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BY PRISCILLA FERAL
fter seeing several cute cookbooks, especially Ruby Roth’s The Help Yourself Cookbook for Kids, comprised of easy plant-based recipes kids can make “to stay healthy and save the world,” the cookbook diva in me felt roused. I was compelled to develop a few recipes for kids six years old and up because there is so much for them to discover through cooking. Besides creating an awareness and appreciation for food and healthy eating habits, cooking stokes kids’ curiosity, thinking and problem-solving capabilities. Kids gain confidence, patience and the ability to follow instructions. When my daughter was a two-year-old at a Montessori School, she was taught to cut carrots and to help empty a dishwasher. That’s impressed me for more than three decades. Since we want younger generations to eat and choose well, adults have to share the kitchen with them sometimes so that they can learn and develop self-esteem from the task. To achieve the best result—kids enjoying their time in the kitchen so much that they want to keep coming back to try more recipes that are written for them—educator Maria Montessori advises: Follow the child. So we not only involve them, we put them in charge of the creation. Initially, they need an adult’s assistance. Before tackling a recipe, read it out loud and arrange all the ingredients on the counter as well as utensils, such as measuring cups and spoons, forks for mashing, a wooden spoon for stirring, muffin tins, mixing bowls, a baking pan, sauté pan, soup pot and blender. You’ll find children absorbed in the process already. Under your watchful eye, you can have a toddler practice slicing and build complex motor skills using a banana and a dull dinner knife; four and five-year-old’s can carefully practice cutting pieces of vegetables and fruit first using a serrated dinner knife. I have a Montessori Toddler & Up Knife & Slice Sequence Kit (available from Amazon.com). It includes a set of five tools to teach children at various skill levels everything from slicing a banana to cutting their own vegetables, bread and herbs with a serrated knife—all under adult supervision. When kids eventually use an adult knife, put a piece of colored tape on the handle of the knife to mark the safe end, and remind them their hand stays on the tape. Once cooking gets underway, use a timer to remind both of you when to turn off the heat so nothing gets burned. Be aware that inviting kids into your kitchen definitely means making a mess. But I guarantee the experience will be so rewarding for everyone involved that you’ll even enjoy the cleanup together.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANE SEYMOUR
Here are some recipes to get your children in the kitchen. Beware, they might enjoy them so much it could be hard to get them out of the kitchen. Editor’s note: Feral is the author of three vegan cookbooks: The Best of Vegan Cooking; Dining with Friends; and For the Love of Dog Biscuits. Younger children will be able to try making the first recipes, a Date Nut Shake or Raspberry Smoothie.
DATE NUT SHAKE
Serves 1
• 1 frozen banana, cut in several pieces • 4 – 8 ice cubes • 1/3 cup of raw cashews • 1 cup coconut milk (or other vegan milk) • 2 dates (no pits!) Preparation: Blend in a blender until smooth and creamy.
RASPBERRY SMOOTHIE
Serves 2
• 2 cups of raspberries • 1 banana, cut in several pieces • ½ cup of orange juice • 1 tablespoon of lime juice • 2 ice cubes Preparation: Blend in a blender until smooth. Pour into 2 glasses and garnish each with a mint leaf, if desired.
NO-RECIPE PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICH
Serves 2
• Peanut butter • 2 slices of whole grain bread • Thin-sliced banana or apples • A sprinkle of cinnamon
Preparation: Toast the bread before spreading it with peanut butter, which adds crunch and warmth. Top one slice with thin-sliced banana, or apples. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon. Cut the sandwich in half.
Fall 2019 | 21
