This Halibut Pesto Kabob recipe is so easy and the perfect recipe for a healthy summer time dinner!

We were so excited to go out to dinner with the kids on a recent Saturday night when our plans fell through at the last minute. These are the dreaded moments when I look at my hungry kids (and husband) and then look in the barren refrigerator, desperately trying to think of something super easy and not time consuming to make for my family. Add to the drama of that moment that I hadn’t been to the grocery in days and the only things I could find in the kitchen that looked appealing were a few ears of corn, cherry tomatoes and ricotta cheese. Pasta and cheese are usually easy sells with most kids, but this dish has a few more elements to it and since I’d never prepared anything like it before, I wasn’t quite sure how my kids would react. Well, whether I have two kids that are good eaters or I simply created a recipe that’s undeniably delicious is debatable, but Kenya and Chloe and my husband and I devoured almost the entire recipe. The combination of the summer vegetables with the creamy ricotta cheese made for the perfect last minute dinner with just enough leftovers for the kids’ lunch the next day. Plus, it made me thrilled that I have a new recipe to add to my arsenal at this time of year!

Pasta with Corn & Ricotta (Serves 4-6)

1 Lb Pasta (I used Vegetable Radiatore, but Orchiette is a great choice too)
2 Ears of Corn, steamed or grilled (or 1 cup cooked frozen corn kernels, defrosted)
1/3 Cup Ricotta Cheese, crumbled
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tsp Salt

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain and cover with cold water until room temperature.
2. Cut the corn off the cob and place kernels in a bowl with pasta and remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
3. Serve.

Time saver: You can add the ears of corn in the last 4 minutes of boiling the pasta, drain and cool before cutting off the cob

“Why don’t you come over for dinner with the kids tonight”! In my seemingly never ending attempt to always make Kenya and Chloe’s dinner times fun, those words fly out of my mouth to my mom friends on a weekly basis. And, without fail, moments after asking I think to myself, “Who am I kidding? When am I going to have time to prepare dinner for 4 kids and 4 adults when I’ve already got a crazy day of work ahead of me?” As a result of my big mouth and boundless optimism, I’ve been forced to become the (self-proclaimed) queen of doubling recipes and freezing them for these types of occasions. And these enchiladas are a perfect candidate for doing just that. No matter if you’re cooking for 2 or 12, there’s nothing easier then pulling these out of the icebox, popping them into the oven and, 30 minutes later, enjoying warm tortillas filled with chicken, veggies and tons of gooey cheese.

At my last impromptu kids dinner, we were all sitting around, chowing down on this Mexican treat, and a mom friend leaned in to me to say, “I can’t believe you had the time to make these!” When it’s really that easy, why not have friends over every night?!

Mexican Enchiladas (Makes Eight Servings)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Small Onion, chopped
1 Tsp Salt
1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 Tsp Ground Cumin
1 Garlic Clove, minced
2 Chicken Breasts or 2 Cups Chicken, cooked and shredded
1 Cup Frozen Corn, defrosted
1 1/2 Cups Mexican Cheese Blend
1 28 oz Can Enchilada Sauce (you can find this in the latin section of your grocery)
8 Flour Tortillas

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and cook onions and salt for 3 minutes.
3. Add red bell pepper and sauté for another 2 minutes.
4. Add cumin and garlic and sauté for an additional minute.
5. Remove the mixture from the pan and place in a bowl. After the mixture has cooled, add the chicken, corn, and 1 cup cheese and mix to combine.
6. Pour half of the enchilada sauce in a 9 x 11 inch baking dish.
7. Divide the mixture (about 1/2 cup each), placing it in the middle of each tortilla and rolling it up like a wrap (burrito shape).
8. Place the rolled enchiladas close together, seam side down in the sauced baking dish. Continue to roll the rest of the filled enchiladas.
9. Once you have finished making the stuffed enchiladas, pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over them and top with 1/2 cup cheese. *If you’re planning on making this dish another day, cover it and freeze at this point.
10. Cover the dish with foil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes (30 minutes if you are starting with frozen enchiladas.
11. Serve.

*Enchiladas will stay in the freezer for up to 4 months. For best results, prepare enchiladas then freeze. Do not bake.

