School is in full force now and my little chickens come home from school simply famished. And they’re not so little anymore. Fourteen years old, first year of high school, tall as trees and facing a long school day from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
When they come in the back door they need solid, nutritious food, and I need something I can make ahead and place in front of them in a hurry. No junk food, and no unnecessary sugar or any high fructose corn syrup. We want this snack to give them the heft they need to plow through the ever-increasing homework load.
With September being National Breakfast Month, why not try some nutritious breakfast goodies for an after-school snack?
Here’s the game plan. Eggs are great and full of protein -- think two per child and you’re on your way.
- Hard Cooked Eggs. Boil a dozen eggs and keep them in the refrigerator. Kids can make their own egg salad, deviled eggs, or just inhale them, as is.
- Way Cool Cocollato. A super-satisfying smoothie that starts with plain Greek yogurt, but none of that commercial stuff full of hidden sugars. A blender in the hands of a fourteen year old can do wonders. Toss in fresh pineapple, coconut milk, oj, banana and a jot of honey with a couple ice cubes. Yes!
- Uber Thin Crepes. Makes these for breakfast, then stack the leftovers between wax paper and refrigerate until school’s out. Kids like marmalade, or chicken salad. Melted cheese or hazelnut chocolate spread. Sweet or savory. The French version of the pancake is loaded with nutrition: whole eggs, 4% full fat milk, real butter. Good for brain development. French women don’t get fat and neither do their kids eating this healthy dish. We’ve fed our kids this for years, morning, noon and nearly night.
- Scotch Eggs, Irish or Italian. It just depends on the sausage you choose what you call them. Wrap hard cooked, peeled eggs in bulk sausage of your choice then bake on a rack until cooked, about 20 minutes at 350° F. Yum. Good hot, or room temperature.
- Mr. P’s Paleolicious Lunch Special. Mr. P’s their ninth grade English teacher who is also an excellent cook. He makes this gratin of bacon and eggs for his own breakfast, then carries the rest to school for his lunch. Our kids like them after school, just barely warmed again. So good.
Recipes:
Kat’s Crepes with Marmalade
Makes 16 7-inch crepes
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- One 8-inch crepe pan or nonstick skillet
Whisk eggs until foamy then whisk in remaining ingredients. You may cook what you wish now and save the batter, covered in the refrigerator, or you can cook all now, and save between sheets of waxed paper until serving time.
Heat the pan until a drop of water jumps and sizzles, then wipe the pan with butter and cook crepes, one at a time, just barely browning on the bottom. Transfer to a plate, and cook the rest.
Add marmalade -- you can use a store-bought, but we love homemade marmalade with our crepes, and have found a great new book by Elizabeth Field called just that: "Marmalade. Sweet and Savory Spreads."
Mr. P’s Paleolicious Lunch Gratin
- 2 thin slices ham
- 2 large eggs
- 1 thin sliced medium tomato
- ½ cup shredded mixed cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons minced yellow onion
- 3 slices bacon
In a gratin dish, layer the ham, then break eggs in and top with tomato, cheeses, onion and bacon. Bake in a 350°F. oven until bacon is cooked, about 15 minutes. Run it under the broiler 2-3 minutes to brown. Serve hot, or save and serve it later at room temperature.
Linda West Eckhardt is a James Beard Award-winning cookbook author and is the editor/founder of Everybody Eats News.