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Simple and Easy Recipes for finicky kids

I'm teaching a rather finicky group of middle-school aged students some basic culinary skills and recipes in an after school program. I am trying to find some recipes that expand their horizons without going overboard. I'm trying to find some that require simple ingredients and tools that can be found in the household of an average American (i.e. no red wine vinegar, or food processors). I am hoping to push things as we go but don't want to scare them off or intimidate them immediately. An additional challenge: our family and consumer science classrooms have left the building so I expect to have limited oven/stove cooking abilities initially.

So far I've come up with some fresh salsa, a simple oil-based vinaigrette, roasted vegetables, quick pickling, a carrot and yogurt sauce (for dipping)...

Anyone have any recipe ideas, websites, or cookbooks that will offer this?

Thanks!!

Tags: cooking, kids, recipes

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Permalink Reply by Carrie Seal-Stahl on January 4, 2013 at 5:54pm

How about stir fry? I just use a frying pan to make mine (no wok). Chop up some veggies, stir fry in a little oil, soy and spices to taste, boil up some rice to put it on and viola!

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Permalink Reply by HOMEGROWN.org on January 7, 2013 at 12:08pm

And a few responses from HOMEGROWN's Facebook page:

Rhasaan Fernandez Baked bauregard yams with butter
Mary Woody simple foods that they can make things (shapes, etc) with
Diane Bartlett Roasted vegetables - it's the only way I eat certain vegetables.
Corinne Morse Carpenter We always have leftover meat, so my kids can cook this all by themselves. Soup is easy to change up with whatever you have on hand. Fresh veggies, frozen, noodles, meat or meatless... http://farmbelles.com/quick-easy-thats-how-we-roll/

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Permalink Reply by HOMEGROWN.org on January 8, 2013 at 10:27am

And another:

• Food Love Project The edible schoolyard has a lot of great resources for middleschoolers: http://edibleschoolyard.org/resources-tools?search=recipes&x=0&...

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Permalink Reply by Emily Landseidel on January 9, 2013 at 2:38pm

Thanks all!

I'm trying to get a stove/oven put BACK into the middle school - but we'll see. Until then I'll be limited to recipes that require no heat cooking! :(