Healthy Lunch Box Ideas: Paula Deen's Zucchini Custard Slices / Vegetable Pancakes

NOT the same thing to eat???

Since my son started schooling and school holiday programs, I have been packing lunches for him everyday. To do that, I have been constantly looking for lunch box ideas in order to give different nutritious and interesting food to eat... Food that my son will enjoy and wouldn't throw into the bins without telling me... Yes, I know that many kids do that!!!

I can't believe kids these days are always complaining about the food that they eat...

Too boring to eat
Too busy to eat
Too messy to eat
Too difficult to eat
Too cold to eat

Too many vege to eat
Too spicy to eat - always an exclusive remark from my son... hmmm...

I don't mean that my son is not appreciative to me and my cooking and think that he wouldn't say that the food that I have cooked is not delicious enough for him to eat. I guess that he knows that I will give him a deadly stare if he does this to me... LOL! All that he wants is food that is fast, neat, easy and interesting to eat. With no hot spicy spices, of course! No worries, son! Mum wouldn't make you suffer with numb tongue and teary eyes! And, most ideally with least vegetables?... You wish, son! You wish!!!

These zucchini custard slices and vegetable pancakes are recipes from Paula Deen. See! Not all Paula Deen's recipes are loaded with butter and sugar. Instead, these savoury slices and pancakes are fully loaded with vegetable. They are super easy to cook and doesn't require reheating for lunch boxes and consumption. Yes that these contain vegetable which are neutral tasting and perfect to function as grab-and-go food with no mess, fork and spoon to eat.

Mum with a "deadly" stare: Sweetie, what is your excuse now for not eating?

Zucchini Custard Slices

These slices and pancakes contains all of these vegetables.

-----

This is how I cooked and baked the zucchini custard slices...

First, melt a reduced amount of butter. This is for Little Thumbs Up! Buttah! Buttah! Buttah!

Then, cook the onion and zucchini.

I used cream because I'm freezing my slices. Otherwise, I like to use evaporated milk for a healthier choice.

Assembling the dish is easy...

Then bake!

Cut them into slices and store them in freezer until required

-----
This is how I cooked the vegetable pancakes...

Mix mix mix

fry tablespoonful of batter with minimal heated oil

Ta dah! Easy!

These pancakes are appetizing to eat with soft and moist texture. 

My son told me that these fast, easy and healthy food are good. Now, he has more time to play with his friends during his breaks and also won't go hungry.

Yup! ...after a yummy lunch :)

Here are the recipes from Food Network (with my modification in blue)

Zucchini Custard Bake

Makes 6-8 slices

4 tbsp (60g) butter, melted
(reduced to 25g)
2 pounds zucchini, cut into small pieces
(I used 1 large zucchini)
3 eggs
1/2 cup undiluted evaporated milk or light cream
(I used cream with 35% fat so that I can freeze these slices)
2 tbsp fine dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup onion, diced
(I used 1 small onion)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
dash hot pepper sauce
(for my son, I didn't add that)1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
(I used about 60g)

Preheat oven to 350°F or 160°C fan forced.

In a large saucepan, combine melted butter, onion and zucchini. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 to 7 mins. Remove from heat, set aside and let zucchini cool before adding eggs to avoid them becoming scrambled.

Note: I cooked the onion with zucchini before mixing it into the custard mixture.

Beat eggs with milk; add bread crumbs, onion, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce (I didn't add this), salt, pepper, and 2 tbsp of the Parmesan. Mix well. Combine mixture with zucchini, stirring until blended. Turn into a buttered 1 1/2 quart casserole (Mine is 16 x 26 cm). Sprinkle top with remaining Parmesan. Bake uncovered for 35 to 40 mins. If the dish has been refrigerated, allow about 10 mins longer baking time.

Note: My slices made with cream is freezable and can be thawed in the fridge overnight.

Vegetable Pancakes

Makes 8

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup grated zucchini
2 green onions, sliced (replaced with chives)
2 tbsp oil plus 1 tbsp to cook the carrot and zucchini (I used rice bran oil)

Note: My son prefer vegetable that is pre-cooked before using them to cook the pancakes and so I did this... In a saucepan, heat 1 tbsp of oil. Add zucchini and carrot and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 to 7 mins.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. In another bowl, beat together the egg, milk, carrots, zucchini, and onions / chives. Add this to the dry ingredients and stir until combined.

Using a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp of oil over medium heat. Pour the batter by tablespoons into the pan, making a few pancakes at a time. Cook about 2 mins on each side and golden brown. Add the remaining oil to the pan as needed. Serve pancakes at once or store in the fridge for next day consumption.

Happy Cooking and Baking

Please support me and like me at Facebook...