Jamie's cooking guide for kids: the recipes and skills they really need

Times

19-07-2025

Earlier this year my team rolled out 10 Cooking Skills for Life, a programme devised for schools and organisations that work with kids to teach young people essential cooking skills. With more than a thousand schools now delivering it up and down the country (and 200 more in the US) I could not be more proud that so many are learning to feed themselves (and their families) delicious, nutritious food.
I think all of us could do with being reminded of some of the basics in cookery, of what a balanced plate looks like and how to reduce kitchen waste. So here are some skills to get your kids to try in the summer holidays. I've outlined rough ages here, but they really are just a guide, as these will vary across schools and children. Adults might learn a thing or two themselves!
Cook the perfect eggs
Age guide: by the end of primary school
Scrambled eggs are a great place to start for young cooks. It's just a good recipe to have up your sleeve for those times when you need something tasty, fast and nutritious. They'll learn that screaming-hot heat isn't always the way — that low heat can sometimes be your best friend in the kitchen.
My top tip
Remember that eggs will continue to cook even when you've taken the pan off the heat, so remove them just before they're fully cooked and they will finish cooking in the pan and as you serve them.
Teach them essential knife skills
Age guide: you can build up their skills from primary school onwards
You can't cook without knowing how to use a knife, so it's all about learning the basics by peeling and chopping the veg for, for example, a tasty tomato soup. The great thing about making a soup is you don't need to be precise in the chopping, because everything will get blitzed up at the end, so the pressure's off.
Primary-age kids can focus on peeling and grating and the bridge technique, then in secondary you'd go into more precise chopping techniques like slicing, dicing and cross and rock-chops.
Obviously, adult supervision is needed for young cooks using knives, but make sure they know they should use a completely flat surface and use their dominant hand. Start with larger vegetables and a speed peeler, as they're easier for kids to handle. From here they can build up to learning how to cut vegetables safely using techniques such as 'the bridge' and 'the claw'.
My top tip
Use the right knife for the right job. A paring knife is for trimming and peeling smaller ingredients; a chef's knife is for chopping, dicing and slicing.
Quick tomato soup recipe
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
• 1 carrot
• 1 stick of celery
• 1 onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 sprigs of fresh basil or 1⁄2 tsp dried basil
• Olive oil
• 1 chicken or vegetable stock cube
• 1 x 400g tin of tomatoes
• Sea salt and black pepper
Method
1. Peel and roughly slice the carrot. Slice the celery. Peel and roughly dice the onion. Peel and slice the garlic.
2. Pick the basil leaves and set aside, then finely slice the stalks.
3. Put a large pan on a medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add all your chopped ingredients and mix together with a wooden spoon.
4. Cook for about 10 min with the lid askew, until the carrot has softened but is still holding its shape and the onion is lightly golden.
5. Put the stock cube into a jug or pan and pour in 750ml of boiling water. Stir until the stock cube is dissolved, then add to the pan with your tinned tomatoes.
6. Give it a good stir and bring to the boil.
7. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 min with the lid on. Remove the pan from the heat and season with salt and pepper and add the basil leaves. Using a hand blender or liquidiser, pulse the soup until smooth. Season again before serving.
Cook the perfect simple pasta sauce
Age guide: by the end of primary school
Now it's time to get a bit more sophisticated and make a deliciously simple tomato sauce. With just six ingredients, you can whip up a brilliantly easy dinner. It's such a great base recipe for kids to have under their belt. They can practise knife skills as well as learn how to reduce a sauce to boost flavour. They can easily adapt it too. For a spicy arrabbiata, add finely chopped chillies. Or for a puttanesca, add chillies, chopped olives, anchovy fillets and capers.
My top tip
Do you know what a portion size of dry pasta is for kids? It's 65g-75g. For spaghetti, that's roughly the diameter of a 10p coin.
Classic tomato spaghetti recipe
GETTY IMAGES
Serves 2
Ingredients
• 1 small clove of garlic
• 1⁄2 a small red chilli (optional)
• 1 sprig of fresh basil
• 135g wholewheat spaghetti
• Olive oil
• 1⁄2 of 400g tin of quality chopped tomatoes
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 30g cheese, such as parmesan, cheddar or any other suitable hard cheese
Method
1. To make the sauce, peel and finely slice the garlic and slice the chilli (if using, halve and deseed it first if you don't want the sauce to be too hot).
