These roasted potatoes are slightly crispy on the outside and perfectly seasoned. I made them the other night with marinated filets of salmon, which I baked at the same time at the same temperature — 450F (230C) degrees. You could try this ginger honey salmon, another recipe that uses a 450F-degree oven. I strongly suggest using fresh cracked pepper for the potatoes, rather than just ground pepper, since it gives the potatoes just the right amount of spice.
The recipe uses Yukon Gold potatoes, which are about the size of large plums and have a thin golden skin. Total baking time is 40 minutes.
Serves 4
6 gold potatoes, cut into large chunks, about 1.5 inches 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. freshly cracked pepper 1/2 tsp. onion powder 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Heat oven to 450F/230C degrees. Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, then arrange in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes, stir the potatoes around, and bake for another 20 minutes.
This is an easy and super-healthy side dish that also works well as a main, especially if you’re a veggie lover like me. Serve it with soft, warm naan bread and a squirt of fresh lime.
Serves 4-6
Olive oil 1 1/2 cans of chickpeas, rinsed and patted dry 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 lb. pre-cut and washed kale leaves 2 Tbsp. Thai red curry paste Salt 1 lime, cut into quarters
Heat about 1 tsp. olive oil in a pan over medium-high, then cook the chickpeas until they’re crisp, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
In a Dutch oven over medium-high, saute the garlic until fragrant, then add the kale and stir. You may need to cook the kale in batches, letting the leaves wilt before adding more. Have a cup of water nearby and add some if the kale gets too dry as it cooks down.
Add the curry paste and stir, adding a little more water so the kale is neither too dry nor too wet. Cook until the curry paste is incorporated and all the leaves are bright green and wilted. Add the chickpeas and salt to taste.
I made these with my son the other night (he did most of the work!) and they were absolutely delicious. Everyone got two, and we served them with Mexican Tomato Soup. These are easy to make and fun to eat, too.
5 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half 1 cup canned and drained corn 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil 1 tsp. chili powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1 cup refried beans 8 6-inch corn tostadas 1 cup crumbled queso fresco 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves (coriander), whole or chopped
Heat oven to 400F/200C degrees.
In a medium bowl, mix tomatoes, corn, oil, chili powder, and salt. Spread it in a large baking pan and bake until the tomatoes are soft, 20-25 minutes.
Spread refried beans on the tostadas and place them on foil-lined baking sheets. When the tomato mixture is done baking, spoon it evenly on top of the tostadas. Place in oven until the beans are warm, about 5 minutes.
Remove from oven and sprinkle the cheese and cilantro on top. Serve immediately.
The recipe is from “The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs,” published by America’s Test Kitchen.
This is a perfect summer soup. It doesn’t take long to cook on the stove, it’s easy, and it’s adaptable. If you want to make it more of a scoopable dish with taco shells, use less water. More of a soup, add more broth. You can make it spicier, or add dried herbs like oregano.
We enjoyed this with lots (and lots!) of chips for scooping. The original recipe comes from Delish, but I altered the seasonings here.
Serves 4-6
1 Tbsp. canola oil 1 large onion, chopped 2 lb. ground turkey 1 15-oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed 1 15-oz. can corn, drained 1 15-oz. can chopped fire-roasted tomatoes, with liquid 1-2 Tbsp. (1-2 packets) taco seasoning 1 1/2 cups water 1 Tbsp. chicken bouillon powder Freshly chopped cilantro, for garnish
In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, then add ground turkey and cook until no longer pink.
Add beans, corn, fire-roasted tomatoes, taco seasoning, water, and bouillon powder. Bring to a simmer and cook until all ingredients are heated through. Add more water (or even chicken broth!) if desired to make it more of a soup.
Taste for seasonings and add salt if needed; serve in bowls with chopped cilantro sprinkled on top.
Nobody at the dinner table noticed I made my own pizza sauce tonight, but that’s because they thought it was just like the kind we usually buy. And I actually count that as a win.
