Teaching kids how to cook is easier than you think, writes Aiman Ahmad Anuar
COOKING for children is notoriously difficult because despite having a great wonder about the world around them, they don’t seem to share the same sentiment about their food. A simple family meal can evolve into a screaming match if there’s a vegetable in sight or even a little bit of crust left on a slice of bread. I see it regularly with my three nephews and younger cousins, so getting them to eat can be challenging.
However, a couple of years ago I had a job teaching people how to cook at the BIG Group’s Masak-Masak classes. One of the biggest moneymakers was the classes for children, so teaching them was a regular occurrence for us. From there a few things became very obvious: The first is that children will eat anything they’ve cooked .
The second is that they’re more willing to try new foods when they get the chance to experience it in a new setting, like a cooking class. Finally, children are very aware of what types of food they like to eat and that knowledge is more useful than you might think.
Even children with little to no interest in food are usually quite excited at the prospect of cooking. It becomes like “play time” to them where forbidden items like knives and fire are suddenly allowed.
If you’re worried about having to teach your children, don’t be. The process is quite simple and far safer than you might think. The first thing you should consider when trying to teach your children how to cook is getting the right recipe.
This is easy enough because there are hundreds of kid-friendly recipes that can be found online. If you’re still unsure, pick something that involves no more than six ingredients. For a children’s recipe, most ingredients don’t require complicated cooking, for example items like cheeses, tomatoes, sausages, chicken fillet and bread are staples in a kid-friendly recipe. Better yet, if you can go through the recipes with them and let them choose, they’d be even more interested in learning.
Another great part about the simplicity of kid-friendly recipes is that you can easily add more fruits and veggies to them. Kids are more willing to try new foods if they get to participate in the cooking process so this is your chance to introduce something new into their diet, especially fruits and veggies that are naturally sweet or mild in flavour like carrots, avocados and eggplants. If they’re still not wholly receptive, you can add in ingredients they already enjoy, like kicap manis (sweet soya sauce).
SAFETY FIRST
Next, invest in the right equipment. This is the part that ensures your children will be safe while they cook. Children’s recipes don’t require a lot of sharp objects. For example, you can always substitute a chef’s knife with a table knife. Most items can also be grated instead of being cut, like your vegetables, fruits and cheeses.
Another important item when it comes to safety is getting an induction stove. These amazing appliances don’t usually cost more than a couple of hundred ringgit and are a far safer option than a regular gas stove. They only get hot when the right crockery is placed on them, so the risk of burning anyone is limited. Good quality aprons and oven mitts are also great for keeping your kids protected when dealing with hot appliances.
Other things you might want to invest in are mini stepladders. Stepladders are sturdy and wide enough to ensure that your child can see what’s going on your counter, without having to worry about them falling off a chair.
Cooking with children can also be a joy for you because you get the chance to expose them to something new. It’s a fun activity for families to do together. If you find that you don’t have the time to actually teach them, letting them watch and crack an egg or two once in a while will probably encourage them to appreciate your food a little better.
Here’s my favourite recipe, that I cook with my nephews — a pasta sauce with fruit and veggies. It involves a bit more ingredients than a usual kid-friendly recipe but the steps are very simple.
Chicken & Tomato Pasta Sauce
Ingredients:
2 Onions
5 Garlic
2 Carrots
2 Eggplant (small)
1 Celery stick
200g Button mushrooms
500g Minced chicken
500g Tinned chopped tomatoes
1 litre Chicken stock
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Oil for sauteing
Method:
1. In a food processor, grate onions, garlic, carrots, eggplant, celery and mushrooms.
2. In a large pot, saute all the grated ingredients until fragrant.
3. Stir in minced chicken until cooked through.
4. Add in chopped tomatoes and
chicken stock.
5. Simmer for at least one hour, or until sauce is reduced by at least a quarter and to the thickness your kids like.
6. Season it with salt and pepper before serving.
Note: This pasta sauce can be frozen for up to two months.