Here’s an easy and healthy weeknight side dish that’s packed with flavor but only needs a few ingredients. Pair it with your favorite chicken or fish dish.
Serving : 2
Ingredients
2 yellow squash (1/2 in slices)
1/2 small onion
Sprinkle of dried thyme
Sprinkle of red pepper flakes
Splash of Olive oil
Instructions
Wash the produce.
Slice the squash into 1/2 inch coins and slice onion into 1/2 inch rings.
Toss in a bowl with olive oil and herbs
Lay in a single layer on a foil lined pan and roast at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until slightly browned.
This recipe can be used to season 1 1b of ground protein of your choice. I make 3-4 batches at a time and put it into it’s own container to speed up the dinner preparation process. It’s so much healthier than grabbing a pre-packaged taco seasoning from the grocery store as they often include large amounts of salt and other ingredients like sugar and cornstarch. I use 3-4 T of the mixed seasoning for 1 lb. of ground beef or chicken.
Ingredients
2 T chili powder (some stores offer chili powder blends but I recommend the pure form for this recipe)
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
Combine all the ingredients in a ziplock plastic bag and shake until thoroughly mixed. To make taco meat, cook the ground meat (chicken, turkey or beef) until almost fully cooked. Add seasoning mix and cook for a minute or two more or until desired consistency.
1/4 cup flour (I like cassava flour- gluten free and grain free)
A few shakes of lemon pepper and salt
For the sauce…
1/2 stick butter, softened
Zest of one lemon
1 T fresh Italian parsley, chopped
3/4 tsp lemon pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
Process:
Prepare the sauce:
Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add lemon zest, parsley, lemon pepper and sea salt and set aside.
Prepare the fish:
Place the flour in a dish with flat bottom such as a pie tin. Season the flour with salt and pepper.Dredge fish in flour mixture to coat both sides.
Heat a large skillet. Add 2 T olive oil to the pan and sauté fish 3-4 minutes per side or until fish is golden brown and crispy on outside and opaque inside.
Servings: 4 -6 (Adapted from chef Julia Frey’s classic recipe)
Instructions
1 tbsp olive oil
2 lbs chicken thighs ((bone in or boneless skinless)
salt and pepper
2 shallots sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 thyme sprigs
3 tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 cup/125ml white wine
1 cup/250ml chicken stock
1/2 cup/125ml 1/2 and 1/2 (Optional)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350F/180C
In a large oven proof frying pan or casserole dish (ie enameled cast iron) heat one tablespoon of olive oil and brown chicken parts seasoned with salt and pepper on each side until golden but not cooked all the way through. Remove temporarily to a plate/dish and set aside.
To the same pan add shallots, garlic and thyme leaves and cook over low heat for 5 minutes without getting any color on them.
Add wine, dijon mustard and chicken stock, stir to combine and bring to a boil, then add chicken back to the frying pan, spoon the sauce all over chicken pieces.
Put in the oven uncovered and cook for approximately 45 minutes for bone in thighs or until almost done. (Reduce the time to approximately 25-30 minutes if using boneless skinless chicken).
Take out of the oven add 1/2 and 1/2 to the sauce. This is an optional step if you prefer a richer, creamier sauce. I prefer to forgo the cream and the extra calories but I like to splurge if we are having guests. Once again baste the chicken in the sauce, put back in the oven and cook for 5-10 minutes longer.
Serve with rice, potatoes or roasted vegetables.
Notes
The sauce is not thick as classic French sauces never are. However, if you like your sauces thicker, add 1 tbsp of flour in step 3 right before you add wine, mustard and chicken stock.
If you don’t have an oven proof pan, you can use a 2 dishes, a frying pan and a roasting pan.
1½ cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks) rinsed well to remove any dirt
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2-3 cloves)
½ cup good chicken stock, preferably homemade
½ cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
½ cup crème fraîche
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ small lemon, sliced in thin half-rounds
8 to 10 sprigs fresh thyme
Cooked basmati rice or quinoa for serving
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Place the chicken on a sheet pan, skin side up, and dry with paper towels. Rub with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast until cooked through and the skin is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat the butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12-inch) ovenproof skillet (Ie enameled cast iron) over medium heat. Add the onion and leeks and sauté until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and wine and simmer for about 5 minutes. Whisk in the crème fraîche, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and taste for seasoning.
4. Nestle the chicken thighs into the sauce in the sauté pan. Tuck the lemon slices among the thighs and strew the thyme sprigs on top. Place the pan in the oven and roast uncovered for 15 minutes. Serve hot with the sauce over rice or couscous.
Skin-on salmon is helpful as the skin helps hold the fish together after baking but skinless salmon works fine too.
Ingredients
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets or steaks, preferably skin-on
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
1 thinly sliced lemon, for garnish
Method
Prep the salmon: Remove the salmon from the refrigerator and sprinkle a little salt over it. Let it sit at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Make the dill butter: Mix the fresh dill with the butter in a small bowl.
Bake the salmon: Spread 1-2 T olive oil on the fish to coat it. Place the salmon skin side down in a roasting pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes undisturbed (depending on how thick your salmon pieces are). Remove the salmon with a spatula. The salmon should be just cooked through when done.
Serve: To serve, place a few thin slices of lemon on each plate. Remove the salmon pieces from the oven and place on the lemon slices with a spatula. Top each piece of salmon with about a tablespoon of the dill butter and serve at once.
I love this simple recipe from the Modern Proper. It’s the perfect dairy free, easy peasy nutritious soup that’s perfect for your Meatless Monday dinner. It whips up in a flash and is packed with flavor. I think you will love it too!
