tomatoes

Mini Mummy Pizzas

Mini Mummy Pizzas

Everyone loves a DIY Pizza Night! Making these Mini Mummy Pizzas is super simple with Trader Joe’s Pizza Dough. Actually, you can get all the ingredients for this recipe at TJ’s and keep it under $10! This is the perfect holiday activity to do with kids - I love seeing all the different results!

Eggplant Pizza

Eggplant Pizza

Eggplant pizza is the easiest way to satisfy your pizza cravings when you're trying to cut down on carbs! Using fresh eggplant as a "pizza crust" is a quick and tasty substitute; not to mention how cute they are!! Pizza is such a fun, hands-on meal to make with kids, and what better way to get some extra veggies into your families' diets than to use eggplant slices instead of dough :) 

Honey Lime Summer Corn Salsa

Honey Lime Summer Corn Salsa

This is a bright and zesty recipe to enjoy some of summer's best produce!! It can be enjoyed with chips as a dip, or eaten as a summer salad. Golden brown kernels of corn come together with tomatoes, creamy avocado, red onion for bite, black beans, and tons of fresh cilantro in minutes, and are tossed with the most amazing Honey Lime Vinaigrette. This combo is seriously delicious - the combination of lime juice, earthy, warm cumin, honey, and extra virgin olive oil is the absolute perfect way to bind these ingredients together. The best part is that the flavor of the dip gets better as it sits - so it's great to have out during an event, or to make ahead for lunch! Let's get cookin! 

Mango Avocado Quinoa Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

Mango Avocado Quinoa Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

I'm addicteddddd to the combo of sweet mango and creamy avocado!! Mangoes have been ridiculously cheap and available lately and it's been such a fun addition to my meals. This recipe is one of my favorite flavor combos! I love using avocados to sub for dressing or other fats. The mixture of ripe mango and avocado with the awesome texture of quinoa is so delicious. Use the base of this recipe as inspiration for other meals! I routinely mix mango, avo, and quinoa with all my salads, and top them with baked fish. Squeeze a whole bunch of lemon juice over top, or serve it with the lime vinaigrette I'm showing you today! :)

These flavors are vibrant. Tossing mango and avocado together brings out all the juiciness of the fruit, and the creamy avocado coats all the other ingredients. Adding in a bit of red onion for bite, cilantro for brightness, and tart cherry tomatoes (or try sweet strawberries!) makes this salad incredibly flavorful and hearty. This would be great with grilled chicken, fish, or even as a dip with chips :) This salad's so easy. Chop up all the ingredients and toss em together. Let's get cookin!

Spring Salmon, Asparagus, and Orzo Salad with Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette

Spring Salmon, Asparagus, and Orzo Salad with Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette

Pasta salad is perfect for Springtime! This recipe is an easy and delicious way to stretch out fresh seafood. Tender orzo pasta, roasted salmon, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, and salty feta are tossed with a zesty citrus dressing for a beautifully hearty salad. There's something about the texture of orzo pasta that makes me crave it all the time! This Spring salad is great for emptying the fridge - don't have asparagus? Use peas, spinach, or beans! Sub shrimp for salmon or leftover chicken and feel free to use Parmesan instead of Feta :) If you're cutting carbs, toss all these ingredients with crispy Romaine or kale. 

Smashed Avocado Salad

Smashed Avocado Salad

This is my go-to. My Smashed Avocado Salad is the perfect base salad for any time of the day. Top it off with your favorite protein and you have a filling meal that's easy on the calories. Who would have thought that dressing-free salad could be so delicious? Smashed avocado, lime juice, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper are all you need to cut out those crazy calories that come from just a drizzle of bottled dressing. 

Pesto Caprese Grilled Cheese

Pesto Caprese Grilled Cheese

The yummiest twist on the classic grilled cheese - Pesto Caprese Grilled Cheese! Caprese-anything is already delicious and really hard for me to resist, so I put that combo in between two slices of crisp, rustic bread? Perfect for Spring. I have a great toaster oven in my apartment and grilled cheese sandwiches have never been easier :) Hot, crisp edges and gooey cheese in minutes. Add a smear of pesto for an added kick - or make it your own and add sundried tomatoes, some spice, a drizzle of balsamic, or even an egg :) This is an easy one, let's get cookin!

20 Minute Buttery Tomato and Shallot Pasta

20 Minute Buttery Tomato and Shallot Pasta

You can never have enough good pasta dishes in your recipe box :) When you don't have time to simmer a sauce for a couple of hours, it's nice to have a quick 20 minute dish to throw together. You can use any pasta you like - this is wonderful with shells, pappardelle, even angel hair - whatever you've got in the pantry. Blistered cherry tomatoes, shallots, and fresh basil make for a lightly coated pasta that is perfectly filling. This is an easy, meatless weeknight meal! Find out how quickly you can be chowin down on this pasta next! Let's get cookin :) 

One Pan, No Bake 20 Minute Lasagna

One Pan, No Bake 20 Minute Lasagna

This is of my favorite recipes since it's so easy, delicious, and straightforward. The results are great every time. A nice cheesy crust, tender lasagna noodles, creamy ricotta, savory Italian sausage, and zesty tomato sauce simmer on the stove for a mere 20 minutes and magically become the world's easiest lasagna. Once you've got all the ingredients prepped, the actual cook time is a breeze. Throw everything in one pan and impress your loved ones. I generally have a bunch of these ingredients on hand in my pantry so it's a great dish to make for last minute dinners. Find out how next...let's get cookin! 

Bolognