Cookery class.. AT HOME; EXCLUSIVE Only one in four British kids can boil an egg but TV chef and children's food expert Lesley Waters knows how to get your kids into the kitchen, with excellent, edible results!

Byline: Claire O'Boyle

Every parent knows how hard it can be to get kids interested in cooking - but Lesley Waters knows a few simple tricks to make sure they enjoy it.

"Lots of kids are intimidated by the kitchen and that's something we have to change," she says.

"It can be fun! Take them to the supermarket and let them help pick out ingredients. It sparks their interest and the kids have a challenge and feel involved. "Picnics are great ways to get your children interested in food.

"A nutritious diet is the basis to a happy healthy child and there's no better way to teach them about healthy foods than encouraging them to get their hands dirty and learn to cook from an early age."

Lesley has launched the Haliborange Shiny School which provides great recipes and tips to get kids cooking.

And here are a few fun recipes your kids will actually want to cook...

!! LESLEY HAS TEAMED UP WITH FOOD EXPERTS HALIBORANGE SHINY SCHOOL TO TEACH YOUR KIDS HOW TO COOK. VISIT WWW.SHINYSCHOOL.CO.UK TO FIND COOK-A-LONG RECIPES, HINTS AND ADVICE.

Wibbly-wobbly fruit faces

Serves 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes Chilling/setting time: 4 hours

INGREDIENTS

600ml raspberry & cranberry juice (if you don't like these flavours just use your favourite fruit juice instead)

1 sachet gelatine

225g strawberries, hulled and halved, plus some extra for decoration (or any other berries that take your fancy) to make a nose, eyes and mouth

: Method

(1) Take a small saucepan and pour in 150ml of the raspberry and cranberry juice.

(2) Sprinkle the sachet of gelatine over the juice and leave for two minutes. Just like a sponge in the bath, the gelatine soaks up all the juices.

(3) Place the pan over a very low heat and swirl the pan until the gelatine has completely dissolved - just make sure it doesn't overheat! Gradually pour in the remaining raspberry and cranberry juice, stirring well.

(4) Pour in the jelly and place the berries into the glass tumbler - watch those fingers though! Make a smiley face with your berries.

(5) Place in the fridge for four hours or until set.

(6) If it's a hot day, why not try serving the jelly with some ice cream?

Sizzling summer pork skewers & mint dip

Serves 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes, plus marinating

Cooking time: 16 minutes

INGREDIENTS

500g pork tenderloin, cut into chunks

2tbsp olive oil

1tsp ground cumin 

2tsp ground coriander 

Juice of half an orange

1tbsp runny honey

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 red peppers, halved, deseeded & each half cut into quarters

FOR THE MINTY DIP:

200g Greek yogurt 1 garlic clove, crushed

1 cucumber, deseeded and grated

You will also need eight pre-soaked bamboo skewers or metal skewers.

: Method

(1) Take a large bowl and toss the pork with the olive oil, cumin, coriander, orange juice, honey and garlic - use your hands to do this, just remember to wash them afterwards!

If you have time to spare, it's best to put this in the fridge and chill for an hour.

If you are vegetarian you could make this without the pork, using extra vegetables like courgettes and cherry tomatoes instead.

(2) Skewer the seasoned pork and peppers on to eight skewers.

Remember to ask an adult to do this as the skewers will be sharp! Place skewers on a roasting tray.

(3) Preheat the grill to medium heat.

(4) Place the skewers under the grill for six to eight minutes on each side, (the veggie option will be cooked more quickly). If it's sunny and you have a BBQ, why not cook them on that instead of grilling them?

(5) While the pork skewers are cooking, mix the minty dip ingredients together in a separate bowl and season with salt and pepper to your desired taste.

(6)Serve the minty dip with the skewers, and dip-dip-dip away.

BEFORE YOU START COOKING

Remember to wash your hands before you start cooking.

A good cook always cleans up as they go along. Make sure that all cooking surfaces are clean. Tidy away dirty bowls and utensils into the dishwasher or sink.

Wear an apron to protect your clothes from any splatters or splashes.

Teacup berry crumbles

Serves 4

Preparation: 10 minutes

Cooking: 20-25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

5 ripe plums, stoned & chopped

150g blueberries, plus some extra for decoration

2 oranges, juice only

40g butter, chilled & diced

115g plain flour

40g demerara or brown sugar 40g porridge oats

150ml double cream to serve (optional)

: Method

(1) Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.

(2) Take a bowl and toss the chopped plums and blueberries together. Divide equally between four ovenproof teacups or shallow dishes, then pour the orange juice over the four individual teacups or dishes

(3) To make the crumble, put the butter and flour into a bowl and rub together with fingertips until it resembles coarse crumbs. Then stir in the sugar and porridge oats

(4) Top the fruit with the crumble mixture and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until bubbling hot (juice will ooze over the edge of the crumble when ready).

(5) Top the crumbles with extra blueberries if desired and pour over a little double cream.

Smiley summer burgers

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

Splash of olive oil

75g onions, finely chopped

450g minced beef, or lamb

1/2tsp thyme, chopped

1/2tsp parsley, chopped

1 egg, beaten

pinch fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR FACE: 5 medium-sized gherkins (sliced into equal sizes) for eye sockets

2 sliced lemons for eyeballs

8 cocktail sticks

8 raisins for eye pupils

Mayonnaise from a squeezy bottle for the smiles

2 halved tomatoes

2 wholemeal rolls

4 lettuce leaves

: Method

(1) Heat olive oil in a small saucepan, and add the onion.

Fry over a gentle heat until the onion is soft and very pale golden. Leave to cool.

(2) Mix the mince with herbs and egg, then season with salt and pepper. Add the onions, and mix.

(3) Fry a tiny bit of the mixture in the pan to check for seasoning, then shape into hamburgers. Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the burgers for several minutes each side.

(4) Split up rolls and toast each half under the grill until golden. Remove and place a leaf of lettuce on each roll.

(5) Place burger on top of lettuce and decorate to create smiley faces.

Place sliced gherkins as two eye sockets on each burger, with sliced lemons on top to create eyeballs. Skewer with cocktail stick (right through the middle of the eye) and place a raisin on top to create eye pupil.

(6) Add halved tomato and place as nose.

(7) Use squeezy mayonnaise to draw on the smile.

Shiny cheese & broccoli stars

Makes 4

Preparation: 15 minutes

Cooking: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onions

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

1 tsp finely chopped green chillies

1/2 cup finely chopped broccoli Salt to taste

1/2 cup boiled and grated potatoes 2 tbsp grated mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup wholewheat bread crumbs

2 tsp olive oil for cooking

: Method

(1) Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, add the onions, ginger-garlic paste and green chillies and saute for two minutes while stirring continuously.

(2) Add the broccoli and salt and saute on a slow flame for another five to seven minutes or until the broccoli is almost cooked.

(3) Remove from the flame, add the potatoes and mix well. Leave to cool.

(4) Divide into four equal portions and shape each portion into small rounds.

(5) Press a little in the centre of each round to make a depression and put 1 1/2 tsp of cheese and shape them into flat stars (approximately 1 1/2ins in diameter).

(6) Roll in the breadcrumbs.

(7) Heat a nonstick pan then cook the stars using 1/2 tsp of oil till golden brown on both sides.

CAPTION(S):

BIG COOK LITTLE COOKS Children will enjoy cooking with some encouragement