Try these fun, imaginative and healthy recipes from the 4 Ingredients Kids cookbook.
4 Ingredients is an Australian recipe book series, television programme and social media platform, run by Kim McCosker. The 4 Ingredients Kids cookbook came about after Kim realised that children learn visually through images, pictures, colours, light and shade. She turned to social media and asked parents what their children love to eat, which recipes are part of their regular repertoire, and what their children made themselves.
You can try some of our other recipes, click here.
Volcanic eggs
makes 4
Ingredients
- 4 eggs, separated
- 4 slices wholemeal bread, crusts removed
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- In a bowl, with an electric beater, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Line a baking tray with baking paper then place the bread on the baking tray. Spoon a mound of egg white onto each slice or bread, then make a little crevice on the very top and gently place the egg yolk in it.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan and a grind of black pepper (the volcanic ash). Bake until the egg white is firm, the cheese melted, and the egg yolk runny when you cut into it (molten lava); 8 to 12 minutes.
Edible veggie bowl and dip
serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 red capsicum (pepper)
- 450g butternut pumpkin, peeled
- ½ cup (80g) cashews
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Cut the pumpkin into 4cm cubes, place onto a baking tray and roast for 20 minutes or until golden in colour and soft in texture.
- Allow to cool for 15 minutes, then place the roasted pumpkin, cashew nuts and Parmesan cheese into a food processor and blend until combined. Season to taste.
- While chilling in the fridge, halve the capsicum and remove its seeds and membrane. Keeping one half as your “edible bowl” cut the other half into dipping sticks. Spoon the dip into the bowls, and then add the dippers to decorate. I chose to use them to create a thick sweep of eyelashes (I used some carrot and celery too). My little boys were mighty impressed!
Tip
Keep nutrition fun so children will enjoy being healthy. Try to be creative, for example, a slice of carrot may be met with more enthusiasm when called a “carrot chip”.
Baby BLTs
makes 12
Ingredients
- 12 dinner rolls
- 6 slices bacon, halved
- ¼ head iceberg lettuce, shredded
- 2 small tomatoes, thinly sliced
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Place the rolls on a baking tray lined with baking paper and cut horizontally without cutting all the way through. Bake for 5 minutes or until just crunchy.
Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, cook the bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Just before serving, fill the rolls with bacon, lettuce and tomato.
Optional:
Brush inside the rolls with mayonnaise or barbecue sauce before filling. And to create your own “blat” add a fresh slice of creamy avocado.
4-minute strawberry soft serve
serves 4
Ingredients
- 275g frozen strawberries
- ¼ cup (50g) caster sugar
- ⅔ cup (160ml) cream
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
Method
- Combine the frozen strawberries and sugar in a food processor or blender. Process until the fruit is roughly chopped.
- Add the cream and vanilla and blend until combined.
- Serve immediately as a delectable soft serve, or freeze for at least 4 hours for a nice firm ice cream.
Optional:
The flavours for this are endless: raspberry, mango, blueberries and for a lighter version, substitute cream for your child’s favourite yoghurt.
About the book
4 Ingredients Kids is published by Simon & Schuster Australia and locally distributed by Jonathan Ball Publishers. The popular recipes in this kids cookbook will introduce children to lots of different ingredients and help your child develop a love of food. For more recipes and handy tips, visit 4 Ingredients.
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