Recipes for Reluctant Teens

[AltheaVestr1t]

DH and I both enjoy cooking, and are frequently joined in the kitchen by DD (8). DS (15) likes eating but the cooking...not so much. Because I've been banging on about this being an essential life skill (and probably because he is getting bored in lock-down!) I've persuaded him to try a recipe a week. So far on my list I have stir fry, tuna pasta...and that's it. Does anyone have really simple, quick, teen-proof recipes we can try? Thanks!

I have similarly reluctant teens, and I found the way in was to get them to cook their own favourites.
So, they started very early (around7yo?) with mixing pancakes, and doing a pasta and pesto supper.

Now, one is learning to master pastry while we are confined at home (and did a lovely apple and blackberry tart this evening).
The other loves chicken korma, so we are working on the ingredients for that. At the moment, they are learning to chop and sweat onions for the base.

On my list of basics are
spag bol and a nice garlic bread;
a cheesy omelette (cheap and quick but nutritious ).
Carbonara
Risotto
French toast.
a cake for dessert (for housemates or to impress a date)
pizza using a tortilla or other ready made base

I've also got them to look at our supplies and plan meals for 5days in advance, so that they start to think and learn about meal planning, ensuring that you have the necessary ingredients, not letting things go out of date etc.

Does that sound like something that would help?

Homemade pizza? This is my favorite recipe for a base makes 3 bases I cling film any spares and then they freeze/defrost really well

What does he enjoy eating?

Homemade fish fingers, burgers, potato wedges
Pasta and meatballs
Frittata

Spaghetti bol,
Pizza
Omelette
Risotto
Garlic bread
Roast chicken and veg
Fried rice

Would he be interested in some of the ‘fake away’ recipes? Jamie Oliver has a section on his website. Or he could look at favourite restaurant menus then select dishes to recreate at home.

Some fantastic ideas here, thank you! We're going to try Spag Bol this weekend and I'm definitely investigating fakeaways...thanks!

There's a brilliant book called "The takeaway secret" by Kenny McGovern. I think it's £3-4 on Amazon.
Really easy to follow, & the results are just like the real thing.

Two of my teens faves to cook:
www.recipetineats.com/asian-beef-and-noodles/
www.recipetineats.com/asian-mushroom-ramen-noodle-recipe/

Quick and easy but so very delish!

Do you think your 15 year old would be interested in doing his own thing? Have a look at Sam Stern's cook books aimed at teens and students. My son got into cooking after receiving one of these as a present.

Another skill would be eggs, scrambled, poached, omelettes.

Fajitas are easy as well.

Why not ask him to investigate recipe books and buy one, then work through the recipes? He's much more likely to want to cook meals he's selected, surely?

I agree with others - either teach him how to make his favourites or get him a recipe book (his choice) for him to pick and try recipes.

Having said that, I'm drawing up a list of things I think my DC should be able to cook before they leave home and it includes:

Spaghetti bolognaise
1 vegetarian pasta sauce (tomato base)
1 meat/seafood pasta sauce (not bolognaise)
Roast chicken
Eggs in at least two ways (eg fried and omelette)
1 curry (veg or meat, any type)
1 soup
1 stew/casserole
Green/side salad
1 main course salad
Steak
1 fish dish
Cheese/white sauce

Also, basics of how to boil, steam or bake vegetables, and how to stir fry.

You might find he enjoys baking too. Something like chocolate brownies are a huge hit with most teens, after all, and they're an easy make if you have the ingredients. I've no interest in cooking something that I don't want to eat, so make that your first priority - he gets to choose the meal and then helps to cook it. Even if it's just scrambled eggs.

My kids were told at the start of lockdown they had to cook for the family once a week. They do this in the holidays too.

It started several years ago when we were staying with friends for a weekend and their kids (younger than ours) were really involved in preparing and cooking food and said the younger you start the better.

We started with baking, then got them to think about what meals they like and wrote lists. I typed up all of our favourite recipes and we've each got our own cookery folder which will go with them to uni.

Their favourites are satay chicken, curry, spicy noodles, homemade chicken nuggets, seared salmon with stir fried veg and noodles, toad in the hole with gravy and chunky rustic chips (cooked in goose fat.)

2 ingredient pizza bases are quick and easy and with a homemade sauce they're pretty healthy too

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/quickcheatsspizza88026

Quesadillas are useful to learn. In fact a lot of Tex-Mex type food seems to particularly appeal to teenage boys, in my experience.