Cooking doesn’t have to be difficult, there are many easy recipes that you can do yourself or with a little help from mum and dad. Whether you fancy something sweet, a big meal, or just a snack we have a recipe which you will be able to follow and impress your whole family with!

Tips on how to be super healthy

If you have a garden, a really fun way of being healthy is to grow your own veg. Imagine putting a few seeds in the garden and watching them turn into something you can eat! The five easiest vegetables to grow are salad greens, carrots, courgettes, green beans and tomatoes.

What do I need to grow my vegetables?

Seeds – Most vegetables come in a packet of seeds and cost about 70p. They will have full instructions on the back so all you need to do is make sure you follow them carefully and you will have yummy vegetables in no time!
Space – To grow your own veg you will need a little patch of garden where you can plant them. Ask Mum or Dad where the best place would be and how much space can be allocated for your patch.
Water – you will need to water your vegetable patch to keep your vegetables nice and moist. Be careful though as some vegetables need watering more than others! Check the packet of seeds for instructions or ask Mum or Dad to help.
Once you have these three things you can start to plant your vegetable. Remember, if you are unsure about what to do, ask an adult and before you know it vegetables will be sprouting up in your garden! When they are ready to eat you can cook whatever you like with them. Here are some easy but very tasty recipes which are perfect to ease you into cooking. You will be the new Jamie Oliver or Nigella Lawson in no time!

Vegetarian Bolognaise

4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 carrot
• 1 onion
• 200 gram button mushrooms
• 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 400 gram can tomatoes, tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon mixed herbs, dried
• 2 tablespoon tomato ketchup
• 1 tablespoon vegetable stock concentrate
• 350 gram pack Quorn mince (beef if you prefer!)
• 400 gram spaghetti
• Parmesan cheese, to sprinkle on top

Method:

1. Peel and chop carrot, finely chop the onions and half the mushrooms.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the onion and carrots and cook until onions are browned. Add the mushrooms and stir-fry until they are browned for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes, herbs, ketchup and stock, then mix it all together. If mixture is too thick add half a can of water,
4. Add the Quorn (or beef) to the mixture, season, then cover and simmer for 12 mins.
5. While your mixture is simmering away you can cook your spaghetti. Follow the instructions on the packet and make sure you salt your water first.
6. Serve by plating the spaghetti up so the bolognaise can be served in the middle, serve with garlic bread if you fancy!

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

4 servings

Timescale 50 mins

Ingredients:
• 4 skinless chicken breast halves
• 150 grams grated cheese. Mozzarella is perfect
• 100 grams ham, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• Ground pepper to season
• 1 egg white (ask Mum or Dad to separate the yolk from the white)
• 150 grams, breadcrumbs (wholemeal is best)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F/200C/gas mark 6. Cover a baking sheet with oil and mix cheese, ham and mustard in a bowl. Add a little pepper if you like the taste.
2. Ask Mum or Dad to help you cut a long slit fairly deeply along the side of the breast and stuff each of the four breasts with the cheese and ham mixture in your bowl.
3. Beat the egg white with a fork in a medium bowl and place your breadcrumbs in a bowl near to your egg white.
4. Dip each chicken breast in the egg white, then in breadcrumbs so the chicken breast has a nice covering on it.
5. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and cook them so they are brown on one side.
6. Put the chicken in the oven, brown side up for about 20 minutes. Check with Mum or dad that the chicken is cooked through.

Easy Peasy Baked Potatoes

2 Servings
Timescale 15 mins
Ingredients:

• 2 large baking potatoes
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 100 grams cheddar cheese, grated
• 100 grams broccoli florets
• Salt and pepper if you wish

Method:

1. Wash the potatoes to make sure there is no soil or dirt on them and prick them with a fork.
2. Cook in the microwave for 5 minutes on full power and then turn them over to cook for another five minutes.
3. Steam the broccoli florets.
4. Leave potatoes to stand for 2 minutes after cooking.
5. Cut them into quarters and season with salt and pepper.
6. Fill with the broccoli and cheese and season again if you want to.

Snickers Individual Cakes

12 servings
Ingredients:

• 175 grams standard flour
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1-1/2 tablespoons baking powder
• Salt, to season
• 6 tablespoons chunky peanut butter
• 35 grams unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg
• 6 fluid ounces milk
• 3 1/2 Snickers bars, chopped into small pieces

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF/200C/gas mark 6.
2. Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
3. Add the peanut butter and mix it all together well.
4. Beat the egg, add melted butter and stir the two together.
5. Mix in the Snickers pieces well so they are evenly distributed in the mixture.
6. Put mixture into individual cake cases laid out in a 12 piece cake tin.
7. Cook for around 25 minutes and check that the tops have risen and are golden and firm.
8. Leave the cakes to cool in the tin for five minutes and then take them out.
9. Serve with cream.

Roasted Chicken

4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 large free range chicken
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• 115 grams butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• Handful of fresh sage leaves
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 10 cloves of garlic
• 565 milliliters milk

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5.
2. Season chicken well and fry it in a pot in the butter and olive oil until it is an even golden colour.
3. Drain the juices at the bottom of the pot, add the other ingredients and cook the chicken for 1 1/2 hours.
4. Check it is cooked through, divide into portions and serve with some good old potatoes and veg.

This article was written on behalf of Cancer Research Jobs.