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Getting Kids Interested in Cooking

September 2, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Getting the older kids cooking healthy snacks that are simple will help keep them occupied and train them into healthy habits. Young children always want to help out in the kitchen and letting them mix, measure and chop – with a plastic knife – will help develop their hand-eye coordination and their maths skills. Easy recipes for kids can be no-cook meals such as fresh fruit salad and coleslaw. As they get older they will be able to cope with simple meals.

When children are interested in cooking it improves their palate and teaches them healthy habits as they experiment with different recipes. Then when they leave home for uni or wherever, they won’t be so reliant on junk food to survive. Getting the older kids cooking healthy snacks that are simple will help keep them occupied and train them into healthy habits. Young children always want to help out in the kitchen and letting them mix, measure and chop – with a plastic knife – will help develop their hand-eye coordination and their maths skills. Easy recipes for kids can be no-cook meals such as fresh fruit salad and coleslaw. As they get older they will be able to cope with simple meals. Taking children to a farmers market will expose them to a variety of fresh and nutritious foods; letting them grow their own will provide variety too.

When children are used to helping out in the kitchen it gives them a sense of responsibility and makes them feel more confident. Cooking together strengthens family bonds and may even lead your child into a career in cooking that can take them to many different countries. Better still, cooking together can be great fun.

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Healthy Cooking for Kids

August 14, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Article by Richelle Rily

Eating out is one of the most favorite family activities. It improves family bonding and lets parents spend more time with their kids. But have you ever thought of healthy cooking for kids? You can still eat at the dining table and have that same bond, minus the expensive bill and unhealthy food.

Start with the basics. Avoid fried foods. Kids love fried everything. Whether it’s chicken, fries, hotdogs, or burgers- they love it. When cooking these foods, you can either decrease the oil when frying or use healthier alternatives like boiling hotdogs and removing chicken skin. Burgers and fries are to be avoided whenever possible, but if your children crave for it, give them small portions occasionally.

Sweets are one of the main culprits to why children gain weight. Moreover, chocolates and candies make your kids hyperactive. Healthy cooking for kids is not limited to the main courses. You could also make adjustments through the desserts. Replace ice cream and chocolate with fruit shakes or bowls. Blending fresh fruits or making fruit bowls are very healthy and refreshing for your kids.

Replace full cream milk with low-fat milk. Your kids won’t even taste the difference, but will have a major impact on their diet in the long run. When cooking pasta, you could also replace the regular pasta with whole-grain so that they eat healthier. Make the sauce tasty but with no meat. Pesto is one of the healthiest recipes for pasta because it only uses basil and olive oil as the main ingredients. If you must add meat, use chicken instead of pork and beef.

Homemade pizza is healthier than ordering from pizza places. It might take a lot more time to prepare but it’s worth it. Make a vegetarian pizza and let your kids enjoy it minus the oil and the unhealthy meat toppings.

Include vegetables in every meal. Whether it is during breakfast, lunch, or dinner- make sure your kid eats veggies. Try with a celery or carrot stick with different dips to encourage your kid. Mashed potatoes could also be used to replace rice. Make sure your kid still eats the right amount of carbohydrates and proteins every day. When packing your kid’s lunch, it’s all about preparation. Cut the veggie portions in different shapes (letters or numbers for the young kids) so that they enjoy eating and never realize that they’re eating vegetables.

If your kids are heavy meat-eaters, you can try the veggie burgers that are available in groceries or even come up with your own. For the picky eaters, serve food that are tasty but healthy. You can use different spices for cooking or even mix veggies with soup and add lettuce to sandwiches. These simple tips will help your kids get used to the feel of eating less meat and more fruits and veggies.

Healthy cooking for kids doesn’t mean starving your kids and depriving them of what they want to eat. You can still make eating a fun activity but more nutritional.

