Getting children to try new foods can feel like a daunting taste, and we at Stiltsville Fish Bar know that getting them to try seafood may be an especially challenging taste. This is why we have compiled a collection of kids friendly fish recipes and seafood dinner ideas. The following shellfish and fish recipes for kids are easy for mom and dad to prepare and are sure to impress even the pickiest of eaters!
Shrimp Recipes for Kids
One of the best ways to introduce a new food to your child is to pair it with something familiar that they know and love, and what food item is more loved by children than pasta! This cream-free shrimp alfredo pasta dish is one of our favorite shrimp recipes for kids. Instead of using heavy cream, this healthier and lighter sauce uses pasta water, unsalted butter, and parmesan cheese to replicate that delicious, creamy taste they enjoy. Here is what you will need:
12 oz fettuccine
Salt
Ground pepper
¾ cup of unthawed frozen peas
1 pound of medium-sized shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 large egg yolk
3 oz of parmesan cheese, grated (set aside an additional portion for serving)
Directions:
Cook the fettuccine in a large pot of boiling water that is generously salted boiling water until it is al dente, which is typically about two minutes less than what is listed on the package's instructions. During the last 15 seconds of cooking, add peas. Drain most of the water, leaving 2 1/2 cups of pasta water, covering it to keep warm.
Then season the shrimp with salt and ground pepper. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a single layer of shrimp into the skillet and cook, flipping once, until it is golden brown in places and just cooked through. This takes up to four minutes total. After this is completed, transfer the cooked shrimp to a plate.
Slowly whisk 3/4 cup pasta water and one large egg yolk in a bowl. Bring 3/4 cup of pasta water to a simmer in the skillet at medium-high heat. After this, reduce the heat to low until the water is steaming hot but not simmering. Next, stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter until it is melted. Then whisk in the parmesan cheese bit by bit, allowing each addition to dissolve before adding more. Whisk this mixture until it is smooth and then lastly, slowly whisk in the yolk mixture.
Finally, add the pasta and peas, increasing the stove's heat to a medium temperature, and cook, tossing a few times, until the sauce is thickened just enough to coat the serving of pasta evenly. Remove the sauce from the heat and toss in shrimp and any additional juices. Add more pasta water if the sauce needs thinning, only a few tablespoons at a time. After plating, serve the pasta with a topping of cheese and fresh ground pepper.
Kids Friendly Fish Recipes
Another one of our favorite shrimp recipes for kids is shrimp tacos, but today we want to share one of our favorite kid friendly fish recipes. We know it can be tough to find the right fish recipes for kids, but these seared halibut tacos topped with grapefruit and avocado salad are bound to be a hit in your home! Through the butter flavor of the halibut, combined with the tangy and sweet grapefruit, lime juice, and avocados, this incredible dish will not have leftovers and is made in less than an hour. Here are the ingredients you will need:
1 Ruby Red grapefruit, segmented and then cut into 1-inch pieces
1 diced avocado
2 tablespoons of diced red onion
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 jalapeno, thoroughly seeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, or oil of choice
4 halibut fillets around 4 ounces each with the skin removed
8 corn tortillas
1 cup of shredded Napa cabbage, or lettuce if you prefer
Directions:
First, make the salsa by combining the avocado, onion, jalapeno, grapefruit, cilantro, and lime juice in a medium-sized bowl. Mix the ingredients, season with salt, and set aside.
Next, heat the oil in a large skillet, preferably a cast-iron skillet, over medium-high heat. Season the halibut fillets generously with salt and pepper and sear them, undisturbed, until they are golden brown. This will take up to three minutes. Flip the halibut and continue cooking them until they appear golden and flaky, which will take up to an additional 3 minutes more. Remove the fish from the skillet, letting them cool slightly, then flake with a fork.
Toast the corn tortillas over a gas burner or in a pan, turning them until they appear lightly charred, which takes about 1 minute.
Top the warm corn tortillas with the fish, salsa, and cabbage, and enjoy!
If you are thinking the recipes we have gone over so far may still be tricky to introduce to your little one, we recommend the ultimate kid friendly fish recipe, fish sticks. Kids love chicken fingers, but here is a way to make them something new and healthy that still feels a bit more familiar. We coat mild fillets of sole with crispy panko breadcrumbs in our rendition, but any white fish can work with this recipe. Ingredients:
2 cups of panko breadcrumbs
1 cup of all-purpose flour
2 lightly beaten large eggs
Coarse salt
Fresh ground pepper
Vegetable oil for frying
1 pound of sole or whitefish fillet cut into 1-by-3-inch pieces
Directions:
Put the panko breadcrumbs, all-purpose flour, and lightly beaten eggs in three separate bowls, seasoning the flour with salt and pepper.
