cooking in lara’s kitchen, by lm

This article was written for yooou! by 12-year-old LM.

It has always been my passion to cook and bake but I have never had the time to focus on this due to schooling and after school activities. Now that we are in lockdown in Dubai, I am thankful that I have the time to explore some new recipes, practise some new ones and master my old ones. So, I decided to start an Instagram account called ‘Lara’s Kitchen’ where I am able to share my recipes with family, friends and other people who follow the account.

Ever since I was little my aunty Michelle was a great baker and would always impress me with her delicious cakes and treats. Also when I was little, my Nanny Sue would intrigue me when she used to make me the most amazing meals. I would ask her for the recipe and she would say, “what recipe” I don’t use recipes. She taught me you don’t need to have a piece of paper to know what to do, you have to follow your heart and achieve your dreams. With time, I have found out that she is right because once you get good at cooking you won’t need to rely on specific amounts; you’ll just know. I like to call this the sixth sense. I love having people in my family that are so passionate and that I can look up to.

Back in September, my auntie bought a cafe called The Drawing Room and has been running it with some great staff to help her. It is probably my favourite place to eat in the world! I love it just as much as she does, I even work there when I go back to the UK in the summers and winters! She never used to have a passion for baking but the fact that she grew to love it made me wonder, anyone can do anything if they put their heart to it. Now I look at what she does and I admire it. 

Over the last few months I have posted many recipes on ‘Lara’s Kitchen’. Some are vegan, some are nut free, some are vegetarian and some are pescatarian because I like all my recipes to be suitable for all the people that watch my videos. To name a few, I have posted recipes such as paella (my favourite Spanish dish), a variety of curry’s, refreshing drinks and many more delicious, sweet treats. I am sure that a lot of people can learn some unique recipes from my account and I’d make sure to check it out. Today I would like to share with you one of my favourite recipes, ‘Banana and oat choc-chip muffins.’ I hope you enjoy!

Note: See a video of Lara creating her delicious muffins on our Instagram post today @yooou.life.