2. Pick the basil leaves off the stalks and put to one side. Finely slice the stalk.
3. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the spaghetti and cook according to the packet instructions.
4. Meanwhile, put a large saucepan on a medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the garlic, chilli and basil stalk, and give them a stir.
5. When the garlic begins to brown slightly, add most of the basil leaves and the tinned tomatoes. Turn the heat up high and stir for 1 min. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Drain the spaghetti in a colander, then transfer it to the pan of sauce and stir well. Taste and add more salt and pepper if you think it needs it.
7. Serve with torn basil leaves and grated cheese.
How to cook chicken (and tell when it's done)
Age guide: during secondary school
Young teens can be introduced to raw meat, food safety and the importance of hygiene. It's important to learn how to prep chicken without cross contamination. Chicken fajitas are a good place to start, as they are so easy to make and a favourite with students.
My top tip
The best way for them to check if chicken is cooked is to take a piece carefully from the pan and slice it in half. The meat should look opaque and white all the way through with no pink.
Chicken fajitas recipe
JAMES VERITY
Serves 1
Ingredients
• 1⁄2 a pepper
• 1⁄2 a medium red onion
• 1⁄2 a small, skinless, boneless chicken breast (preferably free range) or for veggie version use 1⁄2 a tin of black beans, drained
• 1⁄2 tsp smoked paprika
• Small pinch of ground cumin
• 1 lime
• Olive oil
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 1 large wholewheat flour tortilla
• Natural yoghurt
• Mature cheddar
For the guacamole
• A small handful of cherry tomatoes (about 12)
• 1⁄2 to 1 fresh red chilli
• A few sprigs of fresh coriander
• 1 small ripe avocado
• 1 lime
Method
1. Deseed the pepper and slice it into thin strips. Peel and finely slice the onion.
2. Slice the chicken lengthways into long strips roughly the same size as the pepper strips.
3. Put the pepper, onion and chicken into a bowl with the paprika and cumin.
4. Squeeze over the juice of 1⁄2 a lime (reserving the other half for later), drizzle over 1 tablespoon of olive oil, season with a good pinch of pepper and mix well. Put to one side to marinate for 5 min or so.
5. Put your frying pan on a high heat.
6. Use a pair of tongs to put all the pieces of pepper, onion and chicken into your preheated pan to cook for 6 to 8 min, or until the chicken is golden and cooked through. As the pan will be really hot, keep turning the pieces of chicken and vegetables so they don't burn — you just want them to lightly chargrill to give it flavour. If you're using black beans instead of chicken, add these to the pan 5 min after you have added the pepper and onion.
7. Meanwhile, to make the guacamole, squeeze the cherry tomatoes onto a board. Finely dice the chilli, then finely chop the coriander leaves, including the top part of the stalks.
8. Halve and de-stone the avocado, then squeeze it over the board with the tomatoes so the flesh comes out of the skin. Discard the skin. Chop everything until fine. Taste and adjust the flavours if needed.
9. Squeeze the juice of your reserved lime half over the sizzling pan of chicken. To serve, warm the tortilla and top with the chicken and veg, yoghurt, guacamole and grated cheese.
• Easy recipes my kids never said no to
How to cook fish
Age guide: by the end of primary school
Fish can be a daunting ingredient to cook with. You can cook fishcakes (a family favourite of ours) easily, which look impressive, using tinned tuna and leftover mashed potatoes.
Look out for the Marine Stewardship Council label on fish, to ensure it's sustainably sourced. Oily fish is a brilliant source of omega-3 for kids' brains.
My top tip
It can be tricky to know what fish to buy when you're opting for fresh, so these are my tips for teens (and everyone!). To show it's fresh, fish should have bright, clear eyes and healthy red gills.
Fillets of fish should be shiny and look wet and should not be flaking apart. The fish should feel firm and slightly rubbery to touch.
Fresh fish shouldn't smell 'fishy'. It should smell like the sea.
How to cook the easiest, healthiest burger
Age guide: during secondary school
Burgers can be made into a healthy dinner. Serve a crunchy coleslaw alongside the burger with carrots and cabbage — a great way to get some of your five-a-day, while also using up any veggies in your fridge. In fact, a combination of burger, coleslaw and wedges is a perfectly balanced plate.
