Sometimes getting kids to eat fish can be a real challenge, but it’s such a great source of protein that I’m always thinking of fun new ways to present it to little ones who resist it. Cod is an ideal introductory fish because of its mild flavor and light texture. It’s also a good source of omega-3’s, niacin and vitamins B12 and 6, all of which are important for growing bodies.

I find that whenever I serve my kids food they can hold and eat with their hands, they are more prone to eat it. For this recipe, I combined cod with some potato, cheese and breadcrumbs, molded it into bite-sized cakes and then served them up with a zesty dip. I’m never one to “sneak” fish or vegetables into recipes, but if your kids are averse to trying fish, these little cakes are delicious and a great way for them to enjoy something new. You never know, you may make fish fans out of your kids yet!

Potato Cod Cakes with Lemon Yogurt Dipping Sauce (Makes 16 Mini Patties – Serves 4)

1 Large Potato, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
1/2 Lb Cod
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
1 Tsp Parsley, chopped fine
2 Eggs, whisked separately
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Cup Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs
Canola or Vegetable Oil

1. Bring a steamer pot with 2 inches of water to a boil and cook the potato chunks for 15-20 minutes or until fork tender. Remove to a bowl and mash.
2. Add the cod to the steamer pot and cook for 5-6 minutes. Remove to a plate, cool and flake with a fork, being careful to remove any bones.
3. Place the cod, mashed potatoes, parmesan, parsley, 1 egg and salt in a bowl and stir to combine.
4. Shape about 2 tbsp of the cod mixture into 16 evenly shaped patties.
5. Place the breadcrumbs and remaining whisked egg into two separate bowls and gently roll each patty into the whisked egg and then into the bread crumbs.
6. Heat a thin layer of oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.
7. Cook the cod cakes 4 minutes on each side or until golden.
8. Serve with dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce:

2 Tbsp Yogurt
2 Tbsp Mayonnaise
2 Tsp Lemon
1/4 Tsp Salt

1. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.
2. Serve.

*For Freezing: After step 5, place the patties on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer for one hour, remove and place in ziploc bags, label and freeze up to 4 months.
*When ready: Remove from ziploc bag and place on a plate and place in the fridge to defrost for 24 hours and continue with steps 6-8. You can also just place in the the oven from the freezer at 400 for 10-15 minutes.

When Kenya was around 10 months old, I started placing tiny pieces of fish on his highchair tray for him to pick up and eat on his own. Now that Chloe is around the same age, I do it with her as well. And like her older brother, Chloe is a fish fanatic.

Fish is an important source of protein and a variety of nutrients for kids, like B vitamins and Omega 3’s, but there are many children who just plain ol’ resist eating it. This recipe is for those parents whose little ones put up a fight on fish night. As soon as your kids take a bite of this Parmesan Crusted Fish, I bet they’ll change their tune. I even added a delicious Lemon and Dill Dipping Sauce to get them more involved with the dish and add to the fun factor of eating it. You never know, your kids may be requesting fish after this!

Parmesan Crusted Fish (Serves 4)

1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1/4 Cup Bread Crumbs
1/2 Tsp Salt
4 Fish Fillets (you could use Tilapia, Red Snapper, Halibut, Barramundi or any white flakey fish)
Olive or Canola Oil Spray (I use Spectrum Canola Spray)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix the parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and salt in bowl or on a plate.
3. Coat each fish fillet in the cheese mixture.
4. Place on a spray-lined baking rack on top of a cookie sheet, coat the fish with spray and bake for 12-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish (about 12 minutes for tilapia and 15 minutes for something thicker like halibut).
5. Serve with lemon and dill dipping sauce.

Lemon & Dill Dipping Sauce

1/2 Cup Plain Yogurt
Juice of 1/2 a Lemon
2 Tsp Fresh Dill or 1 Tsp Dried Dill
Pinch of Salt

1. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
2. Serve.