The recipe is easy, but for me, these are the best reasons to make this sauce:
It’s thrifty — the ingredients were about $1.
It’s healthy — two main ingredients, plus seasonings, and no sugar.
It just feels good to make it from scratch!
It simmers on the stove while you get your pizza ingredients ready. If you like a thick sauce, cook it for longer. It makes enough for two 12-inch pizzas.
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce 2 Tbsp. tomato paste A couple of teaspoons of dried oregano Garlic powder to taste* Salt, if you think it needs some
In a pot, mix the tomato sauce and tomato paste and bring to a simmer. Add the seasonings, cover, and continue at a low simmer until it’s at the desired thickness.
*Tip for the garlic powder: If you want extra flavor, leave the garlic powder out of the sauce, and sprinkle it over the sauce after you’ve spread it on the pizza.
It was the offer of fresh herbs from my mother that inspired this recipe — big bunches of mint and basil that I was determined to make good use of right away. I thought of using them together over pasta, and I took inspiration from a New York Times recipe for the addition of fresh mozzarella and fusilli pasta. While at the store to buy the pasta, I saw grape tomatoes I wanted to use. That’s how I came up with this recipe, an easy one that is great for warm weather, when we don’t want heavy sauces and don’t want to spend a long time in the kitchen.
I can’t give exact amounts of the herbs, but I recommend using a whole lot. I had about six sprigs of garden-grown mint that, when chopped, yielded a large pile on the cutting board (if I could have scooped it up, it would have been a giant handful). Same with the basil. I had maybe three stems of organic basil that were huge and gave me about the same amount as the mint. But go with what you have, or whatever amount you prefer.
16 oz. fusilli pasta 1 punnet (about 1 pint) grape tomatoes 16 oz. mozzarella pearls (I used these from BelGioioso) or balls of mozzarella, cut into bite-size pieces 1/2 cup olive oil 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving 3-4 garlic cloves, minced A lot of mint, chopped A lot of basil, chopped Garlic powder (about 1/2 tsp.) Salt and pepper to taste
Chop the tomatoes in half width-wise (if they are especially long grape tomatoes, cut them in thirds). Place them in a large bowl with the rest of the ingredients, mix and let sit at room temperature while you cook the pasta.
Cook the fusilli until al dente, then drain and add to the bowl with the tomato mixture. Mix well and serve.
I wanted a chicken dish to go with the yummy yakisoba I was making the other night. I almost made my marinated chicken, but I kept looking around and decided on this recipe instead. I liked it because the peppers and red onion would be colorful on the plate and also provide some vegetables.
I changed the amounts of ingredients on the skewers, but the marinade and glaze are the same as the original recipe, and they were delicious. And definitely use the garnish. It looked really good scattered on top.
The recipe uses mirin, which the author, Jeanette Marie, describes: “Mirin is a form of rice wine that’s commonly used in cooking. … It’s much lower in alcohol content than traditional rice wine and higher in sugar. So, mirin adds a sweet note to the flavor profile of any dish it’s used in. But, it also adds the unique flavor of rice wine.”
Serves 4
SKEWERS 8 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for an hour (the easiest way to do this is to lay them in a rimmed baking sheet filled with water) 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes 1/2 red pepper, cut into large squares 1/2 green pepper, cut into large squares 1/2 red onion, cut into cubes and separated into 2 or 3 layers each
GARNISH 1 green (salad) onion, thinly sliced on the bias 2 Tbsp. sesame seeds (toasted, if you have time)
In medium bowl, mix marinade ingredients. Add chicken cubes and toss to coat. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate 2 hours to overnight.
When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400F/200C degrees. Thread the chicken, peppers, and onions onto the skewers, alternating chicken and peppers, then chicken and onion, and leaving a small bit of space between each one.
Line a baking sheet with foil, making sure to cover the sides to catch the liquid during cooking. Lay the skewers on top and bake 20 minutes, turning halfway through.
