Foodarrific

With the kids back in school, I’m cracking my head again for lunchbox ideas. One day a week, my older daughter finishes school at 2:30pm. Her recess is at 10:30am and she doesn’t get a lunch break.

Teens are hungry all the time and they get bored easily. So I try to pack her something different each week that’s fairly substantial so she doesn’t have to starve till she gets home at 3:00pm!

This week, I concocted my own version of pita mexicana.

For the filling, I used:

• 250g, or about 2 cups ground beef
• 1-2 large onions
• 1-2 large tomatoes
• 2 Tsp barbecue sauce
• 1 Tsp hot chili sauce, or ketchup
• 2-3 tsp flour
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

First I drizzle olive oil on my non-stick pan on medium to high heat. Add the ground beef. To the juices from the beef, add the flour, stirring continuously to thicken.

Chuck the onions and tomatoes in and allow to simmer on medium heat. Add barbecue sauce and hot chili sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Give it a few quick stirs to combine. Remove from heat when onions and tomatoes are softened.

I have 5 slices of pita bread which I slice in half and toast in my oven toaster for 3-4 minutes till nice and crispy. Speaking of oven toasters, I have my eye on the Rival Convection Toaster Oven which, interestingly, is two-tiered (yes, I sure could use more oven space when I’m rushed for time) and comes with a broiler function that might come in handy for another of my concoctions.

I would’ve lined each pita pocket with shredded lettuce first. But guess what, I walked around the grocery section 3 times and couldn’t find one head of lettuce on sale, can you believe that? They must’ve been sold out due to Chinese New Year !

So for now, it’s just the beef filling going into each pocket, topped with cheddar cheese. It’s cheesy and crunchy and most importantly, my kids love it and want an encore !

Filed under: Breads & PastriesKid-friendlyLunchbox IdeasRecipesWestern |