Cooking with kids

Cooking with the Kids

Bored of baking fairy cakes? Help your kids’ cooking skills reach the next level with our easy recipes.

Top tips before you start

This is a great time to start teaching your child about food hygiene and safety. Even toddlers can quickly learn that they need to wash their hands before cooking and not to touch the hob when it’s on. Older children can learn how to use an oven glove and knife, why it’s important to clean surfaces and so on. Do always supervise kids when they’re cooking though. All the recipes should feed four people for lunch or dinner.

Pepper and tomato pasta

Ingredients • Half an onion • Three large red or yellow salad peppers • Two cloves of garlic • One tablespoon of olive oil • One carton of passata • One tin of chopped tomatoes • A pinch of dried basil • Approx. 400g of dried wholemeal spaghetti • Cheese to sprinkle on top Method • Chop the onion, peppers and garlic. Warm the olive oil on a medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the chopped vegetables and lightly sauté for a few minutes. Add the passata, tinned tomatoes and dried basil. Pop the lid on and leave to simmer on a low heat for 15 minutes. • Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pan of boiling water for 10 minutes (or as long as it says on the packet). • Blend the sauce until smooth and spoon it over the cooked pasta. Add grated cheese if required. If there’s any sauce left, freeze it for another day.

Cheesy egg muffins

Ingredients • 8 eggs • 100ml of milk • 1-2 slices of ham • A handful of vegetables, e.g. sliced mushrooms, chopped tomatoes, tinned sweetcorn • Approx. 120g of cheddar cheese Method • Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6. Lightly grease a muffin tin with butter. • Whisk the eggs and milk together. • Tear the ham into small pieces. Add the vegetables and ham to each individual muffin cup. Pour in the eggs and top with grated cheese. • Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. (Use a skewer or sharp knife to check they’re cooked.) • Eat hot with fries or cold with salad.

Cheat’s pizza

Ingredients • 2 part-baked baguettes • 4-5 tablespoons of passata (or just use ketchup mixed with a dollop of tomato puree) • Toppings, e.g. shredded ham, cooked sweetcorn, pineapple chunks, pepperoni • Approx. 250g of grated mozzarella or cheddar Method • Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6. • Cut each baguette in half lengthways.

Spread passata on the long cut sides. • Add your toppings, followed by cheese, and pop the pizzas in the oven for 10 minutes.