While the skewers are cooking, put the glaze ingredients into a small saucepan over medium heat. Allow to cook until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens slightly, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and set aside.
When the skewers are finished cooking, remove from the oven, place on a serving dish, and brush generously with the glaze. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds and serve immediately.
This is a copycat recipe for the chow mein at Panda Express. I think it comes very close, and is just as delicious, but after making it myself I’ll just call it yakisoba. We gobbled this up at dinner and it made great leftovers for lunch the next day. I served this with teriyaki chicken skewers.
Here it is, tweaked from the original based on the amounts that worked best for me.
1/4 cup soy sauce 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp. brown sugar, packed 2 tsp. freshly grated ginger 1/4 tsp. white pepper 2 4-oz. packages dried yakisoba noodles, seasoning packets discarded (this is the kind I used) 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1/2 onion, diced 2 small stalks celery, sliced diagonally 1/8 head of cabbage, shredded
In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, ginger and white pepper; set aside.
Cook yakisoba noodles according to package directions. Drain well. Measure out 11 oz. of cooked noodles and save the rest for another meal.
In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion and celery and cook until tender, about 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Stir in cabbage until heated through, about 1 minute.
Stir in noodles and soy sauce mixture until well combined, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.
A super-delicious crowd-pleaser using just a handful of ingredients and a slow cooker, so it requires very little work.
I have resisted using our slow cooker because it feels a little like cheating. Yes, I know it makes cooking easy and produces wonderful results, and I know I’m being silly. But when I saw this recipe the other day on Family Fresh Meals, it seemed so appetizing and fun that I gave it a go. And it was a total success. We’ll definitely be making this again.
It calls for Italian dressing, which I didn’t have, so I made my own with 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar, and a generous amount of garlic powder, dried parsley, and dried oregano.
Serves 4-5
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 cup barbecue sauce 1/4 cup Italian dressing 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Season the chicken breasts generously with salt and pepper. Place in the slow cooker.
In a bowl, mix the barbecue sauce, Italian dressing, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over the chicken.
Set the slow cooker for 3.5 hours on high. When finished cooking, pull the meat apart with two forks. Serve on lightly toasted brioche buns with cole slaw.
When I found this recipe, I was looking for an easy dinner to make that night, one that was reasonably healthy with something I knew my children would enjoy. This ended up being just right. They especially loved the sausage (not so much the vegetables, which I loved, but we’re working on that!).
I used the veggies called for in the recipe, but you can use any variety you’d like. The recipe also calls for smoked sausage that you roast in the pan with the vegetables. I used a chicken sausage that I cooked separately on the stovetop and then cut into pieces when I served it, and that worked really well.
Serve this on top of rice, quinoa, or couscous.
2 small red potatoes 12 oz. green beans (I used chopped frozen green beans, straight from the freezer) 1 large head of broccoli (for about 1 1/2 cups florets) 2 bell peppers (try to use bright colors like yellow and red, but green is just fine!) 9 oz. smoked sausage 6 Tbsp. olive oil 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional) 1 tsp. paprika 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 1 Tbsp. dried oregano 1 Tbsp. dried parsley 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp pepper Grated Parmesan (optional)
Preheat the oven to 400F/200C degrees. Line a large sheet pan with foil or parchment paper.
Prepare the vegetables: Chop the red potatoes (chop into small pieces so they will be tender in time), trim the green beans and halve, chop the broccoli, chop the peppers into thick squares, and cut the sausage into thick slices.
Place the vegetables and sausage on the sheet pan. Pour the olive oil and all the spices on top. Toss to evenly coat all the veggies and meat.
Bake 15 minutes, remove from the oven, and stir the vegetables. Return to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender and sausage is browned.
Cook the rice, quinoa, or prepare the couscous while the vegetables and sausage are roasting.
If desired, sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan cheese over the vegetables and sausage as soon as they come out of the oven.
Melissa's Cookbook 