healthy

50 Easy Slow Cooker Dinner Recipe Ideas

January 7, 2019

This list of 50 slow cooker recipes for chicken, chili, pot roast, and even pizza are the secret to getting easy crockpot dinners on the table fast.

We all know money doesn’t grow on trees, and neither does time. Despite our best laid plans, it always seems to slip through our busy little fingers, and before we know it, we glance up from our watches after a hectic work day, and it’s already 5 o’clock.

On marathon days like these, coming home and having to scramble to figure out what’s for dinner, or diving into a multiple step recipe with a laundry list of ingredients is pretty much the last thing we feel like doing.

However, coming home to a kitchen that smells like Ina Garten’s taken over and has been cooking for Jeffrey all day—that’s just what the doctor ordered. And thanks to a little planning and a little slow cooker magic, it’s perfectly achievable.

Check out this list of FIFTY (!) slow cooker recipes for easy, breezy weeknight dinners that work for weekends too.

continue to the recipe… about 50 Easy Slow Cooker Dinner Recipe Ideas

30 Days of Soups, Stews, and Chilis Made to Keep Winter Warm

November 1, 2018

Sign me up for this list of 30 days of soups, stews, and chilis on repeat to warm up this body of mine and soothe my ever-loving seasonal soul all month long.

I know, I know–wintery weather blows in just about every 365 days from right about today, yet I’m never quite ready to give up on the gorgeous warmth of Indian summers and the fall leaves a-falling. I love me a snowy white winter, but fall has my heart.

While winter doesn’t officially begin until Christmas is nearly here, the change in weather and my freezing cold feet—now clad in fuzzy socks and boots— is the sure-fire signal for me to start craving the heartiest of rib-sticking comfort food.

This list of 30 soups, stews, and chilis are sure to warm us up and fill us up, but not fill us OUT, because each of these recipes are made with healthy, real good, real foods.

So what are you waiting for? Grab a spoon and dig in!continue to the recipe… about 30 Days of Soups, Stews, and Chilis Made to Keep Winter Warm

14 Days of Healthy Breakfast Recipe Ideas

October 29, 2018

What can I cook for breakfast? It’s a question repeated by millions every single day. And I bet you’re one of them.

I talk a lot about my cravings for easy, healthy breakfast recipes, because, hey, it’s the most important meal of the day, right?

Why is breakfast important? Because eating breakfast helps with weight loss, brain function, and keeping you moving all throughout the day. That’s why I am ALWAYS on the lookout for easy breakfast recipe ideas to keep this healthy habit fresh and fun. Because as we all know, breakfast is too easy to skip, and too often breakfast is boring too.

This list of 2 weeks, or 14 days, of seasonal and simple healthy breakfast recipe ideas offer up WAY better than average starts to your day and make eating breakfast a habit you’ll actually enjoy.

These breakfasts focus on all the flavors of fall, with some geared toward on-the-go and others for easy weekend breakfast or brunch. They’re seasonal but simple recipes for eggs, breakfast sandwiches, simple frittatas, oatmeal, avocado toast, and protein pancakes will make breakfast your favorite meal of the day.continue to the recipe… about 14 Days of Healthy Breakfast Recipe Ideas

The Best Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes

October 24, 2018

Crispy oven roast potatoes are an easy, healthy side dish for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner, because no matter what time of year, they fit every meal.

The Best Crispy Oven Roast Potatoes

Forget feeling all the feels, lately I’ve been feeling all the sides.

Maybe it’s because when I make up my weekly not-a-plan-flexible-meal-plan (subscribe to my newsletter and I’ll send it to you each Saturday for FREE) I realize there are so many easy side dishes I make that I haven’t yet shared here on the blog.

Or maybe it’s because if I had my druthers, my plate would be composed of a taste of this and a bite of that. Variety is my friend.

These crispy oven roasted potatoes will also add variety to your plate, with a variety of herbs, and served at a variety of times, these taters are at the top of my easy side dish list. And now, they are about to shoot to the top of yours. continue to the recipe… about The Best Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes

Baked Salmon with Creme Fraiche

October 22, 2018

Salmon recipes can be cooked many ways, but in my book, there’s nothing as easy as baked salmon in white wine and lemon for a healthy dinner, or to make and use for meal prep all week long.

Whether it’s baked salmon, poached, grilled salmon, pan-seared, whole salmon, or cut into filets, the benefits of cooking and eating salmon are not only fast and easy enough for any level of cook to make, but so incredibly good for your health, too.

While visiting my mom earlier this year, my Aunt Jane cooked us this simple salmon dinner baked in wine and topped with lemon, then topped with an easy, and totally flavorful creme fraiche sauce.

Jane is one of those cooks where everything seems effortless. But she confided that while she loves to entertain, she doesn’t always feel so confident in the kitchen, especially when cooking for others. That’s why when she does, she zeroes in on a recipe that’s tried and true. It leaves less margin for error, and more time for enjoying guests rather than time in the kitchen worrying over the stove.

Being from Seattle, this baked salmon with a creamy creme fraiche sauce has pretty much become Jane’s signature dish, and now it can become yours, too.continue to the recipe… about Baked Salmon with Creme Fraiche

Curry Lentil Soup with Butternut Squash and Greens

October 15, 2018

Simple vegetarian soups are easy to come by, but this healthy curried lentil soup recipe serves a purpose, too.

