Practical cooking knowledge is a great gift to give your teens — especially if you want them to be able to look after themselves when they leave home. Many teens develop an interest in nutrition and a desire to learn to cook. Foster it if it happens!
Teach these 5 basic dishes to them and they’ll always be able to feed themselves:
1 Scrambled eggs/omelette
Eggs are a perfect meal in a hurry, and a scramble or omelette is a fantastic quick and healthy meal.
Try our recipe: Ham and tomato soufflé omelette
2 Stir-fry
Some vegetables, some protein and a pan: it’s all you need for an easy meal. Master this and you have an almost infinite array of dinner solutions at your fingertips.
Try our recipe: Prawn laksa stir-fry
3 Tray bake
Letting the oven do the work is smart and a tray bake is a great way to enjoy a meal that includes lots of healthy vegies. Again, it can include almost anything.
Try our recipe: Cheesy roast pumpkin ‘nachos’
4 Salad
Done right, salads are a full meal, not just a pile of leaves. Knowing how to make a good dressing and the ideal components to make a salad satisfying will set you up for a lifetime of lunches.
Try our recipe: Fish sushi bowl
5 Soup
Soup is a warming vehicle for lots of goodness, from beans to broccoli. Learning a couple of basic techniques — a broth-based soup and a pureed version — means you always have something to do with whatever’s in the fridge.
Try our recipe: Chilli pumpkin and coconut soup with bread crisps
For more advice on cooking knowledge, we recommend: 5 skills every beginner cook should learn or Teaching kids to cook
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