Ham-Vegetable-Roll Up: Lunchtime eats.

There are nights I go to sleep and have nightmares.  In this nightmare, I wake up late, the kids wake up late and I can't figure out what to pack them for lunch.  In my nightmare I dash madly around the kitchen where there are tons of ingredients but I can't seem to make them work together.  I madly stuff food into a lunchbox and throw it after whichever child and cross my fingers and hope that they eat it.  In the process of throwing a lunchbox stuff full of nonsense to Children, I wake up in the cold sweat.

It seems that nightmares are often not that far off from reality.  I go to sleep with the most basic plan of what might pass for lunch for Daughter #1 (she's actually easy - pack a sandwich and go) and think of the same basic thing that Daughter #2 likes for lunch - which is basically rice, seaweed and an egg.  Add Son's dietary restrictions and the fact that his school is kosher, well - my mornings ARE nightmares.

I came up with this after friend SH brought over a much more sophisticated version that she found on David Lebovitz's blog that my kids gobbled up.  She used prosciutto and basil (dairy free for Son) and also had a version with feta and prosciutto and basil.  They were both delicious.  And as I saw Son gulp them down, I thought to myself, well why not?  Why not make it something that they can eat more often.

So right then and there I steamed some asparagus, allowed them to cool, and then wrapped them up in ham and whatever sliced meat I had around.  The result was Son and Daughter #2 gulping them down.  They are fairly simple to make (just steam asparagus or vegetable) and then wrap it up.  I also tried a version with spinach and basil and I loved it as well.  (Son did not as he is going through a vary annoying "I hate spinach" phase.  My response is to chop up spinach smaller and ram it into whatever I can.  I know.  Nuts.)  I did hear from JL that her girls would eat the ham and leave the vegetable, but it can't hurt to try, right?  It packs easily in a lunchbox and it is a nice balance of vegetable and protein and is far superior in nutrition to Son's favorite lunch of rice and seaweed.

Certainly beats having my nightmare.

Ingredients
Steamed long vegetable - think carrot or asparagus.  Also fresh baby spinach leaves work well.
Your favorite deli meat - ham, turkey, salami, prosciutto are all nice choices.
fresh basil leaves (optional)

Method
Lay deli meat down.  Place asparagus or a few spinach leaves in the middle.  Roll up.  Basil leaf in the middle is optional.