A SCHOOL lunchbox used to be a box with a compartment for a sandwich and another for a bottle of cool drink. Nowadays, it can be a combination of small containers with foods like yoghurt, salad, nuts, dried fruit or veggies. As schools opened last week, a lot of parents were asking for ideas of what to put in their kids’ lunchboxes. The funniest question was whether homemade ginger beer should be given to a child to take to school or whether it was going to get them drunk.
Lunches are for both adults and children alike. One of the advantages of preparing your own lunch is having control over what you eat as well as the portion sizes. Secondly, it saves money. It is not rare to hear someone blaming their protruding “mkhaba” on the food they buy for lunch. This week I’ve prepared a simple sandwich that doesn’t take much time to make, and it is very tasty.
It is always advisable to get the kids involved in the lunchbox preparation process, that way they can get to know why certain ingredients are there, like leaves, herbs, salads or veggies. Hope you enjoy creating those awesome lunchboxes!
Tuna, Tomato and Cheese Sandwich with Wild Rocket
Panini
Olive oil (optional)
Tomato, sliced
Cheddar cheese, sliced
Tuna in brine, drained
Tangy mayonnaise
Fresh basil leaves, wild rocket or baby spinach
Coarse black pepper, to taste
Method:
Cut panini in the middle width ways, drizzle with olive oil.
Place tomato and cheese on the base of the panini.
Mix tuna and mayonnaise together and spoon over the tomato and cheese.
Layer with basil leaves, baby spinach.
Season with pepper. Serve.
l www.mzansistylecuisine.co.za