My top tip
When shopping for beef mince, check the fat content on the label. Burgers need to contain a certain amount of fat to make them juicy — 10 per cent to 15 per cent is ideal. If you're concerned about consuming too much fat, lean beef mince contains less than 7 per cent fat and also works well.
Easy burger recipe
JAMES VERITY
Serves 1
Ingredients
• 85g minced beef (you could also use pork, lamb or turkey mince). For vegan/vegetarians: 70g plant-based or vegetarian sausage (skin removed) with 25g fresh breadcrumbs
• 7g fresh breadcrumbs
• 1⁄4 tsp mustard
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 1 sprig of fresh parsley
• Olive oil
• 1 cos or round lettuce leaf
• 1 slice of tomato
• 1 slice of red onion (optional)
• 2 slices of gherkin (optional)
• 1 wholewheat burger bun
Method
1. Add the minced beef, breadcrumbs, mustard and a small pinch of sea salt and black pepper to a large bowl (plus 1 teaspoon of water if you're making a vegan burger).
2. Pick and finely chop the parsley leaves, then finely slice the stalk, add to the bowl and scrunch everything together with clean hands until well combined.
3. With clean, damp hands, take the mixture and shape into 1 roundish patty about 2cm thick.
4. Drizzle the burger with a little oil, put on a plate, cover and place in the fridge until needed — this helps them to firm up.
5. Preheat a large griddle or non-stick frying pan for about 4 min on a high heat (add a little oil to the pan for vegan burgers).
6. Turn down the heat to medium. Place the burger on the griddle or in the pan and use a spatula to lightly press down on it, making sure the burger is in full contact. Cook it to your liking for 3-4 min on each side.
7. Meanwhile, wash and dry the small lettuce leaf. Place the tomato, red onion and gherkin (if using) on a platter, ready to serve. When the burger is cooked, put it aside on a plate.
8. Carefully wipe your pan or griddle clean with kitchen paper, halve your burger bun and lightly toast it on the griddle or in the pan for 30 seconds. Then serve it with your burger.
Cooking a balanced vegetarian meal
Age guide: during secondary school
Cooking with veggies is going to be even more essential in the future. They're more sustainable than meat, cheaper, better for the environment — and your microbiome.
Sweet potato, or whatever veg you have to hand, makes a good, filling ingredient for veg chilli. Vary the type of beans you use in the recipe to change up the flavour.
Sweet potato chilli recipe
MATT RUSSELL
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
• 250g sweet potato or butternut squash (or a mixture)
• 1⁄2 a small onion
• 1⁄2 a red pepper
• 1⁄2 a yellow pepper
• 1 clove of garlic
• Olive oil
• A few sprigs of fresh coriander
• 1 fresh red or green chilli
• 1⁄4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon and ground cumin
• 1 x 400g tin of beans, such as kidney, black, chickpeas, pinto, cannellini
• 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• Sea salt and black pepper
Method
1. Peel the sweet potatoes or butternut squash, and dice into bite-sized chunks.
2. Peel and roughly dice the onion. Halve, deseed and roughly dice the peppers. Then peel and finely chop the garlic.
3. Put a large pan over a medium-high heat and add 1⁄2 a tablespoon of olive oil.
4. Add the sweet potato or butternut squash, onion, peppers and garlic, and cook for 10 min with the lid on, stirring 3 to 4 times.
5. Meanwhile, pick the coriander leaves and put aside, then finely slice the stalks. Deseed and finely dice the chilli.
6. After 10 min, stir in the coriander stalks, chilli and spices and cook for a couple of minutes.
7. Drain the beans, then tip them into the pan with the tin of tomatoes.
8. Stir well and bring to the boil, then reduce to a medium-low heat and leave to tick away for 20 to 25 min, or until thickened and reduced. Keep an eye on it, and add a splash of water if it gets a bit thick, stirring it 3 to 4 times during cooking.
9. Stir in most of the coriander leaves. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if you think it needs it.
10. Scatter the remaining coriander leaves over the top, and serve with rice, a jacket potato or whatever you fancy.
How to make a stir-fry
Age guide: during secondary school
The key is to get your pan hot-hot-hot, don't overcrowd it and use a neutral-based oil. Not only does this dish show how they can get their five-a-day in one dish, they learn about the impact of vegetable waste in the UK and how to reduce it in their own cooking.
My top tip
Stir-frying is a very quick method of cooking, so it's important to have everything you need prepared before you start. Cut the meat (or protein) into the same-sized pieces to ensure it all cooks at the same time and wash and trim your veg.
