right in undetected.

Homemade Parfait

Tasty and filling, parfaits are an excellent lunch box addition. Layer greek vanilla yogurt and cubes of your child’s favorite fruit into a small resealable round tupperware or jar. Pack granola and nuts in a separate baggy to keep crunchy and relax knowing their dessert is good and good for them.

Pasta Salad

An easy lunch box side option, pasta salad is a great substitute for greasy potato chips. Add chopped carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes, olives, feta and Italian dressing for an irresistible lunch time favorite.

Alphabet Cookies

For elementary students, alphabet cookies are a really cool way to treat your kids to a tasty dessert and a fun message from mom. Use small cookie cutters and your favorite cookie recipe to send words of encouragement to your little ones — challenge them to figure out the message! Example: Smile, Love, Smart, Silly, Crazy, Giggle, Laugh, Dance, Kisses

Have some awesome lunch box ideas of your own? Please share them with us and your fellow Passanante’s customers on our Facebook page!!

Recipe: King Ranch Beef Casserole

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King Ranch Casserole

This simple recipe for King Ranch Beef Casserole is really comfort food at it’s finest. If you’re feeling adventurous grab some pickled jalapeños and sprinkle them over the top of the finished product or mix in a tablespoon of diced jalapeños for an extra kick. Also, if beef isn’t your preference feel free to substitute with shredded chicken breast.

As always, we hope you’ll trust Passanante’s Home Food Service to deliver organic produce and tasty hormone-free meats right to your door. Since 1916 we’ve been dedicated to delivering the best ingredients around so the recipes you prepare for your family truly shine.

Yield: 5-6 servings            Prep Time: 20 minutes            Cook Time: 40 minutes

Everything you’ll need:

2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup bell pepper, diced
Dash of salt
1 10 3/4 oz. can cream of mushroom
1 10 3/4 oz. can cream of chicken
1 10 oz. can mild rotel tomatoes, drained
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
10 corn tortillas

How to prepare King Ranch Beef Casserole : 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the beef and onions.
  3. When meat has almost cooked all the way add the bell pepper and sprinkle with a dash of salt.
  4. When the meat is brown and thoroughly cooked drain the grease from the pan.
  5. Heat a medium size sauce pan over low/medium heat.
  6. Add the cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, rotel tomatoes, garlic powder and chili powder. Stir and cook until the mixture is warm and then turn off the heat.
  7. Tear each tortilla into pieces and dip each piece into the sauce mixture. These pieces do not have to be totally saturated in the mixture or you might use it all up and won’t have enough for the dish
  8. Place the tortillas in a large casserole dish and top with half of the meat mixture and half of the sauce.
  9. Sprinkle 2 cups of the cheese over the sauce and repeat the layers finishing with the rest of the cheese.
  10. Cook for 40 minutes & enjoy!

The Old Bait N Switch (Seafood Fraud)

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Seafood Assortment

Whether you’re planning a fancy date night to the best seafood restaurant in town or planning a trip to the super market to stock up on fresh fish for the week — there are some things you need to know about the seafood industry.

With Americans eating 50% more seafood than they did 50 years ago, it’s no surprise that the seafood industry has become  increasingly difficult to regulate while balancing supply and demand.  Unfortunately, as is the case in many booming industries, some people are looking to make a quick buck off unsuspecting consumers.

Don’t believe it? According to an Oceana representative, “More than 90 percent of the red snapper sold nationally is actually something else—usually [inexpensive] tilapia or rockfish.”

For reference, red salmon sells for as much as $24/lb where as tilapia is closer to $8/lb. Halibut, another commonly swapped fish, is often sold for $25/lb, but is frequently substituted with $14/lb flounder and the customer is none the wiser. This means if you eat fish once a week, you might end up overspending by $500 or more per year!

Your wallet isn’t the only victim here.  With this much exploitation in the market, poaching and illegal fishing practices are flourishing. As consumers we lose our ability to make decisions about what goes in our bodies and what stays out. How can consumers evaluate the risks of mercury or other toxins in our fish when we don’t even know what species we’re ordering?

So how can you avoid the old bait and switch? 

1. Stick to the safer options. According to Oceana, in restaurants, mahimahi, flounder and tilapia were least likely to be mislabeled.

2. Ask plenty of questions. Some grocery stores and restaurants including Whole Foods provide information about the source of the seafood via companies like Trace Register and Trace and Trust. Check out www.traceandtrust.com to find local restaurants who participate.

