Don’t rub your eyes when you look at the dish pictured above. That is in fact calamari you see and yes, it’s here on weelicious. Now you’re probably thinking:

a. What IS calamari? (Answer: squid.)
b. How the heck do I cook it? (Answer: it’s one of the easier types of fish to prepare.)
c. There’s NO way my kid will ever eat it. (Answer: Don’t be too sure about that.)

Trust me, the recipes that show up on weelicious are never some type of challenge that I offer parents to try and get kids to eat a host of foods they’re never going to enjoy. Quite the opposite, in fact. I have a 2 year old who constantly surprises me with her love of the most unexpected dishes to prove it. The first time Chloe tried calamari we were at one of our favorite Italian restaurants. I had ordered the grilled calamari and she scarfed every last piece of it off of my plate. Minutes after it was all gone she was screaming at the top of her lungs, “MORE CALAMARI!!! “The people at the table next to us looked over as if we were C-R-A-Z-Y! We now hear this familiar refrain from Chloe almost every time we are at a restaurant (whether they serve calamari or not!). Her demands for it became so frequent, I started making it at home and you’d be amazed by how quickly this child can put it away.

To remind you again, we’re talking here about calamari, not chocolate cake or vanilla ice cream, but they way my whole family enjoys it now, you’d think I was offering dessert.

If you’ve never tried calamari before, it’s time to give it a try because this unbelievably easy-to-make recipe is packed with protein and flavor, is inexpensive and unbelievably scrumptious no matter how old you are!

Calamari Rings (Serves 2-3)

1 Lb Calamari
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1/4 Cup Sherry Wine
1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1. Rinse, drain and pat calamari dry.
2. Cut calamari into rings and pat dry again with a paper towel to remove as much excess liquid as possible.
3. Heat a large skillet over high heat, add 2 tbsp of oil and immediately add the calamari rings sautéing for 2 minutes.
4. Remove calamari to a bowl.
5. Add the minced garlic, sherry wine, salt and lemon juice to the same skillet over high heat and allow to boil for 1 minute.
5. Add the calamari back into the sherry lemon sauce to heat through for 20 seconds.
6. Serve.

With school and busy schedules revving up again, the need for fast dinners that you can pull off AND everyone will love is even greater. I get tons of requests for recipes from readers every week — both here on weelicious and on Facebook — but for some reason, one that I’ve been getting a lot of demand for lately is chicken paprikash.

Often you’ll find recipes for this classic Hungarian dish swimming in a heavy cream sauce, but by adding just a little more sherry wine than most recipes normally call for and then boiling it down until the sauce starts to thicken, a dollop of sour cream is all you need to make a healthier version that is just as luscious as what you remember tasting as a kid. And while this dish may seem too fancy to be fast and easy, trust me, it is.

Chicken Paprikash (Serves 4)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Small Onion, diced
2 Cups Mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 Small Garlic Clove, minced
1 Tsp Paprika Powder
1 Tsp Kosher Salt
1 Lb Chicken Breast or Tenders, rinsed & cubed into bite-size pieces
3/4 Cup Sherry Wine
3/4 Cup Water
1/4 Cup Sour Cream*

1. Heat oil in a medium size sauté pan over medium heat and sauté onions for 3 minutes. Add the mushroom, garlic, paprika and salt, and continue to sauté for 3 more minutes.
2. Add the cubed chicken and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the sherry and water. Bring liquid to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes until the liquid has reduced by half.
4. Turn heat off, add the sour cream and stir to combine.
5. Serve over pasta or rice.

* You can also use low fat sour cream

With all the fun things my kids have going on during the summer, the last thing I want to do is be in the kitchen. So, on Sundays I grill a few pieces of chicken and several ears of corn to keep in the fridge and turn into different meals over the next few days. Since my kids love chicken and corn and quesadillas, this unbelievably delicious and simple to prepare dish couldn’t make them any happier. With just a few additional ingredients to make it even more of a complete meal, this is a great recipe to keep in your file when you want to make the most out of the leftovers in your fridge!

Grilled Chicken & Corn Quesadilla (Serves 6)

1 Tsp Kosher Salt
1 Lb Chicken Breast, boneless & skinless
2 Ears Fresh Corn
1/2 Tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt
2 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro, chopped
2 Green Onions, sliced
1 1/2 Cups Jack Cheese, grated
6 Flour Tortillas

1. Preheat grill.
2. Season chicken breasts with 1 tsp of salt, brush grill with oil and grill corn and chicken breasts for a total of 8 minutes until juicy and cooked through.
3. Allow chicken and corn to cool, then remove the kernels from the corn and dice the chicken into small cubes.
4. Place the chicken and corn into a bowl along with the remaining ingredients and toss to combine.
5. Lower the heat on your grill and place a 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture onto one side of the tortilla and fold over.
6. Grill the stuffed tortilla for 2 minutes on each side, being careful not to burn the tortilla.
7. Continue to make the remaining quesadillas.
8. Slice into triangles and serve.

