I’m always thrilled to hear from kids who love to cook. I developed these recipes based on suggestions from some of my favorite kid chefs.
When asked, they peppered me with all sorts of ideas. Some of their favorite foods don’t need a recipe, like peanut butter toast with banana slices, berry-banana-yogurt smoothies and cream cheese-stuff celery with everything seasoning. After mastering these creations, these middle school-age and younger chefs soon became comfortable enough to follow a recipe and prepare food for themselves, their siblings and even the whole family.
As you try these kid-approved recipes at home, adult help might be needed depending on the head chef’s age and experience.
Sweet Morning Crepes
Makes 10-12 crepes
Top, roll or fold crepes with sweet toppings, like jam, fruit, powdered sugar, whipped cream, yogurt and honey-sweetened goat cheese. Stack extra plain crepes with waxed paper between them, bag and freeze.
2 eggs
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Butter or sunflower oil for cooking
In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Whisk in the flour, sugar, salt and 1/4 cup of milk until smooth. Whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup of milk and the melted butter until just incorporated.
Lightly butter or oil an 8-inch nonstick skillet; set it over medium-high heat until hot. Scoop up a scant 1/4 cup of batter and quickly pour it into the pan in a circular, tilting motion that evenly coats the bottom. Cook for about 40 seconds, until the edge begins to curl and brown. Flip with a spatula, cook for another 20 seconds and then flip onto a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, regreasing the pan after each crepe.
Quickest Cucumber Pickles
Makes about 2 cups
You can use any vinegar for these pickles (or even the brine left in an empty jar of pickles), but apple cider vinegar will be slightly sweeter. If the taste is too strong, mix in up to 1/4 cup water.
1 large cucumber
1/8 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Peel the cucumber, if the skin is thick, and slice it in rounds. Place the slices in a small bowl or jar, sprinkle with salt and let sit for about five minutes, until the salt starts to dissolve. Pour the vinegar over the cucumbers and let sit for 10 minutes, turning the slices over occasionally. Eat now, sprinkled with pepper if desired, or pack for lunch. For extras, mix in up to 1/4 cup of water, enough that the liquid covers the slices, and refrigerate for up to three days.
Personal Pizzas
Makes four 7-inch pizzas
Use store-bought or homemade sourdough or dry-yeast pizza dough. Make extra; it freezes well. Roll out fridge-cold dough for thin crusts and room-temperature dough for thicker ones.
1-pound ball pizza dough
1/2 cup pizza sauce or pesto
1 cup grated or crumbled cheeses, like mozzarella, Parmesan and goat cheese
Toppings like baby spinach, sliced tomato, pepperoni, pineapple tidbits, bell pepper strips and sautéed onion rings
Preheat the oven and a baking stone, if using, to 550°F or the oven’s highest temperature. Divide the dough into four similar-sized balls; roll each into a 7-inch circle. With a fork’s tines, poke the entire surface. Transfer two circles to a pizza peel and then the baking stone, or slide both into the oven on a baking sheet. Parbake the crusts for two minutes and then flip onto a flat surface; repeat with the second pair.
Cover each crust with no more than three toppings per pizza. Bake in pairs for about five minutes, until the cheese and edges turn golden. Let rest on a cutting board for several minutes before slicing.
Oatmeal Monster Cookies
Alternate add-ins include raisins, dried cranberries, white chocolate chunks and crushed pretzel sticks.
Makes about 20 cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, room temperature
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup M&Ms
In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugars and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed for about two minutes, until fluffy. Beat in each egg. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; mix on low until combined. Mix in the oats, chocolate, nuts and M&Ms until just combined.
Scoop the dough into 1/4-cup balls placed 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350°F for 14 to 18 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until just firm in the center. Cool on the pan for five minutes and then on a wire rack.
Julie Laing is a Bigfork-based cookbook author and food blogger at TwiceAsTasty.com.
This story was first published in Flathead Valley Family magazine, which can be picked up later this month on newsstands across the valley.