recipes i've really liked lately

i’m always on the lookout for new recipes to try - especially quick and easy ones these days. i thought I’d share a few weeknight dinners that we've been digging recently!

cajun chicken bowl with cilantro lime rice, peppers and avocado
this recipe is super simple but i think the dish really packs a punch! i love the combination of flavors and textures. 
recipe adapted from and photo via kitchen sanctuary
Cajun Chicken with coriander and lime rice tall
1. slice one red bell pepper, one yellow bell pepper, and one brown onion into strips. chop up a bunch of cilantro and zest one lime.
2. cook 1 cup of rice in 2 cups of water (bring to a boil and then simmer for 20ish minutes).
3. heat up a glob of olive oil in a skillet.
4. place 2 chicken breasts in a bowl. sprinkle 1.5 tbs cajun seasoning and 1 tbs oil on top, then use your hands to massage the spices into the meat. flatten the chicken breasts a bit with your hands.
5. cook the chicken in the hot skillet for 5-7 minutes on each side, until it is charred and cooked through. remove from the skillet.
6. add another glob of oil to the skillet and then add the peppers and onion strips. cook for 5-7 minutes, until slightly charred.
7. fluff the cooked rice with a fork, and then stir through the cilantro and lime zest. you may want to squeeze a little juice from the lime in as well (I like things tasting especially lime-y!).
8. cut one avocado into slices or chunks. slice the cooked chicken into strips.
9. arrange the rice, chicken, peppers, and avocado into bowls, and enjoy!

pea and spinach creamy pasta
this is such a quick but also satisfying and healthy dinner! it literally takes 10 minutes. 
recipe adapted from and picture via deliciously ella
C9

1. cook 2 servings of pasta in salted boiling water. (i use wholewheat spaghetti.)
2. when the pasta is nearly done, add a generous sprinkling of frozen peas.
3. drain the pasta/peas, and return the food to the hot pot. add 4 tbs plain greek yogurt, a big handful of spinach leaves, the juice of one lemon, and 2 tsp olive oil.
4. stir it all up, allowing the spinach to wilt, and add a bit of salt and a some generous shakes of black pepper (I love this dish very pepper-y). that’s it! enjoy!

ground turkey sweet potato skillet
ian is a big fan of this one. it’s just easy to whip up in one pot and it’s tasty. 
recipe adapted from and picture via primavera kitchen
Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet 4
1. peel and mince two cloves of garlic. dice up one small onion and one small yellow pepper. cut 2 sweet potatoes (about 1.5 cups) into small cubes. shred or grate up 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese.
2. in a skillet that has a fitting lid, heat a glob of olive oil. add 1 pound lean ground turkey and the minced garlic. break up the meat as it cooks and stir occasionally for about five minutes.
3. add the sweet potatoes, onion, yellow pepper, a generous shake of salt and pepper and a sprinkling of dried chili flakes. stir everything together and then add a few splashes of water to help the sweet potatoes cook. cover the skillet and allow to cook until everything is tender, uncovering occasionally to stir.
4. add a big handful or two of spinach (not pictured - my addition) and stir while allowing it to wilt.
5. add the cheeses, cover the skillet and allow the cheese to melt for five minutes.
6. serve and enjoy! this recipe keeps well in the fridge and the leftovers are yummy.

sun-dried tomato and roasted eggplant pasta
ever since i discovered this recipe, i’ve been really into roasted eggplant (or aubergine as they call it here in england). i thought i didn’t like eggplant! the mix of flavors in this meal is soooo good.
recipe adapted from and picture via deliciously ella
Pasta3
1. slice 1 medium eggplant into bite-size chunks. spread the cubes on a baking sheet and sprinkle them with a bit of olive oil, salt and dried rosemary. allow the eggplant to sit while you slice the other vegetables - this helps the best flavor to come out as it roasts. heat the oven to 375.
2. cut 8 plum tomatoes into eighths and 1 zucchini into half moon slices. chop up 2/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes (from a jar).
3. put the eggplant in the heated oven and allow to roast for about 20 minutes.
4. meanwhile, put the tomatoes, zucchini, and sun-dried tomatoes in a sauce pan with a glob of olive oil, a sprinkling of salt, and a handful of torn fresh basil leaves. allow everything to simmer for 15 minutes.
5. meanwhile, cook 2 servings of pasta (i’ve used brown rice pasta, as suggested in the original recipe, and it was really good!) in boiling water and then drain.
6. just before the eggplant is ready, add 1/2 cup of pine nuts to the baking tray and allow the nuts to toast.
7. combine the pasta, simmered tomato/zucchini sauce, and roasted eggplant with pine nuts. dish into bowls and add a handful of rocket on top of each serving. then, enjoy!

