Teaching your child how to cook is not just good for their health, but also empowers them in the future, as they can make meals themselves if they go to college or move out independently, rather than relying in ready-meals and fast food restaurants. It also helps young people learn where their food is from, fosters compassion, and makes them popular with friends!
Omari McQueen is passionate about helping other children embrace plant-based food. He (and his older brother) learned to cook at an early age, to help their father who worked long hours, while their mother was ill. Knowing she would have ‘gone ape’ had she known he was doing more than warm up food, he cooked in secret! She now says she could ‘eat his blackberry crumble all day’. Omari’s ambition is to be like Gordon Ramsay – ‘but without the meat and swearing’.
Buy good children’s knives (safer blades but still use supervised). Use vegan butters with no palm oil. Use a reusable silicone baking liner or unbleached parchment paper. Keep recipes away from pets, due to toxic ingredients.
This fun book of 35 recipes has photos of all the ingredients, so it’s simple to cook along. And (say this very quietly!) but this book is ideal for adults who are not very gifted in the kitchen! Right from the start, happy Omari lets us know what vegans don’t eat (and he’s already up with info on why ‘vegans don’t eat palm oil’) showing a 12-year old knows more than major supermarkets. It’s then onto the cooking which mostly uses everyday ingredients. A few Caribbean-inspired meals use ackee (looks but does not taste like scrambled egg – don’t eat it fresh, it can kill you). Instead of hearts of palm, use tinned artichokes (local and sustainable).
light bites
- Happy Hummus
- Salsa Time
- Nicely Cheesy Dip
- Rising Sun Fruit Punch
- Mumma Bear Smoothie
- Go-Go Energy Smoothie
lunch time
- Leek & Potato Soup
- Jamaican Patties
- Sweet Potato & Chickpea Burgers
- Spicy Vegetable Wraps
- Hot Cauli Bites
- Tropical Pizza
din din!
- Cottage Pie
- Chickpea Curry
- Special Lasagne
- Lentil Bolognese
- McQueen Ratatouille
- Rasta Pasta
- Sweet Potato Spinach Bake
- Simple Kebabs
on the side
- Crunchy Colourful Coleslaw
- Rice n Peas
- Peri Peri Wedges
- Zingy Beetroot Salad
yummy ever after!
- Tropical Fruit Salad
- Mango Coconut Jellies
- Plum & Blackberry Crumble
- Banana Fritters
- Strawberry Coconut Cheesecake
- Cherry Brownies
Omari’s vegan family cookbook
Vegan Family Cookbook is another book by Omari. This one offers snack meals to party food for children over 8 to make. With recipes mostly Caribbean and Latin influenced, this is ideal for people who like spicy food, with a few traditional British favourites thrown in!
small bites
- Samosas
- Vegan Salt & Pepper ‘Prawns’
- Mini Vegan Sausage Rolls
- Quiche
- Vegan ‘Buffalo Wings’
- Tacos
- Vegetable Fritters
food to share
- Burritos
- Fully Loaded Nachos
- Maple Syrup & Lemon Kebabs
- Pasta Salad
- Fried Mac n Cheese Nuggets
desserts
- Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Apple Crumble
- Watermelon Fruit Cake
- Churros
- Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Cinnamon Rolls
cakes
- Caramel Tart
- Fruit Cake
- Sprinkle Sponge Tray Bake
- Carrot Cake
