Tuna Niçoise and Strawberries with Ricotta

Every week we take a peek inside the lunches of the luckiest kids in Brooklyn. Read on, suppress your jealousy, and get a little brown bag inspiration.

As my kids get older -- they're now 7 -- I've been trying to give their lunches more of a grown-up feel. So today's lunch is tuna Niçoise-ish with poached tuna, haricots verts, and baby potatoes. In the past I may have included a dollop of plain mayonnaise, but now I season it with smoked paprika. And I thought they'd like to squeeze their own lemon juice over the tuna, so I tucked a wedge into each of their lunches. For dessert, I might have packed plain strawberries, but I think they're ready for sliced strawberries tossed with sugar and topped with fresh ricotta. 

In case you think this seems like a lot of work, let me break it down for you: I cooked the potatoes and haricots verts in the same pot -- boiling the potatoes until they were almost done, then dropping in the beans for the last 3 minutes. In a pan on the next burner, I poached the tuna, which takes about 10 minutes. And I let both of these cook while we ate dinner, so it really took no extra time -- especially because Tad did the dishes (I'll send him to your house if needed...). I made enough for a couple of lunches, as well as dinner -- tonight, Tad and I will eat the same salad, so two birds and all that. 

What's in your lunch today? See some of the twins' past lunches.