At TA we love getting in the kitchen. We have a wide range of appliances to help make the process a little bit easier - from food processors to blenders, to ranges with your favourite features, to world-class dishwashers to make clean-up a breeze - we have it all!
Cooking together can create fond memories that last a lifetime - but it can also be very chaotic! If you’re planning a cooking activity with your family, good preparation and planning can make the experience more enjoyable for everyone involved. Check out our live stream Family Day the TA Way with Breville to see us in action cooking together with the family (recipe below!).
The first step is deciding what recipe you want to make. Choose something easy, like a dip with measuring and stirring that is accessible to younger participants. They can do lots of mixing and pouring ingredients into a bowl. As children get older, they can stay involved longer and start cutting, measuring, cleaning, and eventually even planning the activity themselves.
Children as young as four or five can get involved in the kitchen with a bit of structure and planning. When cooking with younger children, like toddlers, plan to bring them in for one or two tasks before letting them go on to another activity. Make a prep list for your young cooks that include an ingredient and equipment list. Have your young cooks help you gather everything you need for the activity. This will help them understand how things are stacked and stored, as well as start to recognize what different ingredients look like.
But - you know your kids best! These are just guidelines and ideas for creating a cooking activity in your home.
Examples of tasks for younger kids:
- Gathering ingredients
- Gathering equipment
- Mixing
- Squeezing citrus fruits
- Whisking
- Dumping in pre-measured ingredients
Examples of tasks for older kids:
- Measuring
- Cutting
- Reading the recipe
- Gathering ingredients
- Gathering equipment
- Using a stove
- Using a paring knife
If you’re interested in learning more about cooking with kids, Growing Chefs! Ontario, a local food education not-for-profit, has a range of video resources for introducing children to sharp objects, kitchen safety, and modifying recipes to make them more accessible.
Have fun in the kitchen this Family Day! We would love to see what you create.
Recipes
Both of these recipes have been adapted from Growing Chefs! Ontario
Beet Hummus
Ingredients
1 beet, roasted, peeled, and chopped *see note
2 cloves garlic
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons tahini
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and liquid saved
Olive oil
Salt to taste
Equipment
Breville Sous Chef Peel & Dice or Food processor
Spatula
Measuring spoons
Knife
Cutting board
Can opener
Directions
In the bowl of a food processor add the chickpeas, roasted beet, tahini, garlic, and lemon juice. Pulse together until fine and then run for a few seconds until it starts to puree. Add 1-2 tablespoons of the reserved liquid. Finish with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and salt to taste. Enjoy with vegetables and crackers!
Note: To roast your beet, rinse, pierce, and wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Set the oven to 400F. Roast for 40-60 minutes. The beet is finished when it’s tender. When cool enough to the touch, remove the skin and cut in chunks.
Easy Fruit Salad
Use your favourite fruits! The ones we used here will work well using the dicing attachment included with the Breville Sous Chef Peel & Dice.
Ingredients
2 kiwis, peeled*
1 small cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and cut into wedges*
1 granny smith apple, cored and cut into chunks*
1 pear, cored and cut into wedges *
1 dragon fruit, peeled*
½ pint strawberries, quartered
½ pint blueberries
Dressing
1 orange, juiced
1 lime juiced
2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
Equipment
Breville Sous Chef Peel & Dice
Spatula
Bowls
Knife
Peeler
Cutting board
Directions
In a large bowl, juice the citrus and whisk in the maple syrup.
Attach the dicing attachment as illustrated in the manual. With the machine running, add fruit 1 piece at a time, except for the strawberries and blueberries.
When all the fruit has been processed, dump in the bowl with the dressing and gently stir to combine. Enjoy!
*If not using the Breville Sous Chef Peel & Dice, dice each fruit in 1 centimeter cubes.