This recipe is brought to you by Kroger

My best friend is one of the most enthusiastic people I know. She is a PhD. She is a dreamer. She is a CEO. She is an avid, and I mean AVID animal rescuer. She travels, she mentors, she’s curious, she’s beautiful, she loves mimosas, and in business and in life, she is the ultimate planner.

And my best friend has Stage 4 Metastatic HER2 Positive Breast Cancer.

Wait. Hold up. This is not part of Kim’s plan.

Stage 4. Cancer. Those words…they’re so scary to hear. I have no idea what it’s like to live with them banging about in your brain, rattling your heart, day in and day out.

Ironically, I received her call about the cancer diagnosis on a Saturday morning while at a Kroger retreat in Detroit. She had been to the doctor the day before. She told me the cancer was back. She told me she wished that five years ago her insurance would have allowed her to have the double mastectomy she wanted, instead of just the one she did have. I’ll never forget that phone call as I paced the floor, talking to Kim, my head spinning out and my heart breaking for my friend.

And now, here I am, sharing our story and a very special recipe in a post sponsored by Kroger’s Sharing Courage breast cancer awareness program for women, their families, and their support systems. And each and every one of them are very important stories to tell.continue to the recipe… about Curry Lentil Soup with Butternut Squash and Greens

Easy Lemon Rice Recipe

August 29, 2018

At our house, this easy lemon rice is a side dish staple and with just 5 ingredients, it’s a super simple way to jazz up plain old white rice any day of the week.

No matter where your set your plate, it’s likely that rice will be one of the side dishes served on any international dinner table.

This lemon rice makes regular appearances alongside so much of my main meal cooking, like my Greek marinated chicken, or as a basic side for my Greek pork souvlaki kebabs or turkey kofta skewers, and always with my Easy Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce.

But this lemon rice doesn’t travel only in Greek or Mediterranean circles. It’s a fan of crossing all culinary borders, and it does a fine job of fitting into any dinner no matter the main dish’s international personality.

continue to the recipe… about Easy Lemon Rice Recipe

15 Easy Healthy Breakfast Recipes to Get You Through the Week

August 26, 2018

This list of 15 easy and healthy breakfast ideas will have you out the door and on the go in no time.

We’ve heard it and know it by heart—the oft-repeated mantra, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”

But too often the back-to-school rush of packing lunches, figuring out dinner plans, choosing healthy snacks, etc., breakfast can get left behind in the shuffle.

Even if you’re not sending littles (or bigs) out the door, I’m all about having options to mix up my healthy breakfast eating routine, because you KNOW I’m not one to skip any meal, but most importantly not breakfast and my daily time-to-be-just-with-me quiet time.

This list of 15 easy breakfast provides three weeks worth of weekday breakfast options that will get you out the door quickly without sacrificing your diet, sanity, or valuable hair blow-drying time.continue to the recipe… about 15 Easy Healthy Breakfast Recipes to Get You Through the Week

Greek Chicken Gyro Salad

August 13, 2018

Greek food and especially gyros are one of my favorite kind of meals, but since I’m not much of a fan of lamb, it’s my marinated Greek chicken and chickpeas that adds the protein to this easy Greek gyro style salad with a yogurt tzatziki sauce perfect for a meal prep lunch or dinner.

This Greek gyro chicken salad is one of those types of salads that makes a statement, declaring that Mediterranean dishes are just as good in a bowl as they are stuffed in a pita or grilled on a skewer.

This Greek salad is far from contrived, or uppity, or way too out there. It’s just a good, basic salad that covers all the major food groups. I love that this salad can be prepped ahead for take-to-work or school lunches—proven by my Ali Smudge who is obsessed with it.

On busy weeknights, it makes for a super fast dinner. It’s ready to roll for everyone at to eat together, or parceled out as your peeps filter in for meal time.

Because doesn’t it seem that’s more the case than ever these days?continue to the recipe… about Greek Chicken Gyro Salad

Creamy Tropical Fruit Slushies

July 30, 2018

Trade in your handheld popsicles for this frozen slushie treat that’s iced, creamy, and a total tropical flavor delight made from real fruit and almond milk, making it more delicious AND healthier than what you’ll find at the local snow cone shack.

This recipe is brought to you by Almond Breeze

Who else has stood in line at the little wooden shack on a hot summer day sweating bullets but so totally not moving because you’re finally next in line for a cold, frozen slushie/snow cone/ icy treat?

Or rather, who hasn’t?

Once we hit the dog days of summer, the summertime slurping ritual of savoring a brain freeze/Slurpee/shaved ice is at an all-time high. But here’s the deal, do you really know what’s in those things? Basically, it’s just a lot of sugary syrup made from weirdly manufactured ingredients over chunks of ice. And if you get the creamy version (because it tastes SO much better!) it’s doctored with heavy cream and/or sweetened condensed milk.

Talk about a calorie load!

But you do have options! Instead of piling on the unnatural sugared syrups and heavy cream options, it’s so easy to make healthier iced slushies at home. And you don’t even need a slushie machine to do it. Instead, just a good quality kitchen blender will totally do.continue to the recipe… about Creamy Tropical Fruit Slushies

30 Healthy Summer Potluck Salads to Make in June

May 31, 2018

From zippy potato salads, quinoa salads, coleslaws, and pasta salads that just seem to get better and better over time, we can’t get enough of this list of 30 healthier, light and refreshing summer potluck salads to make now.

With the official first day of summer lingering around the corner (can’t wait for you to get here June 21!), we can’t help but daydream of picnics, potlucks, and pool parties. That’s because we know these shindigs always have the best food.