This is my third dish from the “Pasta Passport” recipes I developed for Parents Magazine — and it’s also one of my favorites! I have such vivid memories of my mother making a similar dish when I was a kid, pouring the warm sauce over spaghetti and topping it with grated parmesan cheese. Her sauce would simmer for hours, filling our house with the smell of fresh herbs, garlic and tomatoes. My brother and I mispronounced it “Pa-Scetti” and my kids call it as “bo-lo-nase”. Whatever you decide to call it, you’ll be happy when the entire family is calling it “delicious”!

Fettuccine Bolognese (Serves 4)

1 Medium Onion, diced
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 lb Lean Ground Turkey Meat
1 Tsp Kosher Salt
1 Large Carrot, grated
16 oz Can Chopped Tomatoes with juice
1 Tbsp Italian Herbs
3 Tbsps Tomato Paste
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1 Pkg Fettuccine, cut in half

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, add onions and sauté for 4 minutes.
2. Add garlic and sauté for another minute.
3. Add ground lean turkey meat and salt and continue to cook for 4 minutes or until cooked through, using a wooden spoon to break apart the meat and stirring continuously.
4. Add carrots, chopped tomatoes (with its juice), Italian herbs and tomato paste and stir to combine.
5. Partially cover with lid and cook for 20 minutes.
6. Add Parmesan cheese and stir to combine.
7. Cook for an additional 20 minutes uncovered, until the mixture thickens and the liquid reduces.
8. During the last 20 minutes of cooking the sauce, bring a pot of water to a boil, cook noodles according to package directions and drain.
9. Serve Bolognese sauce over cooked noodles.

* Sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months in a sealed container

To me, summertime means burger time! I like to switch it up and get away from the usual beef burgers and instead try something different like these BBQ Chicken Burgers. If you have visions of a meal time mess, fear not. Since you add your favorite BBQ sauce into the mixture in this recipe, the burgers take on all the tangy, sweet and spicy flavor without it dripping all over you and your kids’ fingers and clothes while you eat.

The next time you’re having a party or family gathering whip up a batch of these burgers and look around at all the happy (and clean) faces!

BBQ Chicken Burger (makes 8 mini burgers or 4 regular size burgers)

2 Tbsp Oil, divided
1 Small Onion, diced
1 lb. Ground Chicken Breast
2 Tbsp BBQ Sauce (your favorite), plus additional for serving
1/2 Tsp Onion Powder
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt
4 Jack or Mozzarella Cheese Slices
Burger Buns
Accompaniments: additional bbq sauce, lettuce, tomato, pickles

1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and sauté the onions for 4 minutes or until tender and set aside to cool.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the sautéed onions, ground chicken, BBQ sauce, salt, and onion and garlic powder. Evenly divide the mixture and shape into patties.
3. Heat remaining tbsp of oil in a pan and cook the patties for 3 minutes on each side.
4. Place 1 slice of cheese on each patty during the last minute of cooking and allow to melt.
4. Place burgers on buns and top with desired accompaniments.
5. Serve.

Unless you’re a vegetarian, I’d wager one of your weekly purchases at the grocery is chicken. I always pick up a pack of skinless boneless breasts, but week after week of the same ho hum preparation, while comfortable, can be a bit boring. Using just a few ingredients I already had on hand, I started adding this adobo preparation to my chicken repertoire and it was an instant hit.

There are numerous styles of adobo marinades from around the world, but this process follows a more traditional Filipino recipe which involves stewing the chicken thighs in vinegar. Soy sauce and a few spices add a ton of flavor and help create a delicious, tender meat.

On those days when you’re looking for a bit more zip and zing at dinner time using just a handful of ingredients from your pantry, try this Adobo Chicken over steamed rice for happy faces all around!

Adobo Chicken (Serves 4)

1.5 – 2 Lbs Chicken Thighs, boneless and skinless
1/4 Cup White Vinegar
3 Tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce
2 Small Garlic Cloves, minced
2 Dried Bay Leaves

1. Place all of the ingredients in a bowl or Ziploc bag (for easier cleanup) and marinate chicken for 1 hour to overnight.
2. Place all the ingredients in a medium size pot, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Uncover, raise the heat to medium high and allow the sauce to reduce for about 10 minutes.
4. Shred chicken thighs or serve whole over rice.

I much prefer white meat to dark, so I don’t buy chicken legs that often. All that changed a few weeks ago when I took Kenya to a birthday party where they were serving all kinds of his favorite foods: beans, rice, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, even macaroni and cheese, but what did Kenya eat one of after another? That’s right, chicken legs. I took the funniest picture of him chatting at a table full of his friends, waving his drumstick around animatedly and chowing down on the tender meat.

Chicken legs are a great choice for dinner time because they’re inexpensive, easy to prepare and you can buy them in their own natural single serve packages. I’ve made them twice since that birthday party and both times my kids devoured them. Why didn’t I think of making these sooner?

Roast Chicken Legs (Serves 4)

1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 Lemon
1 Tsp Kosher Salt
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 lbs Chicken Legs

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Place the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
3. Add the chicken legs, coat with the mixture, cover and marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge.
4. Place chicken legs in a greased baking dish, pour the marinade over and roast for 40 minutes.
5. Serve.

