Kids Can Cook

Kids Can Cook

This is where Keri Glassman shows you how to get your kids involved in cooking - and leading their own Nutritious Life! We've got an array of recipes that have been specially designed to have safe and simple steps that your little ones can handle.

So come have fun cooking with your kids: You'll help them learn new skills, taste new foods - and get comfortable in the kitchen. And you'll have yummy, delicious snacks and meals to show for it! For example, are apple French fries with peanut butter dip something your kids could resist?

Tips:

  • Organize your ingredients ahead of time
  • Have kids cut with safety scissors or plastic knifes
  • Have kids crack eggs into a separate bowl at first, so you can remove any shells before adding the eggs to the other ingredients
  • Expect a mess! Don't stress over spills. Use it as an opportunity to teach your kids that cleaning up is a part of cooking.

Applesauce

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water
  • 3 pounds apples (Macintosh)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup sugar (optional)

Directions

  1. Fill a large pot with 1 cup of water and place over medium heat.
  2. Add 3 pounds of apples, cut into very small pieces, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
  3. When the ingredients start to boil, lower the temperature to low.
  4. Add more water if needed to keep apples from sticking.
  5. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  6. Mash, cool and serve.
  7. You can also run through a food mill-an activity kids love!

Pizza

Ingredients

  • Whole wheat pita or English Muffin (Thomas' or Matthews)
  • Marinara sauce (Colavita enriched)
  • Low fat mozzarella cheese
  • Veggies (mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomatoes, broccoli)

Directions

  1. Top whole wheat pita or English muffin with Colavita enriched marinara sauce, low fat mozzarella cheese and any vegetables your child likes (mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomatoes, broccoli)
  2. Heat in microwave or toaster oven until hot.

Yogurt Sundae

Ingredients

  • 6 oz low fat yogurt (Stonyfield Farms)
  • 1/2 cup whole grain cereal (Barbara's Puffins or EnviroKidz Orangutan O's)
  • 1/4 cup Strawberries
  • 1/4 cup blueberries
  • 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed or wheat germ

Directions

  1. Layer low fat yogurt (Stonyfield Farms) with 1/3 of the strawberries, blueberries, and whole grain cereal.
  2. Repeat.
  3. Top with sprinkled ground flax seeds or wheat germ.

Whole Wheat Pasta Salad

Ingredients

  • Whole wheat pasta
  • Olive oil
  • Lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper
  • Vegetables (peas, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, etc...)

Directions

  1. Cook whole wheat pasta (any fun shape your children like) according to package directions.
  2. Mix with cut up vegetables (any your child likes).
  3. Dress with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Serve hot or cold.

3 Bean Chili

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 2 green peppers, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1, 15 oz can kidney beans, drained
  • 1, 15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained
  • 1, 15 oz can black beans, drained
  • 1, 15 oz can yellow corn, drained
  • 2, 15 oz cans diced tomatoes (with liquid)
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • Salt and pepper

Directions

  1. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large pot.
  2. Add one chopped onion and 2 chopped green peppers.
  3. Cook until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
  4. Add one 15 oz. can of drained kidney beans, one 15 oz. can of drained garbanzo beans, one 15 oz. can of drained black beans, one 15 oz. can of drained corn, two 15 oz cans of diced tomatoes (with liquid), 2 teaspoons of cumin, 2 teaspoons of chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Cook over medium-low heat (simmer) about 45 minutes.

Banana Pops

Ingredients

  • Popsicle sticks
  • Ripe bananas
  • Dark chocolate
  • Sprinkles or chopped nuts

Directions

  1. Peel bananas and cut in half (horizontally)
  2. Put popsicle stick in one end and freeze for a few hours or over night.
  3. Melt dark chocolate in microwave or over a double boiler.
  4. Dip banana in melted chocolate, then roll in sprinkles or chopped nuts.
  5. Freeze for at least 30 minutes.

Apple Fries and Dip

Ingredients

  • 6 oz low fat yogurt (Stonyfield Farms)
  • 2 tsp natural peanut butter
  • 1 apple, peeled and cut into small "sticks"

Directions

  1. Mix 6 oz. nonfat, plain yogurt with 2 teaspoons of natural peanut butter until smooth.
  2. Peel apples and cut apples into thin "fries"
  3. Dip fries into yogurt dip!

Sandwich Sushi

Ingredients

  • Whole wheat tortilla
  • Mustard
  • Turkey
  • Lettuce Tomato

Directions

  1. Spread mustard on a whole wheat tortilla.
  2. Top with turkey, lettuce, tomato, or any other lean protein and/or veggies.
  3. Roll up and cut into 4 pieces.

Healthy Muffins

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 T sugar
  • 2 T ground flaxseeds
  • 1 T baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 2 Cups Kellogg's All Bran cereal
  • 1 1/4 cup skim milk
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/4 cup chunky applesauce
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
  2. Stir together flour, sugar, flaxseeds, baking power and salt.
  3. In separate large bowl, combine All Bran and milk; let stand for 2-3 minutes.
  4. Add egg whites and applesauce and mix well.
  5. Add flour mixture and stir until combined.
  6. Spoon into 12, 2 1/2 inch muffin tins with liners.
  7. Bake approximately 20 minutes.
  8. Dust with cinnamon and cool on rack.

Pretzel Chicken

Ingredients

  • Whole wheat pretzels
  • Chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
  • Egg whites
  • Nonstick cooking spray

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Place whole wheat pretzels in a Ziploc bag and smash the pretzels until they look like breadcrumbs
  3. Dip boneless, skinless chicken breasts in beaten egg whites (1 egg white for 1 breast), then in the smashed pretzels.
  4. Place battered chicken on baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
  5. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  6. Bake about 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.