Childhood memories of cookouts and summer get-togethers bring up all the happy memories of summer’s answer to comfort food: All the side dishes you can fill a plate with and for me that means all the salads.

We’re talking salads that’ll cool you down even on the hottest of days; dishes eaten pool-side, picnic-style, or enjoyed on those lazy summer eves with all the grilled foods and in the company of family and friends.

So whether you’re a caprese salad junkie, coleslaw queen, or broccoli salad aficionado (this one’s my fave!), the gang’s all here. You’ll recognize healthier riffs on your classic faves, plus some new inspiration. But whatever your craving, we’ve got you covered so you can bring your best potluck game all summer-long.continue to the recipe… about 30 Healthy Summer Potluck Salads to Make in June

Chipotle Lime Shrimp Bowls

May 8, 2018

Quick, easy, and totally flavorful, these Chipotle Lime Shrimp Bowls with brown rice, black beans, and served with tomatoes and avocado are just the right level of adobo spice with a touch of honey to sweeten up meal prep for any lunch or dinner.

When I looked over and read what her t-shirt said, I thought of several people I know who spend at least part of every day feeling exactly the same way.

Hangry. Hungry + angry = Hangry.

Personally, its rare that I ever get to the hangry stage because I work from home, so when I’m hungry, I can dart into the kitchen to make a quick lunch, grab a handful of almonds, or whip up my fave afternoon yogurt + berries + granola snack. But it’s highly likely I’m in the minority.

Enter #hangry.

This rice bowl recipe comes from the new cookbook aimed at solving that dreaded meal-time dilemma of getting nutritious meals in the belly when time isn’t always on your side. The Weekday Lunches and Breakfasts Cookbook: Easy and Delicious Home-Cooked Meals for Busy Families by Mary Younkin of the food blog Barefeet In the Kitchen, serves up super-simple breakfasts and lunches that work for everyone at the table. Or if you’re like me, easy to eat at the desk too.

Filled with recipes for quick, easy, and make-ahead breakfasts and lunches, this is the busy person’s cookbook with freezer storage suggestions and easy to reheat directions galore.

Over on my Instagram stories I took a poll and asked your opinion which recipe I should make from the book, and not surprisingly, this Chipotle Lime Shrimp Bowls came out on top. And here’s why… continue to the recipe… about Chipotle Lime Shrimp Bowls

30 Healthier Spring Pasta Recipes to Make in April

April 3, 2018

These 30 irresistible, lighter, healthier spring pasta recipes are simple and perfect for when you’re craving carbs but don’t want to feel weighed down.

Happy April!

We’re pretty happy to greet spring’s arrival, because that means fresh produce, flowers, and all things green—and the start of rosé season, of course.

So when the weather shifts from snowflakes falling to daffodils blooming, our food cravings shift as well, from heavy comfort foods to lighter fare. We’re big fans of pasta around here—it’s basically our spirit animal—and we crave it on the regular. But come spring, we find ourselves trading in the noodles cloaked in rich cream and meaty red sauces for lighter, simply-sauced dishes with fewer calories and big flavors.

These lighter pastas highlight seasonal veggies like asparagus, peas, and greens, and are seasoned with fresh herbs, garlic, and lemon, and you can throw many of them together in 30 minutes or less, making them totally weeknight-friendly.

And so without further ado, here are 30 lighter, easy, spring green pasta recipes to make in April!

Make meal planning your month of meals a snap.

First, download this free printable weekly meal planner/to-do list to fill in, tape to the fridge, take to the grocery store, or use for reference next year when you can’t remember what the heck were your fave recipes from this one.

And then sign up for your free weekly meal plan and prep list here.

You get the idea. Now let’s dig in.

These pretty spring pastas will totally put some pep in your step, so go green or go home!

April 1: Linguini and Zucchini Noodles with Shrimp

FoodieCrush

This perfectly garlicky, always delicious and popular seafood dish gets a healthy makeover with a mix of zucchini noodles and whole wheat linguini, and it’s also made with a lot less butter (your hips will thank you).

April 2: One-Pot Spring Pasta with Dill + Lemony Vinaigrette

With Food + Love

Take what you know about macaroni salad and throw it out the window, because you’re going to want this dill and lemon-flavored pasta on repeat all spring and summer-long.continue to the recipe… about 30 Healthier Spring Pasta Recipes to Make in April

Mediterranean Chicken Quinoa Bowl with Broccoli and Tomato

March 20, 2018

Chicken quinoa bowls have staked their healthy claim on quick and easy meal-prep dinners that are flexible enough to mix and match ingredients for take-to-work lunches that never get boring, too.

This quinoa bowl combines what seems to be my ever-lasting, default flavor combo, inspired by Mediterranean flavors ala Donny and Marie: it’s a little bit Italian, and a little bit Greek goddessness. And it all taste good to me.

Over the years I’ve found myself adopting more and more recipes inspired by the Mediterranean diet to my weekly eating plan. I eat more anitoxidant-rich vegetables and fruits (avocado all day!), healthy legumes and whole grains, and loads of fresh herbs. I don’t eat a whole lot of red meat, but chicken, turkey, and EFA-loaded fish like salmon are my friends and olive oil tinged with lemon is one of my favorite flavorings.

And wine. Yes, wine is heart-healthy too.

