Cooking with Kids: Flip those pancakes into tacos
Pic: iStock
Pancake tacos are fun. They are simply a pile of pancakes with the fillings on the side that children can put together themselves and eat the same way you would a taco.
There is lots of scope to make different fillings, yogurt and fruit are simple and tasty, but they can also be savoury, try some scrambled egg and bacon. Either way, they are a weekend breakfast that gets everyone involved.
When making the pancakes it is good to not over beat the batter, just ask the children to stir it until everything is combined then put it into the fridge to settle. It is always wise to leave pancake batter stand for a while so everything can combine, and the flour can thicken the batter.
Knowing when to flip is important and the children might need some guidance not only because of the hot surface but because you will probably need to help with the flipping.
A good, flat fish slice is usually the best implement. You can tell when the pancakes need to be turned when the bubbles that form on the surface begin to pop, and also the edges will start to turn up a little and look drier.
When making the pancakes it is good to not over beat the batter, just ask the children to stir it until everything is combined then put it into the fridge to settle. Servings Preparation Time Cooking Time Total Time Course Ingredients 300g self raising flour 1 tsp of baking powder a pinch of salt 2 eggs 1 tbs of honey 300mls of milk sunflower oil for frying Method Place a big sieve over a mixing bowl and put the flour, baking powder and salt into the sieve and gently push them through with a spoon. Crack the two eggs into another bowl and whisk them until they are smooth and shiny and about twice the size. Add in the honey and milk. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the liquid a third at a time and stir after each time you pour some in. You should end up with a nice smooth batter. You can use a whisk instead of a spoon if it gets lumpy. Put the batter into the fridge for about an hour to rest. Ask an adult to help you heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add about 1 dessertspoon of sunflower oil. Carefully swirl the pan, while holding it flat, and allow the oil to cover all of surface of the frying pan. When the oil has heated use a big spoon and spoon the batter into the centre of the frying pan. You will be making ten small round pancakes with your batter. Cook the pancakes until bubbles start to form and pop on the surface, then flip it over and cook the other side until it is golden. Put this pancake onto a warm plate and repeat it with the rest of the batter.Pancakes
Take your pancakes to the next level with those fun, foldable tacos. Servings Preparation Time Total Time Course Ingredients A small tub of natural Greek yogurt, about 200g 1 tsp honey ½ tsp vanilla 10 strawberries Some blueberries 1 banana 1 kiwi 1 small cup of granola Method Mix the yogurt with the honey and vanilla and put it in the fridge while you prepare your fruit. Wash the strawberries and blueberries and allow the water to drain off them. With a teaspoon scoop the green stalks from the strawberries. Cut each one into four. Peel the kiwi, you can use a potato peeler for this once your kiwi is firm. Cut it into slices. Peel the banana and cut it into thin slices. Put the bowl of yogurt on the table with your stack of pancakes. Put the fruit in another bowl and the granola in another. Put plates and spoons on the table and let people fill their own taco pancakes with whatever they like best.Taco Pancakes
There is still food for birds to eat but in the next few weeks, this will change as the weather gets cooler.
Making some seed bars and hanging them on an easy-to-access branch is a real treat for the birds.
You can buy 250g blocks of lard in most big supermarkets, it comes in a hard block like butter.
Gather two tablespoons of each of the following; porridge oats, bird seeds (this is not edible for humans), uncooked peanuts that have no salt, grated cheese.
Roughly chop the peanuts and stir them with the rest of the dry ingredients.
Use a plastic tub that is about 500ml.
Ask an adult to melt the lard over a low heat in a saucepan on the hob.
Leave to cool for about five minutes then add the dry ingredients and stir them in.
Let it cool for another five minutes then scoop it into the container.
Once it has gone cold put it in the fridge to firm up completely.
When you want to put it into the garden take the seed bar out of the tub and cut it into four slices.
Tie some twine around the bars and hang them from a tree branch.
