Autism Recipes / Aspergers Recipes

Well-designed recipes are the key to our students’ cooking success. Everything is set out in small steps and simple language. Nothing is left to guesswork. Now you can share this success in your own home or school using our Coach in the Kitchen cookbook.

Comments about our recipes

The impeccable analysis of tasks is the basis for the success of the unique cookbook, “Coach in the Kitchen”. The well thought-out, foolproof recipes make this an accessible cookbook for many otherwise “non-cooks”. Procedures usually left unstated in other books are here explained in simple steps and even pictured!
Beverley Bronte-TInkew, M. H. Sc.,
Speech-Language Pathologist
Hamilton, Ontario

We are truly amazed at the concise and yet simple outlines that have been documented for each recipe stage as well as the nutritional value of the recipes selected.
Ian and Lesley Lawrence, parents
St. Catharines, Ontario

We selected recipes that suit the eating habits and enhance the health of students in our cooking school for teens and adults with Aspergers and other forms of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Most people (with or without autism) don’t eat enough fruits, vegetables or whole grains. We’ve successfully addressed this in our cooking school by presenting recipes that blend whole grains with refined grains in baked goods, so that fibre is present without neglecting texture or flavour. We’ve also found that fruits and vegetables previously shunned are accepted when garnished with appealing sauces or baked in desserts.

Recognizing that people with Aspergers and other forms of Autism Spectrum Disorder often have highly idiosyncratic eating habits, the 290 pages of recipes in our cookbook include a wide range of foods. There’s something here for everyone—for those who like pasta; for those who like their foods breaded; for those who like cheese; for those who like pizza, chicken, sausage or rice; for those who like baked goods; and for those who eat gluten-free food, or casein-free food, or both. We’ve covered all bases in the consumption tendencies of those with Aspergers and other forms of Autism Spectrum Disorder, but done so without compromising nutrition.

Some Sample Recipes

Try our Ginger Carrots recipe.

Try our Chicken in Peanut Sauce recipe.

Try our Oven-BBQ’d Chicken recipe.

Try our Fusilli, Cheese, Tomato Casserole recipe.

Try our Bumbleberry Squares recipe.

To learn how to buy all recipes collected in the Coach in the Kitchen cookbook, click here.

What recipes are included in Coach in the Kitchen?

Some Main Dishes are:

Spaghetti with Sausage Tomato Sauce

Oven BBQ’d Chicken

Fusilli, Cheese, Tomato Casserole

Mini Pizzas

Pork Parmigiana

Spanish Rice

Oriental Meatballs

Seasoned Chicken Burgers

Potato, Sausage, Cheese Casserole

Fish with Tortilla Chip Coating

Main Dishes cont:

Baked Stuffed Potatoes

Chicken in Peanut Sauce

Chinese Beef Burgers

Pizza Pockets

Basa with Mozzarella Topping

Crispy Baked Chicken

Scallops Oriental

Rotini with Hummus Sauce

Ground Turkey Meatloaf

….and more

Some Soups, Sides and Salads are:

Caesar Salad Vinaigrette

Broccoli with Parmesan Topping

Ginger Carrots

Asparagus with Molasses-Garlic Sauce

Green Beans Almondine

Sugar Snap Peas with Sesame

Maple-Glazed Brussels Sprouts

Pumpkin Soup

Arugula and Leaf Lettuce Salad

Broccoli with Toasted Pine Nuts and Cranberries

Asparagus with Caesar Sauce

…and more

Some Baked Goods and Desserts are:

Apple Pear Crumble

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Strawberry Bread Pudding

Poppy-Seed Lemon-Glazed Muffins

Bumbleberry Squares

Honeydew Melon with Cherry Berry Sauce

Molasses Cornmeal Cake

Creamy Fruit Salad

Pumpkin Bread

Cornmeal Raspberry Muffins

…and more

Remember: our baked goods and desserts serve a nutritional function. They increase fibre and fruit to your diet effortlessly. We’ve tweaked our baked goods so you can enjoy them without laying on excessive calories and fats. Just compare calories in our muffins to ones in stores. Ours range between 150 and 230 calories per muffin. Store-bought muffins often exceed 400 or 500 calories!

To learn how to purchase all recipes collected in the Coach in the Kitchen cookbook, please click here.

Look at ourCauliflower with Breadcrumb Dressing recipe for a sample of our easy-to-follow instructions.

As you can see, recipes start with a “Utensils & Appliances” list. Anything needed to prepare a recipe is included, from an apron, chopping board, particular measuring spoon or mixing bowl, to a stovetop—and everything else in between. Major appliances (like oven, microwave or stovetop) are always listed last, so they’re easy to find. If you don’t feel comfortable using an appliance, you can check through the list beforehand to make sure it’s not required.

For example, you can instantly see that Cauliflower with Breadcrumb Dressing uses a stovetop, but not an oven or microwave.

Nutrition Facts are displayed for each recipe, too. If you’re tracking calories, carbohydrates, sodium or other nutrients, this box shows how much of each is in a serving. Since medications for autism often result in weight gain, we’ve selected recipes with low calories and little, or no, unhealthy fats.

Notice the boxes beside every step in the recipe? You can check them off when you finish each step to keep track of exactly where you are. That way you’ll never skip steps by mistake.

Instructions in most cookbooks would typically start at step #11 of our Cauliflower recipe, simply telling you to put cauliflower florets in a steamer basket on the stove. We provide much more support than that. We spell out exactly what you have to do to reach that point—whether it be tearing off cauliflower leaves, cleaning the cauliflower, placing it on the chopping board and holding it to cut it, or putting the right amount of water (and no more than the right amount) in the saucepan. Read it to see for yourself.

To try our Banana Muffins recipe, click here.

To learn how to purchase all recipes collected in Coach in the Kitchen, please click here.