I am making plans for our vegetable garden this summer and just added all of the first farmer’s market dates to my calendar because I’m so excited for peak produce season! Once it’s spring and summer veggie time I’m so much more likely to get in my greens, whether it be grilling them up or tossing them in a bowl of pasta. This recipe is an easy weeknight-dinner version of the noodles-and-veggies classic: pasta primavera. I make quick work of it by tossing some of the vegetables (peas and asparagus) into the water to cook at the same time as the pasta, and sautéing everything else (like carrots, broccoli, squash and mushrooms) in one big pan where I make the sauce before tossing it all together. You can mix and match any of the vegetables in the recipe to customize it with your favorites, or use up leftovers in the fridge. To give it an extra fresh and bright flavor I’ve made this version with a lemon-basil twist. The citrusy zest, a final squeeze of lemon juice, and tons of fresh chopped basil really liven up the sauce and cut through the cream and parmesan that coats the fettuccini. Get the full recipe below!
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I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: sometimes you just need a big bowl of pasta. This recipe uses one of my favorite pastas, tortellini, and crispy little bites of pancetta balanced with fresh spring veggies — english peas and sautéed leeks. Pasta is one of the meals I love to fall back on for busy weeknight dinners because you do so much with it in a short period of time! A few shortcuts I use are cooking the peas in the same water as the pasta (just add them in during the last few minutes of cooking time) and buying the pre-diced pancetta package at Trader Joe’s for perfectly cut cubes that crisp up fast in the pan. I even used some leftover chicken cutlets to top this dish to add in some protein; you could prep the chicken in advance to cut down on time. Get the full recipe below:
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If you’re read this blog, or skimmed my cookbook, you know that I’m a big, big fan of streamlining prep work and building efficient menus when it comes to entertaining. My goal is always to spend less time in the kitchen and more time with my family, while still sharing a really tasty meal when we’re together for celebrations. This easy Easter menu has a few little tricks in it to get dinner on the table in record time!
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I love asparagus because it cooks quickly, looks beautiful on the table, and is extra fresh and tasty in the spring! We eat it a ton for our weeknight dinner veggie, just roasted quickly with some salt, pepper and olive oil. For a special occasion though (like Easter!) I like the idea of dressing it up with a bright, crisp sauce. The idea for this sauce actually came from a salmon recipe I shared last summer, I updated it just a bit and it paired perfectly when drizzled over the top of the asparagus. The Dijon flavor also paired well with the ham I served it with, and brings out the tiny hint of Dijon I sneak into my mac and cheese sauce. All of the dishes work together seamlessly, which is what you want on a heaping Easter dinner plate! Scroll down for the full recipe:
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A few months back I took a poll about new content you guys wanted to see here, and I got a big response to one of my ideas: Trader Joe’s hacks. I shared my first one (sheet pan cauliflower gnocchi!) and was amazed by the response — holy moly did people love it! It was one of my most shared posts ever (in 10 years of blogging!), so I’m back today with another recipe that makes use of some tasty Trader Joe’s ingredients for a quick-fix dinner.
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We are going to talk all-things Instant Pot today! I have been meaning to write this post for a while now because every time I share a recipe that involves my Instant Pot I get tons of questions like: “is it worth it?” and comments like: “I have one and I’m scared to use it!” We bought ours more than a year ago and have made dozens of recipes in it, so I thought I’d share an honest review of what I like about it, what I don’t, and our go-to meals we use it for!
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When we went to London last spring we had an amazing champagne tea service at Sketch and I’ve been dreaming about the coronation chicken salad sandwiches we had there ever since! I’ve been experimenting with this recipe — my own variation of the curry chicken salad — for weeks now and can’t stop eating it for lunch. It’s so tasty that I actually just eat a scoop of it in a bowl — no bread or wraps needed! I even made a triple batch to serve in mini roll-ups at my mom’s 60th birthday brunch we hosted a few weeks ago — (I added a bit more greek yogurt and mayonnaise to the party-sized serving) and it was a fan-favorite at the party. Most importantly, it’s very easy to make which is perfect for meal-prepping so that I always have a healthyish lunch to grab in the fridge during the week. I have made it with chopped up rotisserie chicken, or leftover poached chicken (I actually make mine in the Instant Pot with just a little bit of salt, pepper, and chicken stock) — use whatever you have on hand! Get the full recipe below:
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One-pan meals are my savior for quick weeknight dinners when I’m trying to wrap up work and wrangle a toddler during the dreaded 5:00 meltdown hour. It’s an added bonus if I can prep everything during Jane’s nap time, toss it together in a pan, and leave it in the fridge until it’s ready to roast in the evening. This recipe is one of those meals that is key for a busy week! Three main ingredients get added to the pan — chicken breast, red onion slices and carrot medallions. Then everything gets coated in a simple sauce made of butter, dijon mustard, maple syrup and honey and seasoned with chili powder. The flavors come together when roasting as the carrots and onions caramelize and the sauce gives the chicken a sweet and tangy flavor with a touch of spice! I ate this on its own for lunch when I first made it, and then served the leftovers (which reheated very well!) over some rice pilaf the next day. Get the full recipe below:
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I’ve got a few parties on the calendar this season that include birthdays, brunches and showers, so adding some new appetizer recipes to my repertoire have been on my mind. I’ve been testing the recipe for these Goat Cheese and Walnut Tarts to have on the menu for all that upcoming spring entertaining!
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I took a little poll recently on my instagram about some new blog post ideas, and one that got resounding positive feedback was Trader Joe’s hack recipes! I love Trader Joe’s and I rely on so many of their frozen foods, great sauces and specialty items for making quick and easy dinners at home. This recipe is one of those fast-fix meals, and the best part is that it can be made in one-pan for minimal clean-up. It starts with their popular cauliflower gnocchi, which gets added to the pan while still frozen and tossed with tomatoes, olive oil, herbs and seasonings. It roasts for about 30 minutes and tossing the ingredients once or twice mid-cooking helps everything get coated in the blistered tomato juices and ensures the gnocchi has a perfectly crisped outside and fluffy texture inside. It’s so simple to make I even had time to make it for a lunch last week! Get the full recipe below:
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