It's lunchtime, kids!

By Patrick Engel

[Ed note: Check back each week as Chef Patrick shares delicious recipes, his thoughts on cooking, cooking with kids, food shopping, and more!]

In my blog posts, I may come off a little preachy sometimes about what you should buy, what you should eat, and what you should cook for your kids. (If I do, I apologize. It hasn't been my intention; I just have some passionate thoughts about food.)

But this week, I realized that I, too, sometimes need a gentle shove in the right direction. 

When my editor suggested I write about unique ideas for school lunches, I guiltily thought of all the last-minute cream cheese and jam sandwiches that have shamefully graced my son Charlie's lunchbox. Now don't get me wrong, I am neither dissing cream cheese nor jam, but still I know that I've "phoned in" a school lunch or two because I haven't gotten up early enough to prepare food for my kid. But hey, what chef is a morning person?

So to make a long story short, I decided this blog post would be my own personal challenge: to be better at school lunch preparation.

And this is what I've come up with: fresh rolls. Yes, fresh rolls. Not "roll" like dinner roll; "roll" like rice paper roll.



I thought about Charlie's favourite vegetables: carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers and lettuce. His favourite herb? Cilantro. His favourite "flavour profile"? Sweet. And what kid wouldn't like a little rice noodle wrap? Helloooooooo, fresh rolls.  

This is the part where I usually provide a recipe. Realistically, there is no recipe. Let me instead give you an informal version of what I did.

I bought one package of rice paper; they are round, and you can find them in any Asian grocery store, and in the Asian section of most good grocery stores.

I then made a palm sugar dressing consisting of one "puck" of palm sugar (palm sugar often comes in little cones or pucks, but if you are using conventional sugar, go with about a quarter cup), and 1/4 cup of water, juice from 1/2 a lime and a splash of rice vinegar. (And I know I talk about "real food," but for the sauce, you can just buy a commercial spring roll sauce, and you'll be fine. It's sweet and it's sour, and it can be our little secret.)

Next, I chopped "matchsticks" of red pepper, cucumber, carrot and Asian pear. If your kids don't like pears, just call them apples. (Parents, you know what I'm talking about.)



I picked, and tore up, a handful of cilantro and Thai basil leaves. Don't worry about trying to find Thai basil; I just happened to be at an Asian grocery store because I needed some other ingredients, and my local store does not have a large Asian selection. I also quickly tore up some lettuce leaves as they make great filler in these rolls.

I then soaked the rice paper as per the package instructions, and told the kids to "have at it," choosing their favourite stuff in the quantities they liked best.



I then rolled up the wraps like little tiny burritos to be dipped in sauce and enjoyed. Actually, that's a bit of a lie; I put sauce in the wraps, and then realized that that pretty much prevents them from sticking when you try to roll them closed, so I tried again, without dressing the inside, and made out quite well.

These rolls hold really well overnight, and will travel great in a school lunchbox, with the dressing on the side for dipping. You may find this to be a very good way to add a whole lot of veggies, and a little sophistication, to the school lunch!

Cheffer's Inside Scoop ...

• Try these at home first. Some kids (read: Charlie) may object and come home hungry.

• Add whatever filling you know your kids would like: a little sliced shrimp, ham or other lunch meat may be nice.

• If rice paper is hard to find, or seems "finicky," use lettuce leaves. I recommend Boston/bibb lettuce.

• Mint is a traditional herb also used in fresh rolls. I omitted it simply because I knew my kids wouldn't have enjoyed it.

• There's nothing wrong with a sandwich.

Patrick Engel has been cooking professionally for 15 years. After graduating from George Brown College in Toronto, and training in the kitchens of Rodney's Oyster House and Bymark Restaurant, Patrick relocated to Niagara's wine region, working at Inn on the Twenty, followed by six years as resident chef instructor at The Good Earth Cooking School. Patrick is currently the chef at Hospice Niagara's Stabler Centre and associate chef at The Garrison House in Niagara-on-the Lake. Patrick lives in St. Catharines, Ontario, with his wife, Marnie, and their two boys, Charlie (7) and Johnny (5).

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