Well, if you don’t eat sardines, just substitute them with tuna, it will work just fine.

I use microwave cooking for the sardine filling, so it’s really easy and something you can slap on if you are rushing for time.

Ingredients (Serves 2 adults):

• 230 g canned sardines or tuna
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli sauce (optional if you don’t like it spicy)
• Ground pepper

Instructions:

Step 1:  I usually debone the sardines (although the bones can be eaten) and shred them with a fork into smaller pieces.  Set aside in a bowl.  If you hate the thought of it, just use canned tuna.  No bones to fret about.  LOL.

Step 2:  To cook the chopped onion, I place them in a microwave-safe bowl.  Add in a teaspoon of cooking oil and mix well with the onion bits.  Put it in the microwave oven and set it on HIGH cooking for 2 minutes.

Step 3:   Combine the sardine with the onion bits.  Add tomato sauce, chilli sauce, sugar and a dash of pepper.  Mix well.  Put it back in the microwave oven and cook it on HIGH setting for another 2 minutes.  Now the sardine filling is ready!

And look at this bread we just baked with a bread maker, doesn’t it look soft and fluffy?

If you are keen on the bread recipe, just let me know and I will post it separately.  For this sardine filling recipe, any type of bread will do.  I recommend wholemeal or wholegrain ones for their goodness.  You can also use croissants, pitas, baguettes, ciabattas, etc.

Step 4:  Now spread the sardine filling between two slices of bread.  This is how it looks when cut.  See the onion bits?

The reasons why I add onion to this recipe is to remove the “fishy” smell of sardines and to add some crunch to the filling.  Don’t worry about it tasting raw because after cooking in the microwave, it should be soft like you just saute-d it, but in a “lazy” way.  LOL.

Besides these sardine sandwiches, do add a side dish to your lunch box as well for a balanced meal.  A salad or slices of fruits will be a good choice.  And yes, this goes well with yogurt too!

It is one of my favourite comfort foods.  What is yours?

Well, the ingredients for this recipe should be quite easy to find.  You can get wonton skin wrappers at most Asian supermarkets.  I usually get the square ones.  Buy freshly made ones if possible.  If you can only find frozen types, remember to thaw the number that you need, to room temperature before making the wontons.

When thawing, it’s best to place them on a bowl or plate and cover them with a damp towel.  This prevents the wonton skin wrappers from drying up when exposed to air.  You will then find it very difficult to wrap the wontons as the wrappers crack easily.

Ingredients (Serves 4 to 5 adults):

• 200 g minced pork
• 1 tablespoon carrot, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons scallion (spring onion), finely chopped
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon cornflour + 4 tablespoons water to make the cornflour sealant
• 200 g wonton skin wrappers (this varies with the amount of meat you put in your wonton)
• 10 g chicken stock cube
• 4 cups of water (for chicken broth)
• Water for cooking wontons

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1:  To make the wonton filling, combine the minced pork with salt, sugar, light soy sauce, ground pepper and sesame oil in a mixing bowl.  Add in 1 tablespoon chopped scallions and carrots and mix well.  Allow half an hour to marinate.

Step 2:  Put a small amount of this minced pork filling in the middle of a wonton skin wrapper.  With your fingertips, dab a bit of the cornflour sealant along the edges and bring all the edges together upwards.  It should stick and end up looking like a little draw-string pouch.

If you are lazy, you can just fold the opposite ends into a triangle, as long as the filling is wrapped inside.

Step 3:  Repeat Step 2 until all the minced pork filling is used up.  Remember to place the wontons in a single layer on a plate covered in plastic wrap  (to avoid drying).  If you think you cannot finish all the wontons for this meal, store the remaining in a container and put them in the fridge for another day.

Step 4:  Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Put the wontons individually into the water.  When the wontons float to the surface of the water, they are cooked.  Take the wontons out and set them aside.  The reason why we don’t cook the wontons in the chicken broth is because wonton wrappers are covered with flour and if they are cooked directly in the broth, it will affect the flavour of the soup.

