One of Luca Casano’s favorite things to play at home is “restaurant.” As waiter, chef and restaurateur of Luca de Beppo, he dons an apron and tie, totes a notepad, then takes food orders from his family — father Steven, mother Helen Chao-Casano and brother Leo — though he coaches them on what to order based on what he’s already planned. The menu usually features dumplings or mac and cheese.

Finding fun in food no doubt fueled the 11-year-old Punahou student to create a menu special enough to represent Hawaii in first lady Michelle Obama’s fourth Healthy Lunchtime Challenge, a nationwide recipe contest for youths ages 8 to 12. Luca and his mom will attend a White House luncheon July 10 with 54 other winners from 49 states, four U.S. territories and the District of Columbia. The visit includes a tour of the White House garden and a visit to Julia Child’s Kitchen, an exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

His submission was a complete lunch meal that represents his heritage and his home: Chinese Potstickers and Tuscan Salad with Aloha Sorbet.

“The (Tuscan) kale salad is from my Italian side, the potstickers are my Chinese side and the sorbet is about Hawaii,” he said.

While many kale salads utilize blanched or cooked kale because of its tough texture, Luca’s salad is completely raw. His secret: a tender baby Tuscan kale the family buys regularly at a Manoa farmers market. It is simply tossed in a dressing of lemon juice, olive oil, Parmesan cheese and garlic.

The potstickers are inspired by a family recipe. With the help of his mom, Luca swapped out pork for more healthful chicken and added flaxseed meal to the mix.

For Aloha Sorbet they juice fresh pineapple and papaya, add lemon juice and honey, and put the mixture into an ice cream maker.

Not unlike other kids his age, Luca’s favorite foods are dumplings, pizza and saimin. He also enjoys strawberries, tomatoes and cucumbers. His parents say they try to expose their sons to fresh, healthful food.

“We’re busy, but we mostly cook at home and we try to make good choices. Exposure at home is important,” said Chao-Casano.

It’s also about getting creative in making nutritious food appealing, said Steven Casano. When kale initially didn’t go over too well, they popped it into the oven to bake kale chips.

“As parents we’ve become more conscientious,” Casano said.

Luca’s exposure to healthful meals made it easier for him and his family to create a meal that followed the federal MyPlate dietary guidelines, a requirement of the challenge.

But Luca had yet another advantage. He’s an avid viewer of reality food shows “Chopped” and “Cutthroat Kitchen.”

“I get ideas for presentation,” he said. “When I make dumplings, I put one in the middle of the plate and the rest all around it.”

Another lesson: “Don’t mess up,” he said.

Luca Casano’s winning entry for the 2015 Healthy Lunchtime Challenge included potstickers that were adapted from a family recipe. Dumplings is one of Luca’s favorite dishes to cook.

Chinese Potstickers

Courtesy Casano family

» 48 potsticker wrappers
» 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Filling:
» 1 large onion, chopped
» 1 pound ground chicken breast
» 1 pound frozen chopped spinach, thawed
» 3 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal
» 2 tablespoons soy sauce
» 1 tablespoon sesame oil
» 1 large egg

In pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and saute onions until softened.

Squeeze out excess water from thawed spinach.

In large bowl, combine all filling ingredients.

To wrap dumplings: Place 1 tablespoon filling mixture on wrapper and fold in half, sealing edges with water. Gently pleat sides of the dough along the edges to create a crescent shape.

Heat nonstick frying pan with remaining olive oil. Place rows of potstickers in pan. Allow bottoms to crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water to pan and steam another 7 to 10 minutes.

Serve with small dipping dish of soy sauce. Serves 12.

Approximate nutritional information, per 4 potstickers (not including dipping sauce): 220 calories, 8 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 45 mg cholesterol, 500 mg sodium, 22 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 14 g protein