i hope sharing these recipes helps someone out there who is in the position i find myself in waaaaay more than i’d like - racking my mind about what i will make for dinner that night/week!

please share links to (quick and healthy) recipes you've been digging lately in the comments!

happy cooking!

Comments

  1. Thanks so much for sharing these! I was literally just about to meal plan when I saw your timely post. As the mother of a 20 month old daughter, I'm curious if Moses eats these meals or if you find that you have to make adjustments or substitutions for him? I'm always on the hunt for easy, quick, flavorful recipes but feel limited at times by what my daughter will eat and the desire to not want to have to make a separate meal for her!

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    1. it’s hit and miss. sometimes he will eat what we eat but more often than i would like he eats something different at dinner (it’s usually something easy we resort to if he’s not going for sharing our meal - a pb sandwich or something like that!). we tried some tactics to help him eat what we ate but it started to turn dinnertime into such a battle. i really want to get better at helping him eat more different foods. i just haven’t had the energy with gabriel’s arrival etc.

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    2. Charity, thank you for answering so honestly! It would have been so easy for you to say, "Yes! Of course, it's a priority." Or something like that. I'm with you'd--I'd much rather have a peaceful dinner with a peanut butter sandwich than a battle that probably doesn't help much in the long run. I love what the chapter on food in "How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen..." says. It's helped me think through how I handle food with my children.

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    3. Ditto to what Nancy expressed! Thank you for your honesty. It helped me to not feel so alone in some of my little food challenges with our little one! We also try to encourage her to try our meal, but often end up making something simple and separate for her.

      Also...we tried the Cajun chicken meal tonight and LOVED it! Thanks so much for sharing!

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  2. Yum!! These are right up my alley. Thank you!!

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  3. These recipes look great! My go-to easy, healthy dinner: roasted salmon or artic char (cooked 13-15 min. at 450) & then squeeze fresh lemon juice on top, with baked sweet potato with cinnamon mixed in after cooking, and roasted broccoli (we toss ours with olive oil & bottled minced garlic). And amazingly, our kids eat it too (they didn't always at Mo's age).

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  4. mom of older school age kids here. when they were younger they would often eat our meals "deconstructed". For example, your pasta dish...they would eat the pasta with nothing on it and the peas on the side, and a serving of yogurt. That way, I wasn't making a second meal. As they have gotten older, I've put what we eat on their plate. It might take a few times seeing the dish and all of the sudden it's a family favorite. The first time I served tiki masala it wasn't their favorite, and now I'm asked for it at least once a week! It will get there, just do what works for you.

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    1. I love this because this is what we do! I have found a lot of success doing this as well. Both my kids (4 & 1) will fill themselves up if we do deconstructed meals. I make sure to have one thing I know they will like (such as plain pasta) and then they can try the other foods.

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    2. yes we do this as well. we just try to keep offering lots of variety and we appreciate any trying of new foods that we get!

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  5. I recently came across clean simple eats (by Erika Peterson) on Instagram and I have absolutely loved her recipes!!! They are exactly as they claim to be...clean and simple! I am 7 months postpartum and I was struggling to lose the last 10 pounds of baby weight and I lost it in a month of cooking her meals (while doing very little exercising). The best part about her meals is that they fill you up and keep you satisfied! Also I have a 2 year old son who I would say loves like 65% of her recipes...which is AMAZING!!! You should definitely look into her recipes, She actually sets them up as a meal plan for you if you want to follow them that way but I like the freedom of choosing what I want to make. I think you would really like them. Thanks for sharing your recipes, I think I’ll have to try them out as well.

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  6. Ha! Rocket (last recipe) = arugula? Is that a difference between British and American English? I love.

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    1. yes! i translated a couple other british food words to american but i missed this one :)

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