Babies like Olives? Who knew! This Wee Tapenade is so easy to make and everyone from the baby to the grandparents will love it.

Your kids don’t like green vegetables? They will as soon as they try these Kale Chips!

I wasn’t sure how Kenya would react when I made him a chopped Caesar Salad for lunch, but not only did he like it, he devoured it. I don’t know why I was worried — I mean, what’s not to like? Crispy croutons, cheese and bites of crunchy lettuce with a tangy Ceasar dressing to coat everything. I’m pretty sure the croutons inspired Kenya to eat everything because they were the first thing to go. Whenever you have day old bread on hand, this is a perfect recipe for using it! Now, I double the amount of croutons I make so I can put a few handfuls aside for Kenya’s lunch box or just for him to have as a snack.

Chop’t Caesar Salad (Serves 4)

2 Cups Bread (I like to use French bread (baguette), but any kind of bread will work)
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
4 Cups of Romaine Lettuce, chopped
1/4 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved
2 Tbsp Grated Parmesan
weelicious Eggless Caesar Dip

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a bowl, toss the bread cubes and olive oil to coat.
3. Place the bread cubes on a baking sheet and toast for 25 minutes or until golden. Cool.
4. Place the first 5 ingredients in a bowl and toss. Drizzle on some of the Eggless Caesar Dip (it’s perfect as a dip for veggies or as a dressing) and toss to lightly coat all of the ingredients.
5. Serve.

I try to shy away from creating recipes for weelicious that may come across as being too gourmet or adult (for lack of a better word) for kids. Part of the reason for that is because a lot of parents I know don’t think their kids will like foods that seem too “grown up” and so they don’t even bother trying to see how their kids will like them. I’m not talking about having a go at getting your kids to eat buffalo for dinner, but the occasional recipe outside of their comfort zone can be really fun, refreshingly delicious, and, who knows, maybe a new family favorite.

I’m always a bit shocked when I encounter kids who love olives, but when you think about it, what’s not to love? Their lightly salty, briny flavor can be addictive for some people and when the pits are removed, they’re perfect for packing into a school lunch or making into a spread (or tapenade) like this one. There are tons of variations on tapenade that I’ve tried throughout the years, but I added some grated parmesan to this one knowing that the addition of cheese will sell almost anything edible to my son. As per usual, I let Kenya help me measure out the ingredients, whiz them together in the blender and then spread it on bread with cream cheese for his school lunch. But the real surprise was what a big hit it was with my wee one. I couldn’t believe how much Chloe loved this recipe from her first bite. In fact, you can watch her introductory taste here.

Whether you’re serving this to adults on toast points for a get together, to your big kid as a spread on a sandwich or to your one year old as baby food, I find it’s an uncommon treat that everyone will love.

Wee- Tapenade (Makes 1 1/2 Cups)

1 1/2 Cup Pitted Kalamata Olives (or 1 12 oz. jar, drained)
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Garlic Clove
6 Fresh Basil Leaves
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

Serve with Bread, Toast or Crackers

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.
2. Spread on toast points, crackers, or on a sandwich and serve.

I assume that almost everybody has at least a few favorite recipes they grew up eating. For me, it was my mother’s white chicken chili. No matter what time of year it was, a bowl of this stew-like soup always made me feel comforted and happy.

Now that I’m cooking for my own family, I like to think back to the foods that I loved as a kid and try and recreate them in my kitchen. This is my version of white chicken chili that’s super easy to make abd very healthy. It also freezes beautifully for those nights that you’re just too tired to cook. I’m sure that just a few mom’s I know can relate to that

White Chicken Chili (Makes 6-8 Servings)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1 Small Onion, diced
2 lbs Chicken Breasts, bone-in, skinless (about 2 large breasts)
1 Qt (32 Oz) Chicken Stock (I use low sodium chicken stock)
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Ground Cumin
1 Can White Beans, drained and rinsed
1 Cup Frozen Shoe Peg White Corn
1 Jar Diced Green Chilies (They are mild.)
The Juice of 1 Lime (about 2 to 3 Tbsp Lime Juice)
Accompaniments: Sour Cream, Tortilla Chips, Cheddar Cheese, Monterey Jack Cheese

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook onions for 4 to 5 minutes or until translucent.
2. Add garlic and cook an additional minute.
3. Add the whole chicken breasts, stock and salt to the saucepan, cover, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
4. Cook for 18-20 minutes, remove chicken to a plate and allow to cool.
5. While the chicken is cooling, add the remaining ingredients to the pot.
6. Remove the chicken from the bone, chop into bite-size pieces, and add to the pot.
7. Serve.

