Packing a school lunch that kids will actually eat is sometimes a challenge. But La Jolla dessert chef, Michele Coulon, who's famous for her stunning and imaginative wedding cakes says fresh ingredients is the key to a delicious sack lunch your child won't trade away.
The love for food runs in the family. As a child , her summers were spent baking. Coulon says she and her siblings would enjoy the fruits of their "baking." Coulon and her family owned and ran the Belgian Lion Restaurant. But Coulon's love for desserts won out and she opened Michele Coulon Dessertier.
Her turkey meatloaf, she says is one way to get kids to eat healthy at school. "Bake it for Sunday dinner and then use the rest for the kids' lunch, " says Coulon. The addition of quinoa and pureed organic carrots adds a different twist to the regular meatloaf.
And don't forget, since Coulon's first love is desserts, home-made oatmeal, chocolate-chip cookies are also an added healthy treat, she says to a tasty school lunch.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip
Yield 30 medium cookies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
10 oz organic unsalted butter
1lb Belgian chocolate chips
4TB Demerara Sugar
1 Cup packed Golden brown sugar
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 2/3 Cup Organic Flour
1 Farm Fresh Egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 Cups organic oatmeal
Cut up butter and set aside to soften.
Make chocolate chips using large knife and cutting board
In medium bowl mix soda, salt and flour, set aside.
Beat butter in mixer bowl with paddle attachment until creamy scraping bowl several
times
Add sugars and beat until pale yellow, almost white
Add egg and vanilla, scraping sides
Mix until blended
Add flour, salt, and soda all at once.
Mix briefly
Scrape dough into bowl with chocolate chips and mix thoroughly with
rubber spatula
Scoop out cookies
Bake 9-11 minutes @350 degrees.
Turkey Meatloaf
Yield 6-8 servings
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1 1/2 lbs all natural turkey
1 Cup cooked quinoa
9 oz steamed pureed organic carrots or any other vegetable
1/2 tsp seasalt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tsp curry powder or child powder
2 farm fresh eggs
Mix all ingredients in bowl
Add to ovenproof dish
Cook to 180 degrees (40-60 minutes)