When I first moved to New York City in my late teens, I lived across the street from a restaurant called The Coffee Shop. Friends and I would spend hours there hanging out, watching people on the street walk by and enjoying the delicious Coconut Shrimp (that’s still on their menu to this day!) I’m sure the shrimp were deep fried, but they were so good I still remember the incredible flavor over 20 years later.

I wanted to share this special food memory with my kids, only with a version that was a bit more healthy, so I opted for baking instead of frying. With a crispy coconut outer shell and sweet tender shrimp inside, this recipe is super easy to make and kids will have fun dipping in the sweet and sour sauce on the side.

I may not be able to get everyone on a plane to New York to try the original version, but it’s nice to know I can easily recreate something so special from my childhood in our kitchen whenever I want!

Baked Coconut Shrimp (Serves 4)

1/4 Cup Flour
1/2 Tsp Salt
2 Eggs, whisked (you could also use 1/2 Cup Buttermilk to coat the shrimp instead)
1 Cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
1 lb Frozen Raw Shrimp, defrosted & tails off

1. Preheat oven to “broil” setting.
2. Pat dry shrimp with a towel and season with 1/2 tsp salt.
3. Arrange three separate bowls in an assembly line. Place flour in one, whisked eggs in the second, and shredded coconut in the third.
4. Lightly coat the shrimp in the flour and gently tap to remove excess flour.
5. Dip the flour coated shrimp in the egg/buttermilk and then roll in the shredded coconut to coat.
6. Place coconut shrimp on a baking rack sprayed or greased with oil over a cookie sheet. When all the shrimp are on the rack, lightly coat them with cooking oil spray.
7. Place cookie sheet on the middle rack of your oven and broil for 3 minutes on each side.
8. Serve with dipping sauce.

Sweet & Sour Sauce

1/2 Cup Ketchup
2 Tbsp Honey
3 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
1 Tbsp Water
1 Tsp Soy Sauce
1/2 Tsp Ginger, minced

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

I love food. So much so that in my years I’ve eaten live worms, fish eyes and a few other outrageous foods that most people would gag at the thought of. Ironically, there’s one not-so-outrageous food that I absolutely get queasy at the thought of: lamb. I think it’s the only food in the world that I won’t eat. I don’t remember eating lamb as a kid — maybe that has something to do with it — but regardless, even when I visited Chile, a country renown for this succulent meat, I couldn’t ingest a single bite, so believe me, I’ve tried.

But just because I don’t enjoy a certain food doesn’t mean that I don’t want my kids to have a chance to decide for themselves what they like, so recently I got over my fear of lamb and seared them up some simple baby lamb chops. My kids must not have inherited my distaste for lamb because my two little carnivores proceeded to voraciously dip the chops in the yogurt mint sauce and pick the bones clean of any trace of meat. They were in heaven to say the least. I could swear the look on both of their faces meant, “why have you never given us this before?!”

I always try to remind myself that just because I have certain likes and dislikes, it doesn’t mean my kids will share them. Who’s knows, maybe your kids will end up loving live worms or fish eyes. Don’t worry, I won’t be posting recipes on weelicious for Snail Smoothies or Firefly Frittatas anytime soon, but don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it.

Baby Lamb Chops with Yogurt Mint Sauce (Serves 4)

1 Cup Yogurt
2 Tbsp Fresh Mint, chopped
Pinch of Salt
1 Tbsp Lime Juice
1 Small Garlic Clove, minced
1/4 Tsp Ground Cumin
1/4 Tsp Paprika
1 Tbsp Canola or Vegetable Oil
1 1/2 Lbs Individual Baby Lamb Chops (cut into single chops)
2 Tsp Kosher Salt

1. Place the first 7 ingredients in a bowl, stir to combine and set aside.
2. Season the lamb chops with salt on both sides.
3. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in an ovenproof large sauté pan over medium-high heat and cook lamb chops for 4 minutes on each side (for medium to medium rare).
4. Allow the lamb to rest for 5 minutes.
5. Serve with sauce.

At least once a week (usually on Sundays or Mondays), I make salmon for dinner. Knowing that salmon is packed with Omega-3 fatty acids, which help a little one’s brain development, has always inspired me to keep it in our regular mealtime rotation.

Salmon is full of flavor and has a firm texture which most kids love, so I like to keep it basic and not jazz it up too much with sauces. However, I find that a quick marinade made with soy sauce, O.J. and a touch of maple syrup creates a light, sweet glaze that my kids adore. It’s amazing how adding just a little extra love in the form of a few everyday ingredients can turn a simple food into something extraordinary that’s good for you, too!

Maple Soy Salmon (Serves 4)

2 Tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
2 Tbsp Orange Juice
1 lb Salmon Fillets, cut into 4 even pieces

1. Place the soy sauce, maple syrup and orange juice in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
2. Place the salmon fillets in the mixture, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.
3. Place rack in the middle of the oven and preheat broiler.
4. Place the salmon fillets skin side down on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil for about 8 minutes (make sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t burn).
5. Serve.