Fill a large skillet with vegetables for frying, having the oil reach a depth of 1/4-inch and heating over medium-high heat. Dredge the fish in flour and shake off any excess, then dig the fillets into the bowl with the eggs. Transfer the fish fillets to the panko, covering the fish entirely. After this, make sure the panko is not on the fillets in excess.
Line your pan with a single layer of the fillets and fry them until they are cooked through and golden. This will take about 1 minute per side. Finally, transfer the cooked fillets to a paper towel-lined plate to drain the oil. After this last step, top with salt and serve right away.
The final fish recipe for kids that we will be sharing is for baked salmon sushi. We know that the texture and flavor of raw fish in sushi are not considered appetizing by many children, but who's to say they cannot enjoy the fun of eating sushi in a different way! By baking the salmon, your child is bound to love this homemade sushi recipe made with rice, avocado, cucumbers, and more. To add to the experience, your child can even try out chopsticks for the first time!Here is what you will need for this fun seafood dinner idea:
2 cups of short-grain white rice
Peeled ginger
1 cup of rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons of sugar, plus 1 additional teaspoon
12 ounces of salmon, skin removed, about 1-inch thickness
1 cup of carrots, peeled and julienned
1 cup of mini cucumbers, julienned
1/2 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup of mayonnaise
1 avocado, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds
6 sheets of toasted nori seaweed
Soy sauce for serving
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Rinse rice until water is clear and set in a bowl to drain while preparing the rest of the ingredients for at least 20 minutes.
Using a vegetable peeler, slice the ginger paper-thin along the grain until you have ½ a cup. Bring a small pot of water to a boil, adding the ginger, and blanch for 5 seconds. Drain when finished. Return the pot to the stove and add 3/4 cup of vinegar, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 2 tablespoons of water. Season lightly with salt and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Save half of the vinegar mixture for seasoning your rice, and add the blanched ginger to the remaining vinegar mixture and set aside until it cools entirely.
Place the rice and 2 1/2 cups of water in a small pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover the pot. Keep cooking until the rice is tender and all the water has been absorbed, which usually takes about 12 minutes. Rice can be cooked in a rice cooker as well, following those instructions. Remove the pot from the heat and let sit, covered, for ten more minutes. Move the rice to a large bowl and let it cool. Add the vinegar mixture to the rice with a wide spatula, folding in vinegar mixture to cool it down quickly. Cover this with a clean kitchen towel, and save the remaining vinegar mixture.
Next, season the salmon generously with salt, sit for 10 minutes, and then pat it dry. Meanwhile, toss julienned cucumbers and carrots with the remaining 1/4 cup of vinegar, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, and sesame oil. Set this aside and roast the salmon on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 8 to 10 minutes or until it is cooked through. After cooking, allow the salmon to cool and divide into 6 portions.
To assemble the baked salmon sushi, place 1 sheet of shiny nori side down on a rolling bamboo mat, keeping the long side closest to you. Dampen hands with the leftover vinegar mixture and press 3/4 cup rice, gently and evenly, across the nori, leaving a 1/2-inch of room on all sides. Spread 2 teaspoons of mayo evenly across the center of the rice. Layer 1/3 cup of your vegetable mixture, 1 portion of salmon, and some slices of avocado evenly across the middle of the rice, and sprinkle this filling with sesame seeds. Beginning with the edge closest to you, use the rolling mat to fold the bottom ⅓ towards the center while pressing evenly across the roll to compress the filling. Repeat and gently press again. Remove the rolling mat and lightly sprinkle a knife with the vinegar mixture, cutting the roll into 6 equal pieces. Finally, serve with the pickled ginger, a side of soy sauce, and enjoy!
Seafood for Kids
When introducing your child to a new cuisine, like sushi, shrimp, or fish recipes for kids, it is best to take it step-by-step, and we hope our recipes give you some inspiration for introducing some seafood dinner ideas in your very own home. If you like the sound of our kids' friendly fish recipes and shrimp recipes for kids above, visit our website today to check out our amazing kid's menu. Stiltsville Fish Bar has some of the seafood for kids and adults alike!
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