I’ve known about the heart-healthy benefits of the Mediterranean style of eating ever since my days designing health and wellness magazines, way back when you had to shop for quinoa in specialty health food stores and when my editors made sure I didn’t sound alike a complete goof when I said “kwin-O-aaa” instead of “KEEEN-wa.” Bless their hearts, they were always looking out for me.continue to the recipe… about Mediterranean Chicken Quinoa Bowl with Broccoli and Tomato

20 Easy Healthy Cauliflower Recipes to Make for Dinner Tonight

March 15, 2018

Cauliflower might be the most versatile vegetable. You can roast it, steam it, grill it like a steak, puree it like mashed potatoes, or grate it and eat it like rice. These 20 fast and healthy cauliflower dinner recipes prove cauliflower is a whole lot more than just a side dish, but is also great for easy meal prep and exactly what we need to carry us through a busy week.

Cauliflower is stealthy. It’s like the Madonna or Tilda Swinton of vegetables, always reinventing itself and morphing into something new.

Gone are the days when it existed solely as part of a boring medley of steamed broccoli and carrots. Now it’s “riced,” or mashed into a creamy deliciousness that often rivals even the best mashed potatoes, cut into steaks and grilled, and pureed into a healthier creamy chowder soup that’s so decadent you’d swear it had heavy cream. Cauliflower keeps us guessing and keeps us on our toes.

That’s why we’re big fans of this cruciferous veggie. There are endless ways to enjoy it, and since its flexible nature and creamy texture allows us to trick our brain into thinking we’re eating regular rice, pizza dough, and mashed potatoes, it totally satisfies our carb cravings (in a healthier, forgiving way).

Heck yes for sneaky brain tricks!

*But first, A QUESTION*

I’m experimenting with the best day of the week to share recipe round-up posts like this one so they’re most helpful for you.

so….

Will you please answer the following poll:

Which day of the week is most helpful to receive meal-planning recipe ideas?

To see the other posts in this Meal Plan series, check out the following:continue to the recipe… about 20 Easy Healthy Cauliflower Recipes to Make for Dinner Tonight

Instant Pot Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps

February 20, 2018

This better-than-P.F. Chang chile-flavored orange chicken lettuce wrap recipe is incredibly easy to make thanks to the Instant Pot pressure cooker that does double duty as a self-serve, low-carb appetizer or as a healthy main meal that’s quick to make and even more fun to eat.

Just ask any three year old—or my 13 year old daughter’s best friend Elise who has yet to conform to the norm—eating with your hands is supremely gratifying.

Her parent’s say she’s “expressive and artistic.” I think she’s just laser-focus hungry and doesn’t want to play by anyone else’s rules. Either which way, lettuce wraps are a fun way to “nosh-on-it” and this Asian chicken lettuce wrap recipe proves it.

Because who says eating with a knife and fork should be the norm anyway? Cultures all around the world have eaten without utensils for centuries, and even more. Indian. Ethiopian. From Asia to Africa to the Middle East. As quoted in this New York Times article, cookbook author Julie Sahni emphatically states, “Eating with the hands evokes great emotion,” she says. “It kindles something very warm and gentle and caressing. Using a fork is unthinkable in traditional Indian eating. It is almost like a weapon.”

Okay. It looks like I need to give Elise a break. But I will NOT ease up on reminding her to wipe her hands and her face, even if I get that teenage “look” in return nearly every single time.

When Williams Sonoma Test Kitchens sent me their new The Instant Pot Cookbook to review, I was more than happy to say, heck to the yes, let’s do this. Their cookbooks are some of my very favorites and I regularly refer to their entire Dish of the Day series and every single Williams Sonoma cookbook authored by Kate McMillan who is one of my favorite recipe developers because of the series.

But this cookbook is different, just like the Instant Pot itself.continue to the recipe… about Instant Pot Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps

28 Healthy Slow Cooker Soups & Stews to Make in February

February 4, 2018

What’s the difference between the a slow cooker and a crock pot? Nothing except for a brand name. That’s why this list of slow cooker and crockpot meals prove they can be healthy and comfort food at the same time.

Cozy in with these easy slow cooker soups and stews you can make any night of the week. Because these 28 recipes will warm your soul and fill your belly on the chilliest of nights.

Bitter cold temps never fail to spur serious cravings for comfort food, be it chicken pot pie, the silkiest carbonara, or a soul-soothing, cure-all soup.

But every winter, we’re not just searching for cozy eats, we’re searching for cozy eats we can feel good about, as part of our resolve to eat healthier in the new year.

That’s because nutritious and comforting don’t have to contradict one another. You can still have that broccoli and cheese soup you love, without falling off the healthy eating bandwagon, or costing yourself a day’s worth of calories.

Case in point? Last year’s 31 Days of Healthy Comfort Food Recipes to Make in January, and of course this month’s series edition, which is all about healthy weeknight-friendly soups and stews you can make in the slow cooker, because who doesn’t love a nutritious, filling meal that practically makes itself?

And so here are 28 healthy, easy soup and stew recipes you can make in the slow cooker and hunker down with all February-long!

continue to the recipe… about 28 Healthy Slow Cooker Soups & Stews to Make in February

Ramen Noodles with Marinated Steak and Broccoli

January 31, 2018

Ramen noodles aren’t just for soup anymore. Here’s how to hack every college student’s favorite noodle recipe and give it an instant upgrade by turning it into an easy and healthy weeknight meal ready in just 30 minutes or less.

If you’re looking for a soupy ramen recipe with that rich, tonkotsu or miso broth with slow-roasted pork belly and jammy eggs, this isn’t it.

