Cooking activities for kids have been the taste (pardon the pun) of the week. In Outside School Hours Care, our educators and children love to cook together, learning how ingredients combine to create wonderful tasting treats and dishes. Please enjoy some of our latest recipes from our kitchen to yours at home.

Banana Smoothies

Delicious and easy to prepare smoothie.

Serves 3

Ingredients

1 banana 1 cup milk 1 teaspoon cinnamon or dash of honey 1 Weetbix (optional)

Method

Peel banana and break into pieces Blend all ingredients until smooth (use blender, otherwise use a fork) Serve cold

Hummingbird Cake

This cake was named after the bird because it was sweet enough to attract hummingbirds (who eat only nectar). It was invented in Jamaica in the 1960s.

Recipe makes one cake or 24 mini muffins

Ingredients

1 ¼ cup self-raising flour ¼ cup sugar ½ cup coconut 1 teaspoon bicarb soda 400gms tinned fruit 2 ripe bananas ¾ cup vegetable oil

Method

Preheat oven to 1800C Using paper towel, lightly grease muffin tin with vegetable oil Combine dry ingredients in a bowl Add tinned fruit and oil. Mix until just combined. Spoon mixture into cake tin or divide into muffin tins Cook for approx. 30 mins

Orange Muffins

Serves 12

Ingredients

2 cups plain flour 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda ¼ cup sugar 2-3 tablespoons orange or lemon zest 2/3 cup milk 2/3 cup orange juice ¼ cup vegetable oil

Method

Pre-heat oven to 180oC Sift flour and baking soda into medium sized bowl Stir in sugar and orange or lemon zest. Make well in centre. Combine milk, orange juice and stro into dry ingredients. Bake for 55-60 mins or until cooked when tested then stand for 5 mins

Nachos

Nachos are associated with Mexican food. It is thought this dish was first served in 1943.

Ingredients

1 packet of Lebanese wholemeal bread (cut up and lightly toasted) 1 tin of kidney beans (drained and rinsed with water) 1 tin of corn (drained) ¼ cup grated reduced-fat cheese ¼ cup salsa Use any vegetable, e,g. lettuce or capsicum as topping Method

Refrigerate the cheese for 5 mins so that it is easier to grate Ona microwave plate, arrange Lebanese bread pieces in a single layer Top with kidney beans and grated cheese Microwave uncovered on High for approx.. 1 min, until heated and cheese has melted. Top with salsa and toppings

Hearty Soup with Noodles

This delicious soup can contain any vegetables.

Serves 10

Ingredients

Vegetables (e.g. carrot, celery) Vegetable oil 1 tin corn 1 tin tomatoes Noodles

Method:

Cut vegetables into small pieces Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add tomatoes. Stir and bring to a simmer Add vegetables and drained corn. Add water and stir. Cover and cook until all vegetables are soft Serve with cooked noodles.

Australian Damper

Damper is the bush-bread of Australia. Drivers baked damper in camp ovens buried in the hot ashes of their campfires in the outback. You can also make damper in your oven.

Serves 12

Ingredients

4 cups self-raising flour ½ teaspoon salt 1 ½ cups reduced-fat milk Extra flour

italic text Pre-heat oven to 220oC Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and make a well in the middle Pour in the milk and mix Dust a baking tin with extra flour then place dough in the tin Cut a cross in the top surface of the dough Bake in oven for approx. 30 mins

Orange Juice

Orange juice is easy to make, and contains nothing other than what’s found in oranges!

Ingredients 4 oranges

Method

Cut each orange in half Use a handheld juicer to squeeze the juice from each orange Pour in cups and enjoy!

The Camp Australia Healthy Eating Cookbook was created as a resource for our Outside School Hours Care services to enjoy these cooking activities for kids. Many recipes from our cookbook are cooked each day because children simply cannot get enough of cooking! If you’d like some recipe ideas, write to us at [email protected].