Serves: 4-8
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Dairy Free Meatless Monday Soup packed with flavor
2 cups sweet potatoes, about 2 small potatoes, peeled and 1 1/2″ cubed
4 cups packed kale, stems removed and torn into 2″ pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt (or as per your taste)
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
3 tbsp yellow curry powder
1 cinnamon stick, or 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Method
In a 5 quart soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent (about 5 minutes).
Add all other ingredients except for kale and bring to a boil before reducing to a simmer.
Allow the soup to simmer covered for 20 minutes.
Add in kale and simmer uncovered for another 5-10 minutes. Serve with warm bread and enjoy!
If using a slow-cooker, add all ingredients (except kale) and cook on low for 4 hours. Add kale for the last 30 minutes of cook time.
Nutrition Info
Calories 506 (if serving 4)
Protein 17 g
Carbohydrates 48 g
Total Fat 28 g
Dietary Fiber 13 g
Cholesterol l0 mg
sodium 327 mg
Total Sugars 15 g
Lentil soup is packed with nutrition, and this one in particular packs a nutritional punch. Vegan and vegetable-loaded, it’s a healthy, hearty power house. Here’s why lentils are so good for you:
Eating lentils may help to lower cholesterol, and having low cholesterol is associated with a lower risk for heart disease.
High in insoluble fiber, lentils take a long time to digest. This means that they can help to stabilize your blood sugar, and just generally are good for your digestive health.
Lentils are an excellent vegan source of protein! 26% of the calories in lentils come from protein. For this reason, lentils make a great vegan or “meatless Monday” option.
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon dried Greek oregano
For dish:
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (or ½ stick unsalted butter)
1 medium onion, small dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups long grain rice like Mahatma brand
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
1-2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
½ cup pitted green olives
½ cup roasted red pepper strips
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional garnish: chopped cilantro or parsley leaves
Preparation
Put chicken thighs in a nonreactive bowl and season with a pinch of salt, a grind or two of black pepper and the olive oil, red wine vinegar and oregano. Let marinate while you’re organizing the rest of your ingredients, no more than half an hour.
Melt butter or heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large lid pot then sauté onion over medium heat until it begins to soften. Add the garlic and cook just until you can smell its characteristic aroma and it turns opaque. Add the rice and stir well so the grains are coated with the fat. Let it sauté for a minute. Add the tomato paste and the broth. Stir well to mix. Add the remaining condiments (olives, capers and roasted peppers). Taste the liquid. It should have a piquancy from the capers and olives. Add salt now if you think you need it (maybe 1/4-1/2 tsp).
Nestle the chicken thighs into the rice, adding any reserved marinade or juices. Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover the pot and cook either on top of the stove over low heat or in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until rice has absorbed all the liquid and chicken is cooked through. Taste for seasoning.
This is an easy weeknight dinner recipe that is also pretty enough to serve guests at a small casual dinner party. The citrus sauce is the perfect combination of savory and sweet. The leftovers (if you have any) are great for lunch the next day too! Enjoy!
Serves 3-4
Ingredients
4-6 boneless chicken breast cutlets (see notes)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup Chardonnay (or you can use white cooking wine)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
6 green onions (white and half of green section, chopped)
4-6 cloves of garlic, pressed or finely chopped
6-8 Tablespoons butter (divided)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Preparation
For Chicken:
Pat the chicken with a paper towel to dry. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
Lightly flour chicken and place into a large frying pan with approximately 3-4 T. butter melted in the pan and fry until golden brown about 5 minutes per side. Be careful not to burn the butter. Chicken will not be fully cooked. Place chicken in a warm oven while you make the sauce.
For Sauce:
Add 3-4 T butter to pan. Saute the onions and garlic in the butter on low heat. Add wine and lemon juice. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken to the sauce, cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes more or until fully cooked. Serve over your favorite rice (I like brown basmati rice). Yummy!
Notes:
Chicken – you can purchase chicken cutlets or chicken breast fillets in your local grocery store or you can cut them yourself but slicing a boneless chicken breast in half to form thin patties.
Flouring Chicken – Place about 1/4-1/2 cup flour in a shallow baking dish. Dip and flip the chicken fillets into the flour to lightly cover them before cooking. This ensures that chicken stays both moist and tender.
recipe note: Balsamic vinegar comes in many forms. I recommend a higher quality one to get the fullest flavor. Many balsamic vinegars found in grocery stores are very thin – like water. Higher quality ones often found in specialty shops are aged longer and are slightly thicker (not as thick as balsamic glaze, but somewhere in the middle of the two).41-Olive offers many choices.
ingredients:
4-6 skinless boneless chicken thighs (or breasts if you prefer) kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 3 large garlic cloves, minced 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (I mix it up with the colorful heirloom variety) 10 large basil leaves, finely chopped 4-6 oz fresh buffalo mozzarella, sliced in 1/4-1/2 inch thick slices balsamic vinegar, to taste (My newest favorite is BlackCherry from 41-Olive)
directions:
Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken thighs or breasts and set aside.
In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add chicken, cover pan, and cook for about 10 minutes. Flip chicken breasts and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked thoroughly (or has reached an internal temp of 165°F).
While chicken is cooking, in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add tomatoes and continue sautéing until tomatoes skin starts to soften/wrinkle, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in basil. Set aside.
Once chicken has reached desired doneness, top each chicken piece with 1-2 slices of mozzarella (depending on how thick you sliced it). Pour tomato mixture on top. Cover pan with lid once more and let the mozzarella melt, about 1-2 minutes.
Lastly, drizzle with a splash of balsamic vinegar and serve immediately.
Don't Forget the Secret Ingredient 