Step 5:  To cook the broth, add the cups of water to another pot and bring the water to a boil.  Put in the chicken stock cube and make sure it dissolves well after some stirring.  Add in the remaining scallions.

Step 6: Return the cooked wontons gently into the boiling broth, but don’t cook them too long.  Add a dash of pepper before serving.

Isn’t it lovely?

You can also add in some bok choy while cooking the broth.  I didn’t add them in this batch of wonton soup as we had the vegetables separately with oyster sauce.

This wonton soup is best stored in a thermos food jar where the soup can be kept warm till your lunch time.

For a twist, you can do away with the soup and deep-fry the wontons after Step 3.  It’s a tasty snack for your kid’s lunch box as well!

When I saw this recipe from my local newspaper,  I was so inspired to give it a go as it looks quite simple.  Crepes also make good lunch box meals as they can be reheated warm before eating and they taste just as good as they were just made.

This recipe below makes five French crepes for my 28 cm pan.  If you use a 25 cm pan, you could probably make six to seven crepes.

Ingredients for crepes:

• 200g plain flour
• 20g sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 3 eggs
• 300ml milk
• 50ml water
• 10g butter, melted

Ingredients for savory filling (you can modify the amount according to your preference):

• 3 slices of picnic ham, cut into strips
• 5 fresh mushrooms (preferably baby portobello, but I could’nt get them on the day and used white button mushrooms instead), sliced
• About 80g of cheddar cheese, diced

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Place the flour, sugar, salt and eggs in a blender.  Switch on the machine and gradually pour in the milk and water, processing until the mixture has a smooth consistency.

Step 2:  Pour the batter into a container, add the melted butter and stir until incorporated.  Refrigerate one hour before using.

Step 3:  While waiting for the batter to settle down, you can cut the ingredients for the crepe filling.

Step 4:  To make the crepes, heat a crepe pan or non-stick pan over medium heat until it is very hot.  This is important as how hot the pan is determines whether the batter gets cooked fast enough the minute it goes in.

Step 5:  Pour in about 70 ml of batter (I just use a medium sized soup ladle to approximate the amount), take the pan off the heat, and swirl the batter to cover the base of the pan and little up the sides.  Return the pan to heat and cook about one minute or until the edges start to come away from the pan.

Step 6:  Gently run a silicone spatula around the edges to loosen, then free the bottom of the crepe from the pan carefully.  If your batter is done correctly, the cooked crepe should come off very easily and not stick on the pan at all.

Step 7:  When the crepe is light golden brown at the bottom, you can flip it over and cook the other side for another 30 to 45 seconds.

Step 8:  When both sides of the crepe are golden brown, remove it to a large plate and make sure the pan is hot (go back to step 4 again) before you pour in the next batch of batter.

Finish making all the crepes and stack them up.  Don’t they look delicious?

Step 9:  It’s time to put the stuffing, so firstly saute the sliced mushrooms in a little olive oil and place them in a bowl.

Step 10:  Return one crepe on the pan and when it is starting to warm, sprinkle the cooked mushrooms, ham bits and diced cheese cubes on half of the crepe.  You can vary these ingredients according to your liking.

Step 11:  When the cheese starts to melt, use the spatula to fold the other side of the crepe to form a semicircle shape.  The melted cheese will hold the sides together.

Step 12:  Repeat for all the crepes you want to stuff with savoury filling.

You can keep one or two for dessert too, where you can drizzle honey, chocolate fudge or just strawberries and cream.  It’s up to your imagination!

This crepe recipe is great for a lunch box.  It’s easy to pack and can be warmed up.  For adults, two of these can make you really full!  Yes, I tried it on my Hubby and he could not stomach anything more than two.  Haha.  You can cut the crepe into quarters for your children to bring as snacks too, I bet they will love it!