The Kids Café Recipe Book

The children attending Kids Café have always enjoyed the food preparation activities. In 2001, Kids Café ran several cook and eat sessions after school and they were a success with both children and the adults.

The Kids Café Network have wanted to produce a recipe book for a few years and funding was granted by Newcastle School Food Initiatives to run the sessions.

During February and April 2003 there were ten cook and eat sessions for children aged 9-11 years and a final session for the children to put the recipe book together. In the April school holidays, there were two art sessions for children aged 5-8 years to produce food models to be used as illustrations for the book.

Kids Café worked with Voices Project on the recipe book who advised us on ways to encourage the children to participate. Our recipe book is free - contact us for more information.

Recipes

Banana Smoothie
Serving for 1

Ingredients
2-3 Bananas (depending on size)
1 litre of cold semi-skimmed milk
4 scoops of vanilla ice-cream

Cook’s tools
Hand blender, whisk or fork
Ice-cream scoop
Knife
Mixing bowl
Beaker

Method
1. Peel the bananas and slice in rings.
2. Liquidise/blend or mash with a fork until smooth.
3. Put the milk into a large mixing bowl.
4. Add the banana and vanilla ice-cream.
5. Whisk/blend together, be careful not to spill any.
6. Pour into a beaker, and add a straw.

Chilli con Carne
Serving for 4

Ingredients
350g (13oz) minced beef
1 carrot, diced
1 large onion, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
50g (2oz) mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon chilli
Black pepper
400g (14oz) tin chopped tomatoes
400g (14oz) tin kidney beans
1 teaspoon tomato puree
1 teaspoon garlic puree or 1 clove garlic, crushed

Cook's tools
Large sauce pan
Chopping board
Wooden spoon
Teaspoon
Sharp knife
Can opener

Method
1. Dry fry mince in a large sauce pan for about 5 minutes, stirring all the time.
2. Add your onion, carrots, red/green pepper, garlic mushrooms, chilli powder and black pepper. Stir well and cook for a few minutes.
3. Add tomatoes and tomato puree. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 30 minutes (stir occasionally).
4. Drain and rinse kidney beans and add to the mince mixture. Cook for a further 5 minutes.

Cottage Pie Cottage Pie
Serving for 4

Ingredients
1 lb (450g) lean mince
225g (8oz) carrots (peeled and diced)
1 onion finely chopped
1b (450g) old potatoes (peeled and boiled)
Knob of margarine
3-4 tablespoons of semi-skimmed milk
Freshly ground black pepper

Cook’s tools
Frying pan
Baking dish
Chopping board
Large saucepans
Colander
Potato peeler and masher
Sharp knife

Method
1. Pre-heat oven to 200°C/400°F Gas mark 6.
2. Peel the potatoes and place them in a saucepan of water to boil.
3. Dry fry the mince in your frying pan until brown.
4. Add the onion and carrot and cook with the mince for 5 minutes.
5. Drain the potatoes in the colander and return to the pan.
6. Add the margarine and milk to the potatoes and mash until soft and creamy.
7. Put the mince mixture into a baking dish and spoon over the mashed potato.
8. Place in oven for about 45 minutes until golden.

Fruit Kebabs Fruit Kebabs
Makes 20 kebabs

Ingredients
3 bananas
2 apples - 1 red, 1 green
1 punnet strawberries
1 can peach halves
1 melon cut into 1 inch cubes
Juice of 1 lemon
20 skewers
1 tub Greek yoghurt
2 teaspoons honey

Cook's tools
Chopping board
Sharp knife
Tablespoon, teaspoon
Can opener

Method
1. Scoop flesh from the melon and cut into 1 inch cubes.
2. Drain the peaches and cut into bite size pieces.
3. Wash the apples, remove the core and cut into quarters.
4. Wash the strawberries, cut the big ones in half.
5. Peel and slice the banana.
6. Mix all the prepared fruit together, add the lemon juice and gently stir.
7. Push the fruit onto skewers, arranging the fruit into colourful stripes.

Gingerbread People Gingerbread People
Makes about 10-12

Ingredients
500g (1lb 2oz) self-raising flour
100g (4 oz) margarine
200g (8 oz) caster sugar
5 tsp ground ginger
5 tbsp golden syrup
8 tbsp semi-skimmed milk
Currants

Cook's tools
Mixing bowl
Weighing scales
Sieve
Wooden spoon
Rolling pin
Baking tray

Method
1. Sieve the flour and ginger together into the mixing bowl.
2. Warm syrup, margarine and sugar together and add to the flour and ginger. Mix well.
3. Add milk and mix to a firm consistency.
4. Roll out and cut out shapes and place on a greased baking tray.
5. Place currants on the gingerbread person for the eyes and buttons.
6. Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 160ºC (325ºF, Gas Mark 3).
7. Leave to cool before gently easing the gingerbread from the baking tray.
Note: the biscuits will be soft after baking but will firm on cooling.

