The kids love these and they are so easy to make and take for picnics, school lunches or a quick snack. You don’t have to make them look like ninjas, but really – why not?

ingredients:
3 cups cooked rice
1-1/2 cups salmon (cooked)
furikake
1 sheet of nori

Salmon is great brain food. I am a big believer in feeding kids fish, it’s good for them and they will become smarter. (*I don’t guarantee that last part.)

The best way to make these is to use rice ball molds – but if you don’t have one, hold tight, I’ll show you how to do it without one later. But first – if you DO have a rice ball maker fill it about 1/3 of the way with rice, making a little ‘well’ in the center.

Spoon the salmon into the well. Canned salmon works fine or if you have leftover yummy teriyaki salmon (recipe, here) even better. Sprinkle with a little furikake – it just adds a little flavor and little crunch but it’s not necessary.

Place another scoop of rice right on top of the salmon+furikake mixture, put the top on and PRESS. Then simply pop it out…

YES THAT IS A VIDEO OF ME POPPIN’ OUT RICE BALLS. Lucky for you, you can’t hear my annoying voice or the sweet sounds of Tupac in the background. Anyway. See how easy that is?

Now, if you don’t have a rice ball maker, no worries – here’s an old skool way of doing it. Simply place the same mixture in a sheet of plastic wrap, squeeze tightly to form the shape…

and magically you have the exact same rice ball. Couldn’t be easier.

To add a little ‘something’ and make it a bit more authentic, you can cut a strip of nori (dried seaweed) and wrap it around the rice ball. My friend brought me these amazing nori punch cutter from Japan and they are just too cute. So just for fun I cut a strip of nori, punched out a face and there you go –

- instant ninja! The Baby was thrilled!

This is a very simple dish that you can throw together fast. Eat it on the go, or I like to serve it with full meals, the kids love ‘em!

I am a firm believer in getting your kids to eat fish. It’s a healthy protein, the omega 3s it’s just downright good brain food. When you are stuck for something to make for dinner, make this. This recipe couldn’t be simpler.

ingredients:
2 boneless skinless salmon filets
2 Tablepoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Teaspoons honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon paprika
salt
pepper

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey and garlic.

Place the fish filets in a greased or foil lined baking sheet, and pour the liquid mixture over the fish.

Sprinkle with the paprika and season with salt and pepper.

Bake in the oven for approx. 20 minutes or until the center is pink and cooked.

This is a very quick dinner with very simple ingredients. The kids eat it up!

ingredients:
2 Tablespoons of butter
1 teaspoon of honey
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 orange roughy filets
1/2 cup flour
salt
pepper
half a lemon

In a small saucepan, melt the two tablespoons of butter on medium high – take it to juuuust until the butter turns brown. Stir in the honey, then take it off the heat and set aside.

In a pan, heat the olive oil on medium high. In a shallow dish, whisk the flour, salt and pepper. Dredge the fish in the flour mixture – then add to the hot pan for about 2-3 minutes, turn over and after another 4 minutes.

Pour the browned butter on top, then squeeze the half lemon over both filets.

That’s it. Quick and easy – a delicious 10 minute dinner, tops.

ingredients:
4 salmon filets
3/4 pistachios, unsalted, roasted and shelled
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic salt
3 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put some non-stick foil down on a baking sheet.

Chop up the nuts. I like to do mine in a blender. If you use a food processor be very careful that you don’t take it too far, as it will turn into a paste. That is not what you want.

On a plate, stir together the nuts, breadcrumbs, pepper and garlic salt. Slowly add olive oil, a tablespoon at a time until it makes a nice mash. Approx. 3 Tablespoons, give or take.

Place the filets on the pan, top with the nut mixture. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until the center of the salmon is cooked.

This goes great with my recipe for creamy ricotta pasta, as a side. The squirrel plate, is not a must.

This is a recipe for the Kid’s FAAAYYVVOORRITE dinner, Salmon Cakes. No, not like cake, cake. Like yummy cake. Like cake, like crabcakes, ya dig?

ingredients:
2 14oz cans salmon
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 cup corn
3 TB olive oil

more oil for pan

I am not a fan of canned stuff, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. I always keep a few cans of this in the cupboard in case I want to make fish and I don’t have any fresh on hand. Trader Joe’s brand is pretty good, once you toss all the disgusting skin and bones. Bones make me want to hurl, quite frankly. Even though the ones in the canned salmon are edible, I still think it’s gross. So I am diligent about picking them all out.

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Form into patties and set aside.

Put a large pan on a medium high heat. Pour a TB of oil into the pan. Place the patties in the pan, and cook on one side until browned. Flip and brown the other side until cooked through the middle.

You should get a nice brown crust on the outside, yum!

Make Jello according to package. Fill the plastic cups. Chill in the fridge for about an hour, just as long as it’s not set. Put the gummi fish in each cup. They should look ‘suspended’ in the water. Return the cups to the fridge. When you are ready to serve, add some whipped cream ‘waves’ on top!

This recipe calls for mirin, which is a Japanese sweet cooking wine. While this of course gives the best flavor, you can also use sake, or even orange juice if you want a more citrus-y salmon. Still, I say use mirin if you have it.

Rinse and pat dry salmon. Put all the ingredients in a saucepan, and boil until simmered down and a little thick. Probably about 10 mins.

In a small baking pan, soak the salmon, just for a few minutes, not overkill, in half of the liquid mixture.

Place the marinated salmon on a silpat or nonstick foil lined baking sheet and broil. Just 2 minutes on one side, baste with more of the sauce, then turn over and broil another 3 minutes on the other. 5 minutes! Who doesn’t have that kind of time?? So easy!

Be careful. Sugar+broiling = nightmare. The sugar burns quickly, therefore longer than 5 minutes and you are doomed. Watch it.

Now, stop here and you’ll have a wonderful dinner. However if you have kids, keep reading. The best way to make them eat fish is to mix it up with some rice, then form little musubis. Of course this works best with a white fish like a cod, but work with me here.

You can buy little musubi makers or just form the shapes yourself. The point is the kids like things that are FUN. And what is more fun than a ball of fish? Hm…

ingredients:
3 tomatoes, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Fresh lemon juice from half a lemon
3/4 tsp dried oregano
3/4 tsp. dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 black pepper
4 salmon filets

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl stir together everything but the salmon.

Ready 4 large sheets of aluminum foil. Spoon another 1/2 tsp oil into the center of each sheet. Place the samlon filet on top and turn to coat in the oil.

Spoon the tomato mixture on top of each filet. Fold the sides of the foil over the fish and tomatoes, covering and sealing completely.

Place the packets on a baking sheet – I put a silpat underneath, just in case there is leakage.

Bake until the salmon is just cooked through, about 25 minutes. Transfer packets to plates – be careful when you open them, the steam is hot!

Great dish for a light and healthy dinner.