Recipes for Kids: Kitchen Fun

Recipes for kids: The huge success enjoyed by the Junior Master Chef series have made a lot of parents realize that children can be nurtured to become culinary geniuses at a young age.  Seeing kids below 13 turn out all of those gourmet dishes are certainly inspirational.  Your own children could have some dormant gourmand inside; start them off to the right path by instilling an appreciation of cooking through these age-appropriate recipes for kids.

Recipes for Kids at Preschool Age

Very young children can be guided to make their own snacks.  Sandwiches are simple to make but your preschool kid would definitely enjoy the feeling of accomplishment that comes from assembling sandwiches for the entire family.  Provide them with a plastic knife for spreading mayo or butter on the bread.  Pre-cut the sandwich fillings for them as well.  If your child already has the manual dexterity, you can provide some cookie cutters so that he or she can make fun-shaped bread for the sandwiches.

Recipes for Kids at School Age

School age children can already follow a simple recipe on their own.  They may initially need some guidance measuring out ingredients, but once they get the hang of it, they’ll be fine.  Start them off with baking projects such as choco chip or oatmeal cookies.  Do not forget how to teach them how to use the oven properly and safely, and explain why it is important to preheat the oven. Or, you can try out this no-bake peanut butter oatmeal cookie recipe: measure out 1 cup peanut butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, Ω cup milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.  Mix together until smooth.  Add 2 cups of cooking oats and two cups of your desired ingredients such as chocolate chips, miniature marshmallows, nuts, or even shredded coconut.  You can now make drop cookies from this mixture; store in the freezer for 1 hour to set.

Recipes for Kids at Teen Age

If you have a teen age kid who is starting to show some interest in the kitchen, you may want to provide some simple dinner menus and recipes that she can execute on her own.  Pasta, pizza, and roast chicken are all dishes that taste great, but do not really require a high level of expertise.  Consider enrolling her for some cooking and baking lessons to hone her talent.  You can also have her make this simple roasted chicken recipe:    Dry rub a whole dressed chicken with some salt, pepper, and spices.  Wrap in a single sheet of aluminum foil and throw in a preheated oven.  The juices should start coming out in about thirty minutes, so turn every half-hour.  The chicken should be done in about an hour and a half, cooked and moist.  Add some garlic bread, a green salad and some cheeses you’ve got an entire meal right there great recipes for kids.