But if you’re looking for an incredibly easy, time-saving, totally-flavorful, make-most-of-it-ahead-of-time meal? THIS IS YOUR DINNER, BABY!

I’ve had a version of this recipe written down in my old-fashioned recipe binder for years. Literally, years, and yes! Handwritten recipe files do still exist! Take THAT Pinterest! I don’t remember where the original recipe came from, maybe an old issue of Cooking Light?

Regardless, I’ve doctored it up and made it into a make-ahead weeknight meal that is in and out of the skillet and ready to devour in under 30 minutes.

And if you’re lucky? Yep. Leftovers for lunch the next day.

So what’s my secret? A little planning ahead, some light meal prep vegetable chop chop, and a super easy master marinade that does double-time as the sauce, too.

Easy peasy because that just the way I do!

How to Give Ramen Noodles an Instant Upgrade

This noodle recipe calls for good, old fashioned, cheap-o grocery store ramen noodles. But you won’t be needing that seasoning packet they come with because this dish gets its flavor from a recipe I posted earlier this week, my master Asian marinade master sauce.

Now, this isn’t just any sauce. It’s like the Swiss army knife of sauces. It’s a sauce, it’s a marinade, it’s a dressing, it’s a flavoring, it’s Superman!continue to the recipe… about Ramen Noodles with Marinated Steak and Broccoli

How to Make the Best Minestrone Soup

January 18, 2018

My Grandma’s easy minestrone soup recipe is one of the healthiest vegetable-loaded soups you’ll make, and it tastes far better than any of those Olive Garden copycat recipes thanks to the secret ingredient in the savory broth.

“It is well worth the time and effort.”

But then, isn’t most anything when it’s done with love?

My sweet Grandma Frieda passed away when I was a senior in college and while there are many things that remind me of her, as a recipe maker it’s the cookbooks I inherited from her that I see most often.

One of my favorite things about her copies of The Joy of Cooking (pub. 1953) and Epicure’s Delight (pub. 1944) are the pages and margins filled with recipes written in her elegant handwriting that as a German-immigrant shows off the hard work it took to become a part of her new country. Like the quote says above, it is well worth the time and effort.

Nestled within those cookbook pages are recipe cards for recipes from friends like Edith’s Coffee Cake and Loretta’s Zucchini Soufflé which have both moved to my must-make list.

But the recipe that shows up time and time again is this Minestrone recipe from San Francisco’s Petrini Gourmet Grocery Stores, likely cut from the San Mateo Times’ newspaper recipe section to promote more soup bone sales for the homemade beef broth.

And because it’s #soupweek (did you see the Instant Pot Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup?) we’re keeping the slurps going by presenting The Gourmet by Petrini’s Minestrone Soup where either the newspaper editors or Petrini himself lured readers with the headnote mentioned above and can describe any meal when it’s made with love: It is well worth the time and effort, and even more so because this recipe is actually really easy to make.

How to Make a Traditional Minestrone

Whether you say minestrone soup like the Italians aka “min eh stron ee” or “min eh stron eh”, this soup is the perfect gateway to woo non-veggie lovers into getting a head start on their five a day. It’s brothy and flavorful with potatoes, pasta, and cheese that makes the veggies more than palatable. Use a small macaroni or pasta that matches the diced size of your veggies for equal tastes in every bite.

Because this soup has the simplest of ingredients and can be made with ease, the key is starting with the best quality you can find or afford.

Let’s start with the the broth.

Grandma’s newspaper recipe calls for a super simple stock of bones and water slow-simmered for flavor. But I like a richer, heartier stock so my homemade beef stock fit the bill here. Or if you prefer, use chicken broth (this is my favorite homemade) or a veggie stock instead. If you don’t have the time or inclination to make your stock from scratch, always choose a grocery store version that’s high quality with ingredients you can actually read.

To the stock you’ll be adding diced tomatoes, adding more richness and a bit of acid to balance the flavors.

The other source for this soup’s distinctive minestrone flavor comes from the spunk of Parmesan cheese and while grandma’s recipe doesn’t call for it, I have a secret that learned of long ago: to cook the broth with a few leftover rinds of Parmesan cheese. This step really imparts that cheesy flavor and takes your broth from a tepid vegetable flavor to minestrone all the way.

What Vegetables Go In Minestrone Soup?

One of the best things about Minestrone Soup is it can truly be a clean-out-the-fridge recipe you can fiddle with based on what you have on hand or what’s in season. Traditionally, the are the vegetables that most often show up:

Tomatoes
Onion
Carrots
Celery
Potatoes
Beans (kidney and Great Northern beans are my favorites)
Peas
Zucchini
Cabbage (shred it thin)
Spinach
Kale
Leeks (use the white parts only)
Green beans (canned works wonders)

While most people think of minestrone as a vegetarian soup, Petrini’s recipe begins with salt pork. Yep, this recipe is from days gone by. I used bacon instead. To make this minestrone soup vegetarian, skip the bacon and use a rich vegetable stock in lieu of the beef stock instead.

More Recipe Ideas to Make With this Soup and Make a Meal

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Bookmark this recipe and leave a comment below, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

4.63 from 8 votes

My Grandma's Minestrone Soup

Because this soup gets a salty bite from the bacon and a generous helping of Parmesan cheese (plus Parmesan cheese rinds cooked with the broth) go light on the salt at the beginning of the cooking time and adjust the seasoning by adding more if needed just before serving.