*Allow to cool, place in appropriate tupperware or ziploc bag, label and freeze up to 4 months. Defrost in a pot over low-medium heat.

As I’ve written here many times before, we love hummus. Actually, I find most kids really enjoy the smooth creaminess of hummus as a spread on sandwiches, as a dip for veggies or just on it’s own. Traditional hummus is made from garbanzo beans, tahini, olive oil and lemon juice, but there’s no reason that you can’t get creative and come up with an array of new hummus flavors using different types of beans or nuts.

For this recipe, I wanted to do a Mexican inspired hummus with flavors I know my family likes, so I chose pepitas (pumpkin seeds), black beans, cumin and cilantro. And just to keep everything homemade, instead of buying fried chips at the store, I decided to make my own healthy, crispy ones. Both dishes are easy to make and kids have fun breaking up the tortillas into chips themselves.

Whether you’re inviting friends over for a party, want a protein-packed school lunch box snack for your little one or just need something healthy and delicious to nibble on throughout the day, this Mexican hummus delivers. Olé!

Black Bean Hummus with Toasted Corn Tortillas

1/3 Cup Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1 Small Garlic Clove
1 15 Oz Can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Water
Juice of 1/2 a Lemon
1/2 Tsp Cumin
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/4 Cup Cilantro, chopped (you can use the stems — they have tons of flavor)

1. Place the pepitas in a dry sauté pan and toast over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring halfway through, or until the pepitas start to turn golden.
2. Place the pepitas and garlic clove in a food processor and pulse for 1 minute.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and puree until smooth.
4. Serve.

Toasted Corn Tortillas

1 Package Whole Corn Tortillas (about 12)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place corn tortillas directly on oven racks and toast for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and golden.
3. Serve whole or broken into chips.

This is a vegetarian dish that I keep in the fridge at all times. It’s a great recipe to prepare on a Sunday (when things are hopefully calmer in your house) to have on hand all week for lunches and dinners. We all love it in my house, even baby Chloe. I feed her individual lentils one after the other and she can’t seem to get enough of them. As for Kenya, as soon as he found out that the type of kale I use in the recipe is called “dinosaur kale”, he was downing it by the spoonful!

I buy nearly all of the ingredients for this recipe — the lentils and the vegetables — at the farmers market where they’re certified organic, in season, and cost the same price or less than I would find them for at the grocery. When you can make a healthy, high protein, tasty and exotic recipe like this one that everyone in the family loves, it makes for a very happy mommy!

Indian Lentils (Serves 4-6)

1 Tsp Fresh Ginger, grated
1 Garlic Clove, grated
1 1/2 Tsp Ground Cumin
2 Tsp Ground Coriander
1/4 Tsp Turmeric
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Medium Shallot, minced
3 Tbsp Tomato Paste (mixed with 3 Tbsp Water)
1 1/4 Cups Green Lentils
1 Cup Green Beans, chopped
1 Cup Carrots, cut into coins
1 1/2 Cups Kale, shredded (I used Dinosaur Kale)
1 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Cilantro, chopped

1. Mix the first 5 ingredients in a bowl with 1/4 cup of water to make a paste.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and saute the shallots over medium heat for 1 minute.
3. Add the spice mixture and cook an additional 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the tomato paste mixture and cook an additional 1-2 minutes or until the liquid is almost evaporated.
5. Add the lentils and 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Partially cover the pot and cook for 25 minutes.
6. Add the vegetables, salt and cilantro and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until vegetables and lentils are tender.
7. Serve.

*Allow to cool and place in appropriate tupperware or ziploc bag, label and freeze up to 4 months. When ready, defrost in a pot over low-medium heat or in the fridge for 24-48 hours.