Cooking With Kids, It Beats Screen Time
Cooking with kids is a great activity on so many levels. Not only are you encouraging the development of skills to help your kids reach independence; you’re facilitating an activity that moves them away from a screen and into the real world!
Also, getting kids into the kitchen also means maybe a break from dinner duty once in a while when they’re confident at the stove!
Two proven kid-friendly recipes to get them started…
Pikelets
Easy to mix and cook, pikelets make the perfect after school treat, and weekend breakfast too when they’re made larger as pancakes.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups SR flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar – white or caster
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 2 eggs
- Pinch of salt
Cooking Instructions:
- Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl whisk the eggs together with the milk then add to the dry mix.
- Heat a non-stick frypan over medium heat and either spray with cooking spray or melt a dob of butter.
- Drop tablespoons of batter into the mixture and cook until bubbles appear on the surface.
- Flip and cook the other side for just over a minute until golden brown.
- Repeat until the mixture is finished.
One of the joys of cooking pikelets is choosing what to serve them with. Anything goes really, from lashings of butter to jam and cream or even 100s & 1000s.
Ham and Cheese Muffins
These savoury muffins are easy to make and the kids will love being able to contribute something to their lunchboxes. Getting them screen-free for a bit of time over the weekend would allow enough to be made and frozen for the school week ahead.
Ingredients:
- 90g shaved ham diced
- 2/3 cup grated cheese
- ¾ cup SR flour
- 1/3 cup of milk
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- salt and pepper to tast
Cooking Instructions:
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C and lightly grease a 6 hole muffin pan (or 12 hole mini muffin pan).
- Sift SR flour into a large mixing bowl and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add all other ingredients and gently stir until combined without over mixing.
- Spoon mixture into muffin pan and bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
Your kids can easily adapt this recipe to include other ingredients they enjoy. Corn and bacon are popular additions!
Enjoy cooking with your kids today!
There are so many easy recipes you can start cooking with kids to develop their confidence in the kitchen. A quick online search is bound to find something that excites them and once they become comfortable in the kitchen, they’ll love spending there over being glued to a screen.
