Lunch on 2/9/12 - Homemade chicken fingers

Today's lunch is one I really want to eat myself.  I got in a rut (you'll see yesterday's boring lunch at the bottom of this post) so I went to Trader Joe's for some inspiration.  I realize my affinity for Trader Joe's could be classified by some as cult-like but I really am just so happy to shop there that I will try almost anything they produce.  So, while perusing the "new items" section I picked up a bag of new "falafel chips."  At first bite I wasn't that impressed but when I dipped them in some edamame hummus (also a Trader Joe's house label item) I was onboard.  They are made with garbanzo beans and falafel spices and really do smell like the real thing.  So, today I am serving falafel chips, edamame hummus, green peas (Juju is crazy about peas, I have to ration her each day so we don't run out), orange slices, an Andes candy for dessert, and homemade chicken fingers with marinara sauce for dipping.

Someone asked me why I don't post recipes on here anymore so here is how I made the chicken (by the way this blog is nearly a year old and I am still not sure what it is supposed to be; I started it to keep a record of the fun I was having with Juju's lunches when she first started to eat lunch at school - I guess some of you have looked to me as a resource for recipes too.  I'll try to keep up and post more!):

I took one pound of chicken breast cut into strips, (you can often buy chicken tenders already cut in the supermarket) dipped them in a bowl of one beaten egg, and then rolled them in breadcrumbs.  I lightly fried them in olive oil to get each side crispy and then transferred them to a cookie sheet to continue baking in the oven at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.  If you want you can add spices or salt and pepper or even honey to your egg mixture but this time I made them plain.  The marinara sauce can spice them up.  You can also just fry them in a pan and skip the oven if you don't care about using a lot of oil.

Yesterday's lunch was pretty boring though I did make it in the morning so at least it was fresh.  I served an avocado, orange slices, peas, veggie stix, and a muenster cheese roll up on whole wheat lavash (and of course an Andes candy for dessert.

My friend Monica told me she was in the West Elm store in Chicago and while discussing the abundance of bento and other food storage containers with the manager, mentioned me and this blog and my conundrum about what to do with the dessert section of the Planet Box.  I'm so flattered!