3. Buy from sources you trust. All Passanante’s Home Food Service products come with a product guarantee and you can always rest easy knowing exactly what you’re eating.

We hope you’ll give Passanante’s an opportunity to put your mind at ease and stock your home with a beautiful assortment of fresh seafood including Lobster, Mahi Mahi, and even Swordfish! For more information please fill out our contact form.

Happy Eating!

Recipe: Southwest Salmon and Pasta

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This next recipe is certainly a change of pace from some of our other more recent postings. Southwest Salmon and Pasta is a delicious meal jam-packed with vibrant colors which is great since we all know the value of eating colorfully. The recipe below is enough to serve four so feel free to double it and invite the neighbors over for a surprisingly irresistible twist on pasta with salmon.

Fresh Salmon

As much as we all love seafood, there is nothing worse than spending your afternoon preparing a fabulous recipe for your family only to find that the seafood you picked up at the grocery is less than fresh. Not only does it ruin your appetite, low quality seafood can make you and your guests seriously sick. We hope you’ll depend on Passanante’s Home Food Service to deliver the highest quality and always fresh ingredients you need to feed your family. Our food delivery service can stock your home with everything from lobster tails to organic veggies and melt in your mouth filets. If you’re interested in a free sample let us know by filling out this form on our Facebook page.

First up, the salmon. What you will need:

  • 2 Salmon filets
  • Dried oregano
  • Dried basil
  • Olive oil
  • Salt & pepper

Simply rub the salmon with olive oil, sprinkle with seasonings, and toss on the grill. That was easy!

Now for the colorful part! You’ll need:

  • 1 Green bell pepper
  • 1 Red bell pepper
  • 1 Orange or yellow bell pepper
  • 1 Bunch of green onions including green stems
  • 1 Bunch of fresh basil
  • 1 Bunch of fresh arugula
  • 4 Cloves (or more) of garlic
  • Salt & pepper
  • Olive oil
  • 1 Package of cooked pasta (penne or linguini)
  • Parmesan cheese

How to prepare the pasta and southwest veggies:

  1. Chop peppers, onions, basil, and arugula.
  2. Heat oil in a large skillet. Once the oil is hot, add minced garlic, peppers, and onions.
  3. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Stir frequently. When almost soft, add basil and arugula. Cook about 2 more minutes.
  5. Turn off heat and let sit for several hours to meld flavors.
  6. When ready to serve, cook pasta according to package directions and strain in colander.
  7. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and stir.
  8. Cut salmon into bite-sized pieces and add to vegetables in skillet.
  9. Heat until hot adding a few tablespoons of butter to give the mixture a saucy consistency.
  10. Put helpings of pasta on individual plates, top with salmon mixture and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Recipe: Creamy Spinach Mushroom Enchiladas

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This recipe for Creamy Spinach Mushroom Enchiladas is so scrumptious your kids won’t believe it’s jam-packed with Popeye’s favorite ingredient. Passanante’s Home Food Service recommends doubling the recipe below and saving the extras in the freezer for a quick meal when you’re short on time. This recipe can also become a vegetarian favorite in a hurry if you skip out on the chicken and double the spinach and mushrooms.

Popeye Spinach

What you need:

  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 2 teaspoons of olive oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 10 ounces sliced mushrooms
  • 10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained
  • 8 ounces light cream cheese with onions and chives
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 8 ounces of sour cream
  • White corn tortillas
  • Monterey Jack cheese
  • Salsa Verde (see recipe below) – can also use bottled salsa

How to make Creamy Spinach Mushroom Enchiladas:

  1. Boil and shred chicken. Set aside
  2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin and mushrooms; saute for 5 minutes.
  3. Add spinach and salt to skillet.
  4. Stir in cream cheese. Cook until the cheese melts.
  5. Heat the salsa in a sauce pan over low heat; add the sour cream and mix well.
  6. Wrap 5 tortillas in foil and put them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes. This keeps them from falling apart.
  7. Put spinach mixture, chicken, and cheese in a tortilla and wrap it up. Place in a greased baking pan.
  8. Top with salsa and sour cream mixture, then cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until bubbly.

How to make Salsa Verde:

Combine 5 tomatillos, husked and coarsely chopped, cilantro, 1 small onion, 1 jalapeño, salt, and 1 tablespoon oil in a food processor and mix until smooth. Cook for 15 minutes on low-medium heat with a little oil.

Have a friend that would love the convenience of a fresh organic produce and hormone-free meat delivery service like Passanante’s Home Food Service? Pass along the latest article on phillyburbs.com!

Happy Eating!