These feel like an authentic English or Irish dish to me. Or maybe it’s a 
New England treat. I don’t know where fish pies were born, but I do know they’re gorgeous and delicious. I try to avoid using too much butter whenever possible, but from the time I was a kid, I knew that there was one indisputable culinary fact: if it had a crust, it had to be delicious!
Having pre-made puff pastry in the freezer is a lifesaver for whenever you are making anything with a crust, so I always have some on hand. The golden puff pastry in this dish encloses a warm, creamy mixture of fish and sweet vegetables. It’s so creamy in fact that you would think it’s made with heavy cream, but in fact it’s just an easy mixture of milk and a roux. Yes, moms and dads, you get to be culinary geniuses this week and make a roux, which is SO easy to do! I guarantee this will be a hit for even those little ones that turn their noses up at vegetables. Give it a try.


 Fish Pie’s (Makes 4 Individual Ramekins for Big Kids or 1 Large One)

1 1/2 Cups Milk (I prefer whole milk for this recipe)
1 Cup Broccoli Florets, fresh or frozen
1 Large Carrot, peeled and diced
1 Ear of Corn or 1/2 Cup Frozen
2 Sole Fillets, fresh or frozen (or 1/2 Lb halibut, haddock or cod)
2 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Flour plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 Box Puff Pastry, 1 sheet (I like Dufours or Pepperidge Farms), defrosted
1 Egg, whisked with 1 tsp water (this is known as an egg wash for the crust)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Bring the milk to a boil in a large saucepan.
3. Add the broccoli and carrots and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add the corn and fish and continue to cook for 4 more minutes or until vegetables are fork tender.
5. Remove the vegetables to a separate bowl. Break the fish into pieces and chop the broccoli into bite size pieces if needed.
6. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. When it’s melted add the flour and whisk making a roux.
7. Add the milk a little at a time until mixture is a thick saucy consistency.
8. Add the sauce to the fish and vegetables and combine.
9. Pour the mixture into individual ramekins.
10. Sprinkle work surface with a bit of flour and roll out puff pastry to remove lines (only if necessary).
11. Cut out 4 individual circles, using a knife, just larger then the top of each ramekin.
12. Divide the fish mixture between the 4 ramekins and cover with puff pastry sheet.
13. Brush each puff pastry ramekin with egg wash.
14. Bake on a cookie sheet for 20 minutes or until pastry is golden.
15. Serve.

You come home from work, your little one’s hungry, you’re exhausted, and the last thing you want to do is cook and clean (isn’t that every day?).

Well, the name of this recipe may sound fancy, but it’s actually my 1, 2, 3 super-easy, super-fast, no clean-up dinner. It’s extremely healthy and fun to make because you can tailor it to you or your little ones favorite tastes and flavors. My husband asks for this meal at least twice a week and so now of course Kenya has followed suit. Since it takes me only minutes to prepare, I can actually make one dinner for the whole family and I’m thrilled that it makes them so happy.
We seem to love this recipe most with asian flavors such as ginger, garlic, sesame oil and soy sauce, but you could make it Italian using basil and tomatoes or Mexican using cilantro and a scoop of mild salsa. Be creative! The options are endless. You can add any vegetable or cooked grain that you have in the refrigerator that you don’t want to go to waste. And as I said, the best part is that there’s NO clean up since this whole dish is made in a piece of parchment paper. So, when you’re finished, you’re really finished — no pots and pan to clean. Now that’s my idea of easy, fast and fresh.

Fish and Veggies in Parchment (Makes 2 Toddler Servings or 1 Big Kid Serving)


1 Fish Fillet, skinless and boneless (whitefish, tilapia or sole are good choices)
2 Shitake Mushrooms, stems removed and sliced

1/4 Cup Sugar Snap Peas

1/4 Cup Red bell Pepper, sliced

1 Baby Bok Choy, chopped

1 Garlic Clove
1/2 Tsp Sesame Oil
1 1/2 Inch piece of garlic, peeled and sliced into 4-5 coins

2 Tsp Braggs (you could also use soy sauce or tamari (I like Braggs because it has less sodium and more amino acids then soy sauce)
1 Long piece of parchment paper, just over a foot long (you could also use foil)



1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Place the piece of parchment or foil on a work surface and fold in half like a book.
3. Make layered stacks dividing the ingredients in the center of the parchment where you made a fold like a book (I usually make a layer of the bok choy, garlic and ginger, add some of the mushrooms and snap peas, place the fish and remaining vegetables and then sprinkle the top with the sesame oil and Braggs)
4. Place the top of the parchment over the ingredients closing the “book”.
5. Starting at one end of the parchment, fold the edges of the paper over several times continuing to make creases all around the fish until it’s completely enclosed and no air can escape.
6. Place on a cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 20 minutes.
8. Cut open top to let out steam. Be careful, it’s hot!
9. Serve hot for adults and cool for kids (also remember that there are big pieces of ginger and garlic that are really good for you, but you may want to remove them since they will be a surprise to a toddler not expecting them!