Ingredients

4-5 slices bacon roughly sliced into bite size pieces
1 small onion chopped
1 cup chopped carrots
2/3 cup chopped leeks white part only
2/3 cup chopped celery
3 quarts beef stock 12 cups
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2-3 chunks of Parmesan cheese rind
1 1/2 cups potatoes
1 cup small macaroni
1 15- ounce can diced tomatoes
1 15- ounce can red kidney beans rinsed and drained
2/3 cup frozen peas thawed
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Add the bacon to a large dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat and cook until browned but not crispy. Add the onion, carrots, leeks and celery then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the beef stock, kosher salt, pepper, and cheese rinds. Bring to a boil then reduce to a gently rolling simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, partially covered with a lid. Add the potatoes, macaroni, and tomatoes, then partially cover with the lid, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes more. Add the kidney beans and peas, and simmer until warmed through. Taste for seasoning and adjust to your taste. Just before serving, add the grated Parmesan cheese and serve sprinkled with more Parmesan if you’d like.

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The Best Baked Chicken Breast

January 10, 2018

Whether you’re working on making your weekly meal prep easier, or need a quick and simple recipe for weeknight dinners, this recipe has all my secrets for the best baked chicken breast guaranteed to come out perfectly juicy every single time.

The ubiquitous chicken breast could quite possibly be the most popular protein of any out there. Beloved by eaters for its neutral flavor and lauded by home cooks for its versatility, there isn’t much one can’t do—or many who won’t be pleased—when it comes to including chicken in the meal.

Unless it tastes like a piece of dry shoe leather.

This baked chicken breast recipe is the total opposite of some worn-out old loafer, and is about to become your secret weapon when it comes to easy eats.

This is my tried-and-true, tested-for-years basic baked chicken breast recipe that is easily mastered no matter what your skill level, and it’s the centerpiece of turning weekend meal prep into successful weeknight eats.

Because let’s face it, even if chicken breasts are easily dressed up to fit most any meal, they can be a bit boring on their own. Unless they’re cooked to juicy perfection. And this my friends, is how you nail baking the best baked chicken breast every time.continue to the recipe… about The Best Baked Chicken Breast

20 Healthy Dinners to Make In the Instant Pot

January 8, 2018

The Instant Pot is the hot, do-it-all appliance on every foodie’s radar right now. It makes cooking fast or slow, but always easy. Today we’re sharing more weekly meal prep inspiration, with this list of healthy dinners you can make in an instant.

Happy New Year, friends! Did Santa baby bring you everything you wanted, including a shiny new Instant Pot? These puppies have been selling in droves, especially over the holidays. And since IP recipes have been flooding the Internet lately, we couldn’t help but wrangle up some of our favorite looking dishes at the moment.continue to the recipe… about 20 Healthy Dinners to Make In the Instant Pot

31 Healthy Lunches to Make in January

January 1, 2018

Get a healthy start on your week by creating lunches that won’t derail your best eating intentions. These 31 recipes will keep you on track!

Happy New Year, friends!

Now that we’ve eaten too many cookies, drunk too much champagne, and thrown caution to the wind with our diets (because #holidays), 2018 is upon us and The Ghost of Christmas Future has awarded us a fresh slate. But that doesn’t mean we have to trade in our culinary vices for full force diet deprivation ala Sugar-Free-Paleo-Whole30-latest-diet-trend-to-jump-onto. Though if you are, more power to you.

For me, January is never about diet repentance or deprivation, but always about finding balance. It’s about enjoying comfort food like chicken pot pie or lasagna while also embracing more salads that don’t always require “detox” in the name.

Lunch is a good place to start, because it’s all too often the “chopped liver” of our three daily meals, and sometimes we skip it or eat a protein bar and call it good. Breakfast may get credited as the most important meal of the day, but lunch is a close runner-up and is the fuel needed to power through the day so we don’t succumb to the dreaded afternoon slump where we just want to face plant into our desks.

That’s why 2018’s first 31 day what to cook series installment is dedicated to healthy lunches, with an emphasis on meal prep.

And so here are 31 virtuous (but still totally yummy) lunch recipes to motivate you through the new-you month of January.

continue to the recipe… about 31 Healthy Lunches to Make in January

Turkey Bolognese Lasagna Toss

October 2, 2017

Turkey takes over for traditional pork, veal, and beef in this rich and delicious homemade bolognese sauce to create a short cut lasagna dinner that cuts the calories, without sacrificing flavor.

It’s raining. The leaves on the mountain outside my front window are in the most vibrant change of fall colors I’ve seen in ten years. We pulled the tomato plants this weekend and I’ve harvested all my basil to make pesto before frost does it for me. There are days when comfort food is absolutely called for. And that’s when a rich, delicious lasagna raises its hand and squeals, ” PICK ME!”

I love a good lasagna with a rich, delicious meaty sauce with loads of cheese layered throughout and then melted on top. I mean, is there anything better?

But the thing is, my skinny jeans don’t always agree. My solution? Put all that rich flavor in a healthier turkey bolognese sauce and instead of layering my lasagna, toss it together instead.

I borrowed this lasagna toss idea from my Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup where the creamy ricotta mixture is added on at the end as an accent instead of playing equal parts to the noodle and sauce equation. I’m a cheese girl through and through, so that way, I meet my comfort food cravings but my jeans won’t revolt. continue to the recipe… about Turkey Bolognese Lasagna Toss

31 Instant Pot Dinner Recipes to Make in October

October 1, 2017

These 31 recipe ideas for the Instant Pot are perfect for whipping up homemade dinners on the fly this month!

Happy October!

