Fun Lunch for Kids- Kung Fu Panda Noodles and Berry Smoothie

My husband loves fast food. I mean, he really loves it. He actually thinks that it tastes good. Me- not so much. I really don't care for it, but occasionally take the kids to meet dad for lunch somewhere. Last time we went to Carls Jr and they gave the kids these cute little take-out containers as their toy. I put them in the car and on the way to the grocery store, I came up with an idea for a cute lunch at home. Kung Fu Panda Noodles. If you have seen the movie, then you know that Po (the Panda) works for his dad serving noodles at their restaurant. Perfect!

I love the fresh Chinese noodles that they have in the refrigerated section, by the tofu and wonton wrappers. They cook up really quickly and taste great with Asian or Thai dishes.

I decided to make a quick peanut sauce, cook up the noodles and some veggies and serve them in the cute little Kung Fu Panda containers. My daughter was looking through a recent Kids cookbook, a Disney themed one, and told me she wanted me to make her the smoothie in the picture. Complete with the pink straw, which has a berry on it. Smoothies are easy, so I complied with her wishes and served up this great lunch. It was fun and an easy way to spruce up an everyday lunch!

Kung Fu Panda Noodles by Mary Ann

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

3-4 Tbls reduced sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup water

garlic salt

2 tsp dark sesame oil

3 cups broccoli florets

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 large carrot, thinly sliced

1 cup frozen edamame

2 pkg. fresh chinese noodles

Combine the broccoli, bell pepper, and carrot in a large microwavable bowl. Add a little bit of water. Cover with plastic wrap and steam until veggies are tender.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add edamame and boil for 2 minutes. Add fresh noodles and cook for 3 more minutes. Drain.

In a small glass bowl combine peanut butter and 1 Tbls soy sauce. Heat in the microwave for 20 seconds and stir. Add another Tbls of soy sauce and heat for 20 more seconds. Stir and add water to thin it out a little bit.

Add more soy sauce to taste.

In a large bowl, toss noodles with freshly steamed veggies and peanut sauce. Stir until all noodles are evenly coated and veggies are distributed. Serve in little take-out containers or in a bowl.

Berry Smoothie adapted from Disney Cookbook

1 banana, sliced

1 1/2 cups assorted berries (we used strawberries and blackberries)

6 oz vanilla yogurt

3/4 cup skim milk

drizzle of honey

Combine all ingredients in blender. Serve with a straw, which has a berry through it.

Up Next- Tuesdays with Dorie- World Peace Cookies

Cooking Light Night- Chinese New Year- Stir Fried Shrimp, Stir-Fried Bok Choy, Chinese Dumplings, Long Life Noodles, and Double Mango Pudding

Happy Chinese New Year!

When I got the January 2009 issue of Cooking Light, the Chinese New Year menu caught my eye. It looked like the perfect menu to serve up at a party. I have never celebrated Chinese New Year, but thought that this menu was a good excuse to invite people over and have a party. We actually celebrated the Monday before since everyone was out of school and a few people were off of work. We had 12 adults and 5 kids that ate with us and the amount of food was perfect. This menu appealed to me because we love to eat stir fry and potstickers are also a family favorite. Also, all of these dishes came together really fast, so we didn't have to spend all day in the kitchen. I made the Mango pudding the night before and got the potsticker filling ready early in the day.

Overall, we loved this menu. The stir fries were delicious and the sauces were flavorful. We topped the pudding with whipped cream when we served it and it was a big hit.

I asked my husband if he liked these potsticker more than the ones that I make very frequently (Check them out HERE) and he wasn't sure because these ones were really good. If you need something quick to celebrate Chinese New Year tonight, try one of these- any or all of them are real crowd pleasers!

Just click on these links for the recipes:

Chinese Pot Stickers
Stir-Fried Bok Choy and Lettuce with Mushrooms

Long Life Noodles
Stir-Fried Shrimp with Garlic and Chile Sauce

Double Mango Pudding from Cooking Light January 2009

Orange mangoes symbolize gold and riches. Prepare and chill pudding the night before. Whip the cream just before serving, and allow guests to dollop some on their own desserts.

3 mangoes, peeled and divided

2 1/4 cups water, divided

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin

1/4 cup whipping cream

1. Coarsely chop 2 mangoes. Dice the remaining mango.
2. Combine coarsely chopped mangoes and 1/4 cup water in a blender; process until smooth. Press puree through a fine sieve over a bowl; discard solids.
3. Bring 3/4 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add sugar to pan, stirring until dissolved. Remove from heat. Stir in the remaining 1 1/4 cups water. Sprinkle unflavored gelatin over water in the saucepan; let stand 1 minute. Add the mango puree, stirring with a whisk. Pour the mixture evenly into each of 8 (6-ounce) ramekins or custard cups. Cover and chill overnight or until set. Top evenly with diced mango.
4. Place cream in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form. Serve with pudding.

Up Next- Tuesday's with Dorie- Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread

Cashew Chicken with Fresh Chinese Noodles and Chow Mein Cookies

Sometimes it is nice to have a familiar meal that you know will come together in minutes. This is one of those. I have been cooking chicken breasts ahead of time and using the shredded meat in lunches and other dishes. It came in handy for this meal.

We have been eating Cashew Chicken for years and always just served it over rice, but then I noticed Fresh Chinese Noodles in the grocery store, by the wonton wrappers and tofu and thought it might be nice to try them for a change. Well, here is the confession- we won't be going back to rice. These noodles are perfect for this dish and many others (like Kung Pao Tofu).

I knew I was going to be using chow mein noodles and happened upon these cute little cookies over at Taste and Tell and thought they would go perfect with this meal.

They were sweet but also a little salty and I made them too big, so I ended up breaking most of them in half. I also melted the marshmallows into the pb/butterscotch mixture to mellow the flavor of the butterscotch chips. Yum- I am sure they will find themselves into someone's lunchbox too!

Cashew Chicken with Fresh Chinese Noodles adapted from The Black Cookbook
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 Tbls oil
1 can Healthy Request condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
2 cups shredded chicken
2 cups chow mein noodles
1 cup salted cashews

1. Saute celery, onion, and green pepper in oil until soft. Mix soup with milk and stir into celery mixture along with chicken, 1 1/2 cups of the noodles, and cashews.
2. Pour into a 1 1/2 qt. casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining chow mein noodles and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve over fresh chinese noodles or rice.

Chow Mein Cookies found on Taste and Tell who adapted from Goodman's Galloping Gourmet
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 10 oz. bag butterscotch chips
2 cups marshmallows
3 cups chow mein noodles

Melt the peanut butter and butterscotch chips together either using a double boiler or microwaving on half power until melted together. Stir in marshmallows and noodles. Drop by spoonful onto waxed paper, and let sit until hardened.


Coming tomorrow- The premiere of the Cake Slice- Hot Cocoa Chiffon Cake!