When I was little there was nothing I hated more then the nights that my parents went out (this was before I was a teenager, mind you). But I dreaded these nights not because they were leaving or that I would have to stuck with a babysitter, but because by 5:30pm, my brother and I would be sitting at the dinner table with our frozen fish sticks dinners in front of us. They were always soggy, drenched in salty breadcrumbs and tasted more like chicken and fillers then fish. In fact, after speaking with many people, it became very apparent to me that fish sticks are a lot of people’s introduction to fish, thus triggering a childhood disdain for fish in general. I knew I couldn’t inflict the same torture on my son.
I had so much fun coming up with this recipe and it was much less expensive buying fresh fish and a big bag of panko then buying a frozen tv dinner with a measly 8 sticks inside.
I’ve also been using a salt free seasoning lately called Vegit (also known as Spike). It’s a really great option when you want to add extra flavor to your little ones dish without a lot of salt. There’s only 15 milligrams of sodium per 1/8 teaspoon and it’s packed with nutritional yeast and dried herbs.
I think these would be great to serve at a little ones birthday party or even better, when you go out and the kids want a special treat.

Fish Sticks (Make 8-10 Sticks)

1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 Cup Whole Wheat or Brown Rice Breadcrumbs*
1 Tsp Vegit
1 Egg
1/2 Lb. Fish (tilapia, opah or any firm white fish will do), cut into
1/2 inch sticks
2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil

1. Place the flour and breadcrumbs in separate bowls.
2. Whisk the egg in another bowl.
3. First roll the fish sticks in the flour then the egg and finally in
the breadcrumbs. If you keep one hand dry it will prevent your hands and
the fish sticks from becoming clumpy with breadcrumbs.
4. Place on a plate until all of the fish sticks are lightly coated.
5. Heat 1-2 Tbsp of the oil in a saute pan over medium heat.
6. Cook half of the fish sticks for 2-3 minutes until golden.
7. Turn them and cook on the other side for 2-3 minutes or until fully
cooked through.
8. Repeat with remaining oil and fish sticks.
9. Cool and serve.

*You can find both of these items at Wholefoods and many health food stores

This weekend we found ourselves (grabbing a much-needed bite) at the cafeteria at the incredible Kidspace Museum and munching away at sub-par food. Looking around the tables, all I saw were parents desperately trying to feed their little ones while they simultaneously attempted to shovel food into their own mouths. Out of the corner of my eye I saw this lovely Japanese woman quietly feeding her baby. For the life of me I couldn’t figure out what she was giving him, but it looked like some sort of white ball in Saran wrap. I shyly walked up to her and asked what she was feeding him. She said, “Oh, it’s Onigiri”. I was still confused. She told me she takes steamed white rice and adds tiny pieces of vegetables and fish for calcium. What a genius idea. All she had to do after making them was wrap them up and it was the perfect meal to travel with for an outing.
I made them for Kenya’s dinner tonight. You should have seen his eyes light up when I put one on his tray. By cooking the rice to make it sticky, he was able to hold it, bite into it and eat the little pieces of rice that stuck to his fingers. I even had a little remaining fish and vegetables in the food processor that he wanted to eat off the spoon. Later my husband came down looking for a snack, popped one in his mouth, and grinned from ear to ear. They’re awfully delicious. He asked me to make him a batch!