Greek Salad Greek Salad
Serving for 4

Ingredients
225g (8oz) mixed green salad leaves of your choice
1 red onion
4 large tomatoes
½ cucumber
Black pepper
225g (8oz) feta cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)

Cook’s tools
Chopping board
Salad bowl
Sharp knife
Salad servers (spoon & fork)
Tablespoon

Method
1. Wash all the salad ingredients.
2. Shred the lettuce and place in the salad bowl.
3. Peel and slice the onion, cut the tomatoes into wedges dice the cucumber and cheese.
4. Put the tomatoes, cheese, cucumber, onion, and olive oil (if desired) into your salad bowl and mix well.

Lentil Soup Lentil Soup
Serving for 4

Ingredients
25g (1oz) margarine
200g (7oz) red lentils
2 vegetable stock cubes
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, grated
½ teaspoon sugar
Black pepper
1 litre (2 pints of water)

Cook's tools
Large sauce pan
Chopping board
Wooden spoon
Teaspoon
Weighing scales
Can opener
Measuring jug

Method
1. In your large sauce pan fry the onions and carrots in the margarine for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the water, lentils, sugar, black pepper and stock cubes to your sauce pan.
3. Gently simmer your soup for about 30-40 minutes.

Pizza Pizza
Serving for 1

Ingredients
½ small stottie or French stick (pizza base)
1 small/medium onion finely chopped
50g (2oz ) cheese (grated)
1 tube tomato puree
1 clove freshly crushed garlic
Herbs as desired
Pizza Toppings
Ham & mushroom
Ham & pineapple
Tuna & sweetcorn
Bacon & mushroom

Cook's tools
Sharp knife
Chopping board
Cheese grater
Garlic crusher
Can opener
Baking tray

Method
1. Pre-heat oven 200ºC/400ºF gas mark 6.
2. Spread tomato puree over your bread and add your crushed garlic and herbs (if desired).
3. Add the chopped onion and any other topping of your choice.
4. Sprinkle with grated cheese.
5. Place your pizza on a baking tray and place in the oven. Cook for about 20 minutes until crispy or all the cheese has melted. (Remember to check your pizza as it cooks, in case it burns).

Savoury Rice Savoury Rice
Serving for 4

Ingredients
225g (8oz) long grain rice
115g (4oz) mushrooms
175g (6oz) mixed peppers
1 small onion
115g (4oz) sweet corn
1-2 tablespoons Worcester sauce
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
450ml (¾ pint) water

Cook's tools
Large frying pan or wok
Chopping board
Sharp knife
Large saucepan with lid
Wooden spoon
Mixing bowl

Method
1. Melt the margarine in your saucepan over a low heat. Add the rice, stir well and cook for a few minutes until it is transparent.
2. Add the water and put a lid on the pan. Let the rice cook gently for about 15 minutes without stirring it.
3. The rice is cooked when it is tender and has absorbed all the water. Bite a few grains to check whether it is done.
4. Dice the onion and mixed peppers and slice the Mushrooms. Crush the clove of garlic.
5. Heat the oil in the frying pan. Add the onion and crushed garlic and stir over a high heat for about 5 minutes.
6. Add the remaining vegetables and stir them over a high heat until just tender. Add the Worcester sauce and stir well.
7. Turn the rice out into your mixing bowl, add the vegetables and mix together then serve.

Tuna & Pasta Salad Tuna & Pasta Salad
Serving for 4

Ingredients
225g (8 oz) pasta shapes
200g (7 oz) tin of tuna, drained
small tin of sweetcorn
3 tbsp low fat mayonnaise
Black pepper

Cook’s tools
Large saucepan with lid
Tablespoon
Tin opener
Large bowl
Colander

Method
1. Cook pasta in boiling water for 10-12 minutes, until soft but still firm.
2. Drain the pasta and put in the bowl.
3. Add the tuna, sweetcorn and the mayonnaise.
4. Stir well.

Kitchen Rules

Before you start cooking, wash your hands!
Follow the recipe carefully.
Be careful with sharp knives. Always keep the blade pointing downwards.
Never run in the kitchen.
When cooking on top of the cooker, turn the pan handles to the side, to prevent knocking them.
Always wear oven gloves when handling hot pans, trays, dishes etc.
Do not use electrical equipment with wet hands or near water.
Clean up any spills and keep the kitchen tidy.
Use a separate chopping board for preparing raw meat. Always wash your hands after handling raw meat.
If your hair is long, remember to tie it back.

Cooking Methods

Bake
Cook food in the oven

Beat
Mix food with a lot of energy using a wooden spoon or whisk.

Boil
Cook food in boiling water. You can tell that water is boiling when there are lots of large bubbles and steam.

Fry
Cook food in hot oil.

Grease
Use a pastry brush or kitchen paper to coat tins and baking trays with margarine or oil to stop food from sticking.

Knead
Push, stretch and squeeze dough until it becomes smooth and elastic.

Mash
Using a fork or potato masher, squash food (usually potatoes or other vegetables) until smooth.

Pinch
Some recipes ask for a pinch or herbs or salt. This means as much as you can pick up between your thumb and finger together.

Sieve
A sieve is used to shake food (such as flour, cocoa powder or icing
sugar) to get rid of lumps.

Simmer
Cook a liquid over a gentle heat, so that it gently bubbles but does not boil.

Whisk
Beat wet ingredients such as eggs or cream with a whisk to make them light.