Discover the World on a Plate with the Junior Explorers Complete Cookbook

It’s a joy to welcome author and dad, Warren Nash, to the blog to share his delicious recipe for summer risotto which features in his fabulous new family recipe cookbook spanning world cuisine, Junior Explorers Complete Cookbook, which is out now!

Over to Warren…

As a food content creator and dad, I’ve always been passionate about making cooking fun, accessible, and educational. My journey began with simple recipe videos on YouTube, where I share easy meals parents and kids can make together. Over time, I saw how powerful food could be – not just as a way to bring people together but as a gateway to curiosity about different cultures. That’s what sparked the idea for my new book: a collection of delicious, family-friendly recipes inspired by flavors from around the globe, each paired with fascinating facts about the country they’re inspired by.

Introducing: the Junior Explorers Complete Cookbook – a culinary adventure inviting families to explore the world through tasty, easy-to-follow recipes. Each chapter represents a country of the world, including fun and interesting facts about that country (for example: inventions, historic facts, currency and more), plus recipes inspired by that country. The Junior Explorers Complete Cookbook turns every mealtime into a fun learning experience—no passport required!

You’ll find everything from hearty Italian classics to vibrant Mexican dishes, all with simple instructions kids and parents can follow together. With additional chapters covering diet and nutrition for children and the whole family, my book is more than just a recipe book, but a chance to create meaningful family moments while uncovering the rich culinary traditions of different nations.

To give you a taste of what’s inside, I’m sharing one of my favorite recipes from the book: Summer Risotto. This light, easy to prepare dish is perfect for warm evenings when you want something comforting yet vibrant and tasty using seasonal summery ingredients like the basil leaves.

Summer Risotto Recipe

Serves: 3, Prep Time: 10 minutes, Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 150g risotto rice
• 100g frozen chopped onion
• 100ml white wine
• 1 chicken/vegetable stock cube
• 50g grated parmesan
• 50g chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 25g butter
• Handful of fresh basil

Directions:

1. Melt a knob of butter in a sauté pan over a medium heat on the stove.
2. Add the onion and fry for 5 minutes.
3. Add the risotto rice and fry for 1 minute.
4. Pour in the white wine and fry for a further 1 minute until absorbed by the rice.
5. Top the pan up with boiling water until the rice is just covered and crumble in the stock cube.
6. Stir together and leave to simmer for 20 minutes over a low heat with the lid off.
7. Keep topping up the contents with boiling water until the rice is cooked.
8. When the rice has absorbed the water, stir in the parmesan, sun dried tomatoes and butter until the butter and parmesan has melted in.
9. Serve straight away garnished with fresh basil.

Cooking with kids isn’t just about teaching them a life skill – it’s about spending quality time together, fostering curiosity, and having fun in the kitchen. I hope my new cookbook helps families do just that, one delicious recipe at a time.

The Junior Explorers Complete Cookbook is available now on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4jgLLUa

Read more recipes here.