I couldn’t let the month of May slip away without doing a food piece dedicated to children since it is Child Month. I must confess, it has been on my mind for weeks to write something, but I was going through a writer’s block. I’m not sure if it’s due to the fact that I am not a mother myself, but I felt almost hypocritical to be writing about children. I find that whenever I have to do something on children, especially during the period of back-to-school, I run into difficulty. I absolutely adore kids, and have gone through moments of feeling broody and wanting my own, but that is not going to happen until I have a ring on my finger.

So for now, I live vicariously through my friends who are parents and play with their children instead. Many of my friends are now planning summer activities for their children. I have been suggesting to a lot of them to get their kids in the kitchen. I think it’s so important that children learn to cook. Not only is it fun, but educational too. When I was a child, my mother often had me in the kitchen mixing, measuring, stirring and cleaning. Another one of my chores was to set the table and by doing this, I learned which dinnerware or glassware was suitable for specific dishes or beverages.

I knew where to place knives and forks on the table, how to roll or fold a napkin properly and observed the proper etiquette of dining. As a little girl, I had my toy dinner and tea sets and would have ‘pretend’ high teas with my dolls and teddy bears. My parents taught me early to act as a hostess and to offer refreshments to guests and how to arrange glasses and snacks elegantly on a tray when serving. I was a proper little lady. Today, it is not surprising that I love to entertain because of this early training.

With proper adult supervision, the kitchen can be a wonderful place of learning. Of course, there are lurking dangers, so depending on a child’s age, certain responsibilities remain the adult’s, such as handling hot utensils, sharp knives, boiling water and so forth. However, other tasks can be assigned to make the child feel involved, such as choosing the dish to be made, going shopping for the ingredients or selecting them from the fridge or pantry, weighing the ingredients on the kitchen scales or by using measuring cups, tasting the dish at different stages, using their hands to knead ingredients, roll things into shape, and to garnish the plate.

I also believe that if children learn to like the kitchen from an early age, they will become more informed as adults to make healthy choices and to eat less fast foods as there is a certain gratification when you prepare a meal from scratch. For me, being in the kitchen formed a backdrop for many bonding sessions with my parents as a child. In today’s world due to the hectic pace, many parents are spending less time with their offspring. Cooking with children can be a great way to de-stress and to forge deeper relationships.

Today I will be sharing a few kid-friendly recipes which are easy to prepare with simple steps and a few ingredients that a child can easily follow. Go over the methodology with your child, and choose the steps that they are able to understand and allow them to do those specific tasks which are age appropriate. Remember, food is love and your children will appreciate your efforts. One day you will be happy with the results, especially when they want to take over the kitchen, switch roles and cook for you instead.

Baked Penne with Bacon and Broccoli

Sometimes I think it’s good to sneak in vegetables in a dish like this to get your children to consume some greens. Let them measure out the pasta, grate the cheese and you can allow them to pour and stir the sauce. Serve this with a side salad of mixed greens.

Ingredients:

500g penne pasta, boiled according to manufacturer’s directions on the box

8 rashers of bacon, cut into strips

1 onion, finely chopped

1 head of broccoli, chopped into small pieces

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 small jar of pasta sauce

300 ml cream (preferably a light or reduced- fat version)

200g Parmesan, grated (substitute with Cheddar for a different-tasting version)

2 tbsps olive oil (or vegetable)

Method:

Prepare the pasta, drain and then place in a baking dish

Add oil to the frying pan and fry the bacon strips until just beginning to crisp, remove from the pan.

To the same pan, add the onions and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes until soft.

Pour in the pasta sauce, bring to a boil, and then simmer for three minutes.

Add the cream and broccoli pieces, mix well and continue to cook until the sauce thickens, put the bacon strips back into the sauce.

Pour the sauce over the pasta in the baking dish and top with the grated cheese.

Set your oven to grilling temperature and place dish under the grill until the cheese has melted and is golden brown.

Chocolate Bananas

When I was scratching my head to come up with a dessert item, my friend Stacy suggested the frozen chocolate bananas she had as a child. As It turns out, chocolate bananas are quite common and easy to prepare. Summer is approaching so as the mercury rises and the humidity intensifies, this is a cool treat for kids. You can eat these as is, or take them to another level with shredded coconut, sprinkles or nuts. You will need popsicle sticks or skewers.

Ingredients:

4 bananas

3/4 cup semi sweet-chocolate chips, melted

Method

Cut one end of the banana, about 1/2 inch.

Peel and run popsicle stick or skewer into the banana.

Line a small baking sheet with wax paper and place the bananas on top.

Freeze bananas for at least an hour.

Remove from freezer and dip bananas into melted chocolate (and other garnishes if using)

Place the covered bananas back into the freezer and continue to freeze for another hour or two until ready to serve.

JuicyChef Healthy Tip: Lettuce Wraps

Using lettuce instead of bread is one way of cutting down on calories and showing your kids a healthier way to eat a “sandwich”. So, if you are ever out of bread and you have tuna, or leftover chicken or any sort of protein which you would use in a typical snack, just use a lettuce leaf to contain the filling instead. All you need are a few decent-sized lettuce leaves which are large enough to contain the fillings of your imagination, washed and patted dry. To make it more exciting for a child, and adults too, you can have a dipping sauce on the side to take it to another level. Examples would be an Asian-style lettuce wrap with chicken which you could dip in a peanut or soy sauce or a Tex-Mex style lettuce wrap filled with beans and salsa on the side or a pork wrap with jerk sauce.

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Please contact me at info@juicychef.com

Bon Appetit!