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Cooking with kids

July 24, 2011 by Leave a Comment

With MasterChef on our screens every night, it’s no wonder everyone is getting interested in cooking, including kids. It can be a great way to spend time with the family as well as introducing healthy eating and kitchen skills that kids can use for life. Cleaning up the sixth broken egg off the floor can be exhausting so try and keep a couple of things in mind…

- There are a number of easy online recipes for kids as well as a number of cookbooks that can provide inspiration. Sandwiches, pizzas and smoothies are a good place to start with kids, as they require no boiling water, spitting oil or sharp knives.

For recipes that do require sharp knives, heated pans and ovens, make sure an adult is on standby to do the tricky bits. Chop everything before you start cooking and leave the simpler tasks like pouring in the milk, stirring the mixture and licking the bowl to the young ones.

- Letting kids crack the eggs into the bowl is often the first step for them in the kitchen. But more often than not, eggs can end up on the floor or on the bench and shell can be scattered through the cake batter. Try and keep eggs on the bench in their box to stop them from rolling away. Crack the eggs into a smaller bowl first, so that you can scoop out any rogue bits of shell before adding it to the mixture.

- It’s never too early to instil a good sense of kitchen hygiene in your kids! Make sure they wash their hands before they start cooking as well as each time they change ingredients, especially after raw meat.

– Ensure the kids’ school uniforms and school wear are nowhere to be seen when you start cooking or you may have another load of washing to do! An oversized t-shirt or a mini apron is perfect for covering up their clothes and also means you can relax and not worry about how much mess they are making.

– Reading the recipe together can develop a sense of logical progression and even help to develop maths skills. If the recipe says half a cup, ask your child to look at the measures and tell you which one is the right one to use. Encourage them to count everything as you do it, like how many eggs are cracked or how many teaspoons of sugar are added.

– Cooking with youngsters is never going to be tidy. Enough said.

- Even if the cake didn’t rise or the pizza burnt, try and compliment the kids on the efforts anyway. No doubt they will learn from their mistakes.

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Getting Kids Cooking

July 23, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Getting your kids to help in the kitchen is a bear for most parents. Just as any mom or dad knows playing is simply more fun than kitchen duties. For my kids the end of dinner is always a time to complain, mope and have the need for an “emergency” bathroom break. Then once the dishes are done off they go to hide from the dreaded chore maker until its time to read a story or play a game.

Just recently a miracle happened in my kitchen, my seven year old cooked. I am not talking about pouring a bowl of cereal or stirring the noodles I mean she really cooked. This particular afternoon I had been sitting at my computer working on my latest cookbook about leftover turkey when I got the urge to cook. I got up and went down to the kitchen to see what could be whipped up with what was on hand.

This is when she came in. She asked if she could help and instead of my usual list of get this from the fridge or do this I simply said do you want to do it. She said “you mean I can cook it all”. When I said yes she was hooked.

That afternoon we invented a recipe for sweetened pecan cinnamon custard. I must caution you the resulting recipe was terrible. No one ate it, but my seven year old declared that she ‘sure was happy when I let her do all of it’.

Now that you know the trick here is a fun and easy recipe that kids like and will get your kids away from the TV and into the kitchen.

Muddy Crescent Dogs

One can of package crescent rolls

8 hot dogs, preferably good tasting hot dogs

Ketchup

Instruct your child to turn the oven on to 350º Fahrenheit. Remember kids still need help with the oven. I was nine when I caught my mother’s oven on fire, but that’s another story.

Have your child get out a cookie sheet.

Next have your child open the can of crescent rolls. If this is his/her first time opening the crescent rolls warn them that the can may make a loud noise when it first opens. The loud “pop” always sends my youngest into a fit of laughter when her sister squeals.

Now have your child roll out each of the crescents on the cookie sheet.

Now have your child open the package of hot dogs. Once open have him/her place one hot dog on each crescent.

Now comes the mud. Instruct you child to cover each hot dog with “mud”, the ketchup, let him/her know the more the messier so go for it.

Have your child roll up the crescent rolls around the hot dogs and place them in the oven for about 10-12 minutes or until browned.

This is such an easy recipe for kids and if we parents remember to let them do it all they will have such a great time that maybe just maybe someday they will cook us dinner.

