These simple recipes can make a delicious meal or side dish using minimal equipment. They can also be used to help children experiment with flavour and the different ways of preparing different vegetables. Offer children a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to start – which ingredients would go best in a raw salad and which are best roasted? 

Raw vegetable couscous salad

A delicious, nutritious, refreshing salad

You will need

100g couscous

1 vegetable stock cube mixed with boiling water (adult help will be required here)

A selection of fruits and vegetables that could be grated/ sliced/ made into long peelings/ pulled apart: carrot, tomatoes, cucumber, pomegranate, raw green beans, raisons, broccoli or cauliflower florets

½ lemon

Optional extras: feta cheese, cooked chicken or ham, olives, sundried tomatoes, mint leaves to dress

Method

1. Put the couscous in a medium-sized bowl. Add the hot stock, give a gentle stir and then leave for five minutes to allow the couscous to soak up the liquid.
2. Prepare any vegetables being used remembering to wash them first.
3. Zest the skin of the lemon into the couscous and then add the lemon juice. Stir through gently.
4. Add the prepared vegetables to the couscous.
5. To serve place lettuce leaves around the edge of a large plate and then place the couscous in the middle. If using, crumble a small handful of feta cheese on top to serve.

Top tips: this is a good recipe to focus on how to weigh and measure accurately. It is easier to place the weighed couscous into a measuring jug and note the measurement in millilitres before placing in the mixing bowl. Then, when preparing the stock, measure it in the jug to twice the amount of couscous in millilitres.

Oven roasted winter vegetables couscous

A tasty comfort food for a healthy lunch or side dish

You will need

100g couscous

1 vegetable stock cube mixed with boiling water (adult help will be required here)

A selection of winter vegetables for roasting: sweet potatoes, carrots, swede, brussels sprouts, leeks, cauliflower, onions etc.

2-3 garlic cloves

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper

Mixed herbs: thyme and rosemary

Method

1.  Wash the vegetables; peel if preferred, then cut into small chunks/wedges. Adult help will be needed for this stage.
2. Place the vegetables that will take longer to cook onto a baking tray (sweet potatoes, carrots and swede) add one tablespoon of oil a pinch of salt and pepper and the herbs. Using your hands toss/mix the vegetables to coat with the oil. Put the other vegetables into a bowl add the oil and mix to coat.
3. With an adult helping place the tray in a hot oven and roast at 200C/fan 190C/gas 6 for 20 minutes. Remove the tray carefully and add the remaining vegetables mixing them all together. Roast for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft, cooked through and golden.
4. While the vegetables are roasting prepare the couscous. Put the couscous in a medium bowl/mixing bowl. Add the hot stock, give a gentle stir and then leave for five minutes to allow the couscous to soak up the liquid.
5. Add the prepared vegetables to the couscous and serve.

Top tips: leaving the vegetables unpeeled increases the nutritional value. Mixing foods together with hands is a way to understand the textures of different foods.