For our tenth installment of our 31 Days Series, we’re simplifying with the all-in-one magical unicorn workhorse Instant Pot. If you’re a little late to the party, the Instant Pot is the newfangled version of the pressure cooker, and if you don’t have one yet, you likely have major appliance envy, because this baby is the Beyoncé of kitchen appliances.

I’m telling you now…there isn’t a single appliance I’ve loved more since I got my Instant Pot last year than this and my friends and family can all vouch for this because I think they’re sick of hearing me talk about its virtues. And if you don’t believe me, believe Amazon, where it was the #3 best-selling product on 2017’s Amazon Prime Day.

But really, it does it all. The thing I love about it most is you can actually sear meats, chicken, vegetables in it before using the slow cooker or pressure cooker function so you get all that good flavor and don’t have to dirty any extra pots! It’s the true one and done.

It’s user-friendly, often cuts our average cooking duration in half, makes perfectly peelable hard boiled eggs!!!!, and it is a powerful force when it comes to weekly meal planning. What’s not to be totally smitten with? Things are getting pretty serious and all of our other appliances are getting jealous, but we #cantstopwontstop now.

If you don’t have yours yet, here’s an affiliate link, but seriously…this isn’t a sponsored post, I just love this machine and I don’t know anyone else who’s bought it who doesn’t love it too.

**UPDATED: I JUST received an e-mail that tomorrow, Oct. 2, 2017, you can get the Instant Pot for $30 off — that’s just $69!!!! — at the one day sale on Amazon!

Click here to buy the Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, 6 Quart (limit of 5 for the sale price on Oct. 2, 2017)

Instant Pot, we love you. Thank you for making our lives eternally easier and our kitchen sink considerably emptier.

continue to the recipe… about 31 Instant Pot Dinner Recipes to Make in October

Crab and Shrimp Seafood Cobb Salad

August 3, 2017

Fresh snow crab and sweet bay shrimp sub in for the traditional chicken in this light but filling Cobb salad tossed with a tangy red wine vinaigrette.

The old saying may go, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” but the literal translation is: “The toppings are what make a good salad GREAT.”

You get me? Let’s break it down.

Any great Cobb salad’s list of ingredients could certainly stand on their own any day of the week. I mean, who hasn’t sprinkled salt and pepper on a freshly-cut summer tomato and deemed it the best thing they ever ate? Or scooped avocado straight from it’s shell and slipped it down the old pie hole in one creamy bite? And don’t get me started on how salty, crispy bacon bits magically disappear thanks to those nibbling elves before reaching their plated destination.

But together, those bites of tomato, avocado and bacon alongside bits of spunky cheese, crunchy romaine, and the sweet bites of snow crab and tender bay shrimp, is when this salad becomes the whole Cobb and nothing but the Cobb. Even though I forgot to show the hard boiled egg in the photos. Grrr. Next time!

If you’re at all familiar with Market Street Grill in Utah, then you’ve likely seen this seafood Cobb salad. It’s been on the menu since 1980, and while it’s had a maybe one or two tweaks through the years, it’s essence has always remained the same.

When I was a server at Market Street Grill, this was always a #1 summer seller. And still today, when my dad orders his usual Grilled Crab and Avocado Sandwich, it’s ~~very likely~~ guaranteed that this salad is what both my mom and I will order every.single.time. Creatures of habit or creatures of really good food? Perhaps a bit of both. And I’m totally okay with that.

About the Recipe

The twist to this Cobb salad is the replacement of chicken with sweet and tender snow crab and bay shrimp. I prefer a larger bay shrimp and look for the biggest I can find, and as always, frozen shrimp thaws just right so frozen in the bag is an easy way to go. You’ll likely need just one 5-legged section of snow crab legs, and because they’re previously cooked, simply thaw or rinse the crab in cold water and then remove the meat from the shell. Or do like I did and buy the crab meat already shelled. You’ll pay more this way, but you only need 1/4 pound of crab (and also of shrimp) to make 2 servings as a main course salad.

In the recipe photos I’m sharing today I totally spaced adding a hard boiled egg. If you’re like me and sad that I didn’t include, add 1 or 2 hard boiled eggs roughly chopped as a layer to the salad. That should certainly do the job.

For years I’ve searched the internet for the recipe to Market Street’s vinaigrette dressing and finally, after a deep dive into Google, I found a version of the recipe on this recipe board. It’s not 100% the same to my buds of taste, but it is certainly delicious at the 99% mark. When making the dressing, be sure to use very lightly cracked black peppercorns rather than fine ground pepper. That in itself is a game changer.

And one more tip: If you’re like me and don’t love the lingering smell of a bacon-saturated home, try cooking your bacon in a cast iron skillet on the grill. It’s a super easy baconless-smelling-home solution.

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Bookmark this recipe and leave a comment below, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

5 from 5 votes

Crab and Shrimp Seafood Cobb Salad

The vinaigrette salad dressing yields one cup, more than you'll need for these salads. Reserve the rest of the dressing for other uses like pasta salad, as a marinade for chicken, and of course, for future salads.