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Useful Tips in Cooking Vegetarian Meals For Kids

July 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Article by David H. Urmann

Vegetarian meals are healthy nutritional supplements for your kids. Most kids prefer meats and sweets over vegetables. Experiment on cooking meatless recipes for kids for better nutritional value.

Vegetarian meals entails are meatless. It is rich in vitamins, minerals and fibers. Find ways to incorporate vegetarian meals in your children’s diet to make them grow healthier and stronger..

Kids are generally picky and refuse to eat vegetables. Prepare meals with vegetables subtly included to make kids enjoy eating vegetables.

Vegetables can be cooked through stir frying, steaming, and sautéing, without losing the key nutrients. They are good sources of Vitamin A, B and C. Some minerals found in vegetables are iron, iodine, zinc, calcium and selenium. Children who regularly eat dark green vegetables and beans develop more red blood cells in their bodies.

Here are some tips when preparing vegetarian meals for kids:* Modify the kid’s favorite recipe. Use soya-based meat equivalents for a meat-free meal.* Let your kids pick vegetables in your backyard and let them wash it. Getting them involved in cooking is positive reinforcement.* Have fun making designs of boiled veggies on a plate with your child.* Add vegetables to burgers. This is similar to one of the fastfood joints which provide “vegeburgers” and bean burritos. Also try making patties out of vegetables.* Cook oven-baked fries instead of fried.

Sample recipe- Veggie Burgers:Mix the following:o 1 grated carroto ½ cup collardso 1 tbsp. sesame seedso 1 beaten eggo ½ tsp. black peppero 1 tsp soy sauce o 2 ½ cups of cooked rice or millet

Thoroughly mix all the ingredients. Shape it into small sized patties. Fry this until it becomes golden brown. Bake at 400 °F on a baking sheet for about 10 minutes per side.

* Use herbs, spices and seasonings to add flavor to the veggies, especially when the taste is bland* Incorporate vegetables subtly. Mince them in a food processor or blender and add to soups, sauces, or pasta.* Melt butter or olive oil into breadcrumbs and sprinkle it over steamed veggies.* Add minced vegetables in baking breads, cakes, muffins, and pizzas, along with honey and maple syrup.* Make a refreshing drink using pureed vegetables. Kids would not even know that it has veggies.* Prepare pasta salads along with diced vegetables and veggie mayo or dressing.* Grill some veggies such as mushrooms, carrots, and cucumbers.

Meal Samples:Breakfastso Banana soy milk smoothie with almond and tahiniso Granola-type cereal with dried or fresh fruit and soy milko Pancakes with maple syrup, walnuts and slices of fruitso Muffins made from whole grains having honey spread, tahini and fruit juice

Luncho Tabouli salad with hummus in pita pocketo Tofu burger with vegan mayo and whole wheat buno Lasagna with veggies (cauliflower, carrots, olives and mushrooms)

Saladso Potato salad o Avocado salad o Bean salad o Marinated tofu salad

Dinner o Stir fried vegetables with canola or olive oil & nutso Pasta dish of pesto sauces (made of basil leaves)

Children’s repulsion to vegetables is often seen as just psychological. Find ways for children to enjoy eating vegetables. Cook meals that children normally like, and incorporate veggies without losing the meaty taste. After all, children who eat veggies are healthier and develop stronger immune systems.

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How to Make Pizza: Cooking Recipes for Kids

June 9, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Article by Mark Etinger

Everyone loves pizza. Even if your child is finicky and only likes the cheese, or doesn’t like the sauce, when you’re cooking with children at home you can customize your recipe to your child’s wants and needs. Let’s get started:

1. The Dough:

• Drop yeast in a bowl of warm water and let it dissolve for about five minutes. Add ¼ tsp sugar. Stir the clumps out. Bubbles should form.

• In a separate bowl add some flour and salt, and stir in yeast and 1 tbsp. oil until some dough forms.

• Take the dough onto a lightly floured board. Knead the dough by folding it in and then pushing it away from you with the heel of your hand. Turn and fold, push and turn. When ready, the dough should be stretchy.

