Mini MilChefs: Encourage the Joy of Cooking with Your Child

Nourishment is one of the basic necessities of life. So why not take the time to ensure it’s a wholesome, fun experience for everyone – including your children? Although the kitchen can be a dangerous place with its sharp blades, high temperature-surfaces and other machinery little fingers might get caught in, with proper supervision meal prep can be an educational and entertaining activity. Check out some of these recipes to enjoy preparing with your child. Recipes and photos are courtesy of Constance Smith, Army wife of more than 25 years, who is adapting to retired life and settling in Alabama. She is the mother of three, with one son in the Army and another headed that way soon. Constance has been creating recipes for nearly two decades on her food blog and vlog, Cosmopolitan Cornbread. Visit her site, cosmopolitancornbread.com , for even more delicious options. “JUST PEACHY” BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE On a busy morning, whipping up a breakfast smoothie is a great way to get a healthy meal on the go. This peach smoothie made with oats and coconut milk is so good, your kids will want it for an afternoon snack, too. Prep time: 2 minutes Total time: 2 minutes Serves: 1 Ingredients ½ cup rolled oats 1 cup ice 1 cup coconut milk ½ cup orange juice 1 tablespoon honey 2 cups frozen peaches Instructions Begin by pulsing the rolled oats in your blender until they are pulverized into a fine consistency. To the oats, add the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth. BEEF SKEWERS WITH GRILLED VEGETABLES When warm weather comes around, there’s nothing like being able to grill out. You can make these tender beef skewers and grilled vegetables. Pair them with a potato salad and dinner is done! Ingredients 2 pounds flank steak 2 medium zucchini 1 eggplant Olive oil Salt & pepper Sweet Sunshine Sauce’s Sweet sauce Instructions To begin, slice a flank steak into thin slices, about ⅓ of an inch thick. Once the steak is sliced, grab a bundle of bamboo skewers that you have soaked in water. Weave the slices onto the skewers. Next grab some beautiful summer zucchini and cut into ¼ inch thick slices. Lightly brush both sides with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Do the same with an eggplant, slicing crossways. Heat your grill to 400 degrees. Place all of your beautiful goodies on the grill. Cook these lovelies for about 4 minutes, and turn over. Brush the skewered beef with some Sweet Sunshine Sauce’s Sweet sauce, and cook for another 4 minutes on that side or until cook to desired doneness. SLOW COOKER CHICKEN TACOS Whether it is a hectic school day or a fun-filled weekend, you can have a tasty meal waiting for you at home. These chicken tacos take only minutes of prep, and your slow cooker does all the work. Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 6 hours Total time: 6 hours, 5 minutes Ingredients 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken (breasts or thighs) 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder 1 tablespoon cumin ½ teaspoon salt 3 cloves garlic, grated 1 can (14 ounces) tomato sauce Tortillas or taco shells Your preferred toppings for tacos (shredded lettuce, cheese, guacamole, olives, sour cream, etc.) Instructions To begin, place the chicken in your slow cooker. On top of the chicken, sprinkle the chili powder, ancho chili powder, cumin, salt and the garlic. Over the top of this, you’ll pour the tomato sauce. That’s it! Cover and cook on low for 5 - 6 hours. Simply shred the chicken by pulling it apart with two forks. Serve it on tortillas (or in taco shells) with whatever toppings you like on a taco. (Shredded lettuce, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, etc.) Why Cook with your Kids? By Cooking with Kids Food brings families together. Preparing meals and snacks together can be some of the most meaningful and impactful time you’ll have with your children . It’s fun, it’s messy, it’s teaching your kids skills that will last a lifetime. And something we know from 20+ years of Cooking with Kids: when children help prepare healthy foods, they are excited to try them! A classroom teacher told us a story after her students tasted four varieties of fresh peas during a Cooking with Kids tasting lesson: “I have students who have very limited diets . One student recently went shopping with his mom and he asked for peas. She turned to him and said, ‘You do not like peas.’ He picked up a snow pea and ate it. He now comes to school with pears and peas in his lunch, where before it was filled with cookies and chips!” Kids who help plan, prepare and cook meals are much more likely to enjoy a broad array of foods -- many more than adults often imagine. Right now in Santa Fe, kids are making black bean tostadas with salsa fresca in their Cooking with Kids classes. Although we do the whole thing from scratch, a busy family might enjoy making just the beans or just the salsa, and then fill in with ready-made tostada shells. Kids love mixing up beans, tearing lettuce or grating cheese. It doesn’t have to be complicated! There are ways to involve even the smallest helpers in the kitchen. Little hands can tear leafy herbs into tiny pieces, roll dough, mash up beans or potatoes, or whisk salad dressing . Older kids can use butter knives to dice zucchini, yellow squash, cucumbers and a variety of fruits. The trick is to ask yourself, “ Could a child be doing this ?” It may take a little extra time and effort, but it will turn cooking into a conversation that opens the doorway to healthy eating for your entire family. For more great ideas, recipes, “how-to” videos and other resources, check out the Cooking with Kids website: cookingwithkids.org . You can also get “The Cooking with Kids Cookbook” by CWK founders Lynn Walters and Jane Stacey at Amazon.com. Cooking with Kids is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works with thousands of public school children all over Santa Fe, N.M., and provides resources for families and educators across the globe. Cooking with Kids and its staff aims to share the love of cooking healthy foods with children and encourage them to make healthy food choices through hands-on learning with fresh, affordable foods from diverse cultural traditions. [maxbutton id="13"] Connect with us on Facebook!

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