Japanese Rice Balls (Makes 15 Balls, depending on the size you make them)

1 Cup Short or Medium Grain White Rice
1 1/5 Cup Water
8 Baby Carrots
1 Cup Broccoli Florets
1 Piece Sole, or any mild white fish

1. Wash 1 cup of rice in a bowl and throw the water out (“washing” rice consists of filling a bowl with rice, covering it with water, rubbing the rice and then immediately dumping the water out).
2. Repeat washing the rice 4 or 5 times throwing the water out.
3. Put the washed rice in a heavy bottomed pot, add 1 1/5 cups of water. Let rice soak for 30 minutes.
4. Put the lid on the pot and bring the rice to a boil for 5 minutes. Change the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the rice sit covered for 15 minutes so it can steam.
5. Stir the rice with a flat spoon so that the rice does not completely stick together.
6. While the rice is cooking, put the carrots in a steamer pot over boiling water for 3 minutes. Add the broccoli and steam for 2 more minutes. Add the fish and steam for another 3 minutes or until everything is cooked through and fork tender.
7. Place the fish and vegetables in a food processor and pulse. Do not puree the mixture, though. You want it to have a little texture, but be dry. No not add extra liquid.
8. Take 1-2 Tablespoons of rice and 1 tsp of the vegetable/fish mixture and combine.
9. With moistened hands, roll into a ball, about the size of a golf ball. Alternatively, you can add all of the vegetable/fish mixture to the rice, but make sure that the mixture isn’t too wet or the balls will fall apart.
10. Serve.

Fish is such a wonderful protein for babies, but most parents are intimidated to cook it for their little ones. Even as a child, the only time we had fish, it was cooked under the broiler and stunk up the whole house (sorry Mom)! Most white fish have a mellow flavor and can be easily paired with other flavors.

While shopping at the Farmers Market I asked our local “fish ladies” (as I call them) if they had anything mild for Kenya. One of the fish ladies, with her big hair, gigantic smile and pearly whites, said how about the Hawaiian Silver Snapper?! The name sounded so luxurious and exotic. I looked over at my 13 month old and thought, nothing’s to good for my little guy.
Going with the Hawaiian theme, I came up with flavors I enjoyed from past trips to the tropical paradise. Pineapple, rich in vitamin C, ginger, brown rice and just a hint of sesame oil.

We took Kenya to Hawaii last year when he was 4 months and he could only eye the fresh fruits and fish on Mommy’s plate. Finally, I can bring the idea of being in the Islands to his tummy.

*I usually make a smaller amount of this dish since it will only stay fresh in the refrigerator for a few days. Freeze whatever is left over. For more tips, checking the “freezing“.

Hawaiian Silver Snapper (8 Baby Servings)

1/2 lb. Snapper (any mild white fish will work)
1 Tsp Fresh Ginger, peeled and sliced into 2 thin coins
1/2 Cup Brown Rice, cooked
1/2 Tsp Sesame Oil
1/2 Cup Pineapple, fresh or canned

1. Place ginger in a steamer pot over boiling water and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Add the fish to the pot and cook 4 more minutes or until cooked through.
3. Place all the ingredients in a food processor (make sure there are no bones in the fish) and puree until smooth.
4. Cool and serve.

We used these to make this recipe:

Cuisinart DLC-2 Mini Prep Plus Food Processor

I took a baby nutrition class yesterday that I was so excited about. Sadly, it was totally uninsperational. Someone asked the teacher about turning babies on to spices and she said “maybe you can put in a pinch if it’s part of your culture”. Really!? When I go out to dinner I can’t wait to try Mexican, French, Thai, anything and everything that’s new and exciting especially when it comes to dishes with complex flavors. Why shouldn’t babies be turned on to interesting new tastes. In this dish I put curry, cumin and coconut, 3 things that turn a blah dish into something exciting. Any time Kenya tries Indian food he gobbles it up.

Indian Fish (10 baby servings)

1 Cup Coconut Milk
1 Tsp Curry
1/2 Tsp Cumin
1/2 Potato, peeled and cubed
1/2 Cup Cauliflower
1 Tilapia Fillet (any whitefish will do)
1/2 Cup Frozen Pea

1. In a saucepan, bring coconut milk and spices to a boil. Add potato and simmer for 2 minutes.
2. Add cauliflower and cover 2 more minutes. Add fish and cover for 3 minutes.
3. Put all ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.
4. Cool and serve.
*If mixture is still too thick, add hot water to thin.

We used these to make this recipe:

Cuisinart DLC-2 Mini Prep Plus Food Processor