Stir-fried noodles recipe
Serves 1
Ingredients
• 1⁄2 a lime
• 1⁄2 a thumb-sized piece of ginger
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1⁄4 of a fresh red chilli
• 2 spring onions or 1⁄2 a small red onion
• A few sprigs of fresh coriander
• 170g mixed crunchy veg, such as red pepper, broccoli, mangetout, carrots, cabbage
• 100g of protein, such as chicken or firm tofu
• 125g cooked rice or egg noodles
For the glaze
• 1 tbsp low-salt soy sauce
• 1⁄2 tsp cornflour
• Sunflower or vegetable oil
Method
1. Cut the lime half into two wedges. Make the glaze by mixing the soy sauce and cornflour together with 1 tablespoon of water and the juice of 1 lime wedge (reserving the other wedge for later), and set aside.
2. Peel the ginger and garlic. Finely slice the garlic, chilli and ginger.
3. Trim and finely slice the spring onions (or peel and finely slice the red onion). Pick the coriander leaves and reserve for later, then finely slice the stalks.
4. Peel, trim and finely slice the vegetables into finger-sized strips, where appropriate.
5. Now prep your protein. If using meat, trim away any excess fat and slice into strips the size of your little finger. If using firm tofu, drain well and pat dry with kitchen paper, then dice into 2cm cubes. Wash your hands.
6. Place a wok or large frying pan on a high heat. Once it's very hot, add 1⁄2 a tablespoon of oil and swirl it around the pan.
7. Add the protein and stir-fry for 2 min or so until it begins to brown all over (tofu, which takes longer to brown on all sides, for 3-4 min).
8. Add the ginger, garlic, chilli, spring onion (or red onion) and coriander stalks, and cook, stirring, for 1 min.
9. Add the vegetables and stir-fry for 2 more min, then add the noodles, and keep stir-frying until hot through.
10. Push the contents of the pan to one side to make an empty space in the base of the pan.
11. Pour in the glaze and allow to bubble, then toss all the protein and vegetables together until well coated.
12. Use tongs to transfer the stir-fry to a serving plate, scatter with the coriander leaves and serve with a lime wedge for squeezing.
Cook a healthy curry
Age guide: during secondary school
Everyone loves a takeaway, but they are often high in salt, so teaching them to make their own can have a very positive impact on health. It's worth noting that the cost of food waste from takeaway meals in the UK is £1.8 billion every year. So knowing how to prepare and cook food from scratch is a good way of reducing food waste.
My top tips
You don't need to rely just on salt to add flavour to food. Herbs and spices add different notes and subtle complexity to dishes. Get your teen to try flavouring and seasoning with herbs and spices, whether fresh or dry, before reaching for the salt.
I use dried spices, which have a stronger, more concentrated flavour than fresh. Because they're dried, they'll last longer in your cupboard, making them a great ingredient to have to hand. Then toasting or frying whole herbs and spices — such as cumin seeds — is a great way to get as much flavour from them as possible.
Easy chickpea curry recipe
JAMES VERITY
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1cm piece of ginger
• 1⁄2 tbsp mild curry powder
• 1⁄2 tbsp mango chutney
• 1⁄2 x 400g tin of quality chopped tomatoes
• 1⁄2 x 400g tin of chickpeas
• 1⁄2 x 400g tin of light coconut milk
• 100g spinach leaves or frozen whole-leaf spinach
• Neutral oil
• Sea salt and black pepper
Method
1. Peel and dice the onion into 1cm chunks. Trim and dice the carrot into 1cm chunks.
2. Place a large pan on a medium heat and drizzle in 1 tablespoon of oil.
3. Add the chopped vegetables and sweat down for 15 min, until soft and sweet.
4. Peel the garlic. Use a teaspoon to scrape the skin off the ginger. Finely grate both, then add to the pan.
5. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Add the curry powder and cook for a further 2 min, then add the mango chutney.
6. Tip in the tomatoes, then half-fill the tin with water, swirl it around and tip into the pan.
7. Drain and add the chickpeas, then simmer over a high heat for 15-20 min, or until thickened.
8. Pour in the coconut milk and stir it through the sauce.
9. Mix in the spinach and allow it to wilt into the sauce, simmer for 2 min (or until thawed if using frozen spinach), then taste and season to perfection.