• Add the dough into a greased bowl and cover. In 40 minutes, the dough should double in size. If indentations stay after you’ve touched the dough, it’s ready.

• Knead the dough some more and let it sit for five minutes.

• Cooking with children gets fun when you give them a rolling pin and tell them to flatten the dough into a circle. Guide their rolls outward from the middle.

• On a greased pizza pan, stretch the dough to fit. Cover and let it sit for 15 minutes.

2. The Pizza:

• Preheat your oven to 450. Add tomato sauce to your pizza evenly.

• Add cheese and toppings – mushrooms, pepperoni, sausage, peppers, whatever you desire.

• Bake for 12 minutes if your pizza is a simple cheese, but if you have more toppings, it will take longer to bake more thoroughly. Four or five toppings can take up to 35 minutes to turn golden brown.

• The pizza is done when the cheese is melty or the crust is medium to golden brown.

3. Remove the Pizza: Children’s cooking is fun, but it’s important to reinforce the idea that when you cook safety is number one. Always use hot mitts when you’re removing something from the stove.

4. Enjoy! Cooking with children is fun when you let them use kitchen tools. A pizza cutter is sharp, but they can really get a lot out of it – the rolling back and forth is part of the experience. Just make sure to supervise them during this part of the process – if necessary, guide their hand along the slice to make sure the cutter doesn’t slip.

Cooking for kids and cooking with children is fun and easy. The memories you make will last forever, and you can easily turn these special times into a weekly or daily ritual. Whatever you cook, your children will thank you for it.

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Cooking Recipes for Kids: Cupcakes!

June 9, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Article by Mark Etinger

Growing up, there was nothing more I loved than cupcakes. I preferred them to ice cream, cakes, candy, you name it–I loved cupcakes, above all else. And even today, not much else has changed. There really isn’t anything I enjoy more than a delicious cupcake. There’s something just so decadent, yet simple about a cupcake. The frosting to cake ratio is perfect, not to mention the endless number of decorating options you have! However, in order to master a perfect cupcake recipe, the way it looks is only 25% (at best) as important as the cake itself. Whether you’re a chocoholic or vanilla lover, make sure your cake tastes as good as it looks, if not more.

Today, we’ll discuss one of the signature and foolproof cupcake cooking ideas for kids. The infamous vanilla cupcake. Cupcake making is great for cooking with children because they can contribute throughout every single step, especially decorating and tasting.

Here’s a vanilla cupcake recipe of mine from one of my favorite bakeries: (Makes approximately 30 cupcakes)

Billy’s Vanilla Vanilla Cupcakes1 3/4 cups of cake flour, not self-rising1 1/4 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour2 cups of sugars1 tablespoon of baking powder3/4 teaspoon salt1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes4 large eggs1 cup of whole milk1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl of an electric mixer, combine dry ingredients: flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined. Add butter and mix until it becomes coated with flour. Let kids do the measuring, but leave the mixing to the adults.

2. Whisk eggs, milk and vanilla in a large glass-measuring cup with mixer on medium-speed. Add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scarping down the sides of the bowl before each addition. Beat until ingredients are incorporated, but avoid over beating.

3. Funnel batter evenly (about 2/3 full) into your paper-lined cupcake pan/s. Bake, rotating pan halfway through for 17-20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. (A toothpick will do the trick).

4. Remove your cupcakes from the oven and completely cool them on a wire cooling rack. Be patient! Decorating a hot cupcake will make a big melted, mess. Once your cupcakes have cooled, use a small spatula to frost the tops! Decorate with sprinkles, chocolate, nuts, whatever you and your children want! Cupcake decorating is the best part for children’s cooking!

If you need an equally tasty cupcake frosting recipe, use Billy’s Vanilla Buttercream recipe:

1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter stored at room temperature6 to 8 cups of confectioners’ sugar1/2 cup of milk1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

With an electric mixer, cream butter until smooth for approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Set mixer to low-speed and add 6 cups of sugar, milk and vanilla until light and fluffy. If needed, add remaining 2 cups of sugar to reach desired consistency.

Enjoy!

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