Ingredients

4 slices thick cut bacon diced
6 cups sliced romaine lettuce
1/4 pound bay shrimp
1/4 pound snow crab meat
3-4 cocktail tomatoes diced
2 hard boiled eggs diced (not pictured but essential!)
2 ounces crumbled blue cheese
1 avocado sliced
For the Market Street Red Wine Vinaigrette
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tablespoon crushed black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt

Instructions

In a large sauté pan or skillet, cook the diced bacon until cooked through, drain on a paper towel and cool.
Layer the romaine lettuce in the bottom of a large bowl. Place the salad toppings in rows on top of the lettuce. Serve with 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the red wine vinaigrette dressing and refrigerate the rest for later salad making.
For the Market Street Red Wine Vinaigrette
Place the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together, or place in a jar with a fitted lid and shake until combined. makes 1 cup

Bobbing for More Cobbs

If you like a salad that’s more of a main than a side, consider trying one of these Cobb variations to fill your week with:

Autumn Cobb Salad

Taco Cobb Salad

Salmon Cobb Salad with Feta and Spinach

Southern Cobb Salad with Sweet Onion Dressing

Buffalo Chicken Cobb Salad

As always, thank you for reading and for supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. All opinions are always my own.

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Outrageous Herbacious Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

June 19, 2017

This easy Mediterranean garbanzo bean salad is infused with flavor thanks to a heaping helping of fresh herbs with a garlicky lemon dressing that ups the crunch from red bell pepper, celery and red onion for a simple side dish or topping for greens.

Are you sick of me repeating myself yet?

I’ve said it before and I’ll likely say it 9,349 more times again: Salads are my favorite.

I’m far more tempted by a plate with a sampling of four varieties of salads than a plate of four desserts.

That’s why this salad, in all of it’s understated simplicity, is proof positive that eating real, whole foods doesn’t have to be a complicated affair when simplicity radiates from the whole ingredients its made with.continue to the recipe… about Outrageous Herbacious Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Greek Pasta Salad with Cucumbers and Artichoke Hearts

May 17, 2017

During the summer months, I make one variation or another of this Greek Pasta Salad at least twice a month, and because I have the basics down, it’s easy to pull together for get-togethers, potlucks and BBQs.

Just like a signature scent, song, and style, every home cook should have a defining mark that sets us apart from the pack. A signature dish. That one recipe to rely on, to go back to, time and time again. A recipe we know like the back of our hand, to pull out of our back pocket at a moment’s notice and feel 100% confident that THIS dish…this dish will deliver.

Friends, meet my signature pasta salad. My loaded Greek pasta salad.

It’s ultimately adaptable and flexible depending on the ingredients I have—or don’t have—in the pantry or refrigerator. continue to the recipe… about Greek Pasta Salad with Cucumbers and Artichoke Hearts

30 Days of Healthier Salads That Make a Meal In April

April 1, 2017

Happy April, friends!

We’re proud to bring you our fourth installment to our 31 Days Series (you can check out the first one here, the second one here, and the third one here). This month is all about big, bountiful salads—you know, the kind that stick to your ribs and are hardy enough to make a meal of.

We’re craving healthy foods, but ones with substance and staying power, because we don’t want to be hungry two hours later and find ourselves tucking into a bowl of cereal at 10 o’clock at night.

We’ve all been there.

These salads are colorful, healthy, filling, and easy to prepare. We can’t guarantee they’ll help you fit into last summer’s shorts by the end of the month, but we promise they’ll definitely help!continue to the recipe… about 30 Days of Healthier Salads That Make a Meal In April

No-Bake Cookie Bars with Chocolate, Cherries and Chia Seeds

February 27, 2017

I’m shortening this recipe title to be known as Triple CH No-Bake Cookie Bars, making it easy to remember the main ingredient list thanks to it’s title: chocolate, cherries and chia that create a healthy cookie bar for breakfast, snacking, or even dessert.

If a photo could sway a viewer into diving into a style of eating they don’t necessarily need to follow, Alanna Taylor-Tobin of the food blog The Bojon Gourmet will likely be the one to create it. That’s exactly how I first became a fan of Alanna’s and the blog she started during a stint of what she calls “funemployment”, including the word bojon in her blog name—a term that’s backward for “no job”.

Through her sumptuously styled photography and original gluten-free recipes, Alanna’s talents as a classically trained pastry chef inspire thousands to live a gluten-free lifestyle and still cure their sweet tooth.continue to the recipe… about No-Bake Cookie Bars with Chocolate, Cherries and Chia Seeds

28 Days of Lighter Pasta Recipes to Make in February

February 1, 2017

Happy February! We’re excited to bring you the second installment to our new 31 Days Series (you can check out the first one here), though since February is a shorter month, we’ve got 28 fab recipes instead of 31.

Cupid has us feeling a bit mushy, so this month is devoted entirely to one of our greatest loves — pasta. Our carb-loving hearts melt into complete submission over the sight of plump pillows of gnocchi and silky ribbons of tagliatelle — we just can’t help ourselves. Sure we’ve broken up a few times (our diets were concerned we were cheating), but like Carrie and Mr. Big, we always come crawling back to one another.

It’s a lifelong love affair, folks. Pasta, we just can’t quit you.

Pasta doesn’t have to equate to cheating. Pasta doesn’t have to be our thighs’ biggest threat, or our ideal weight number’s nemesis. Having a healthy bowl of noodles is not attempting the impossible, rather it’s about striking a balance and making smart swaps, like using whole wheat noodles and skim or almond milk and keep the cheese to sprinkles. Pile on those veggies, get creative with your sauce, and maybe don’t eat it several times a week. Moderation, baby, remember?

So here’s how you get started.

And then sign up for your free weekly meal plan and prep list here.

But enough already, let’s cut to the pasta chase…

continue to the recipe… about 28 Days of Lighter Pasta Recipes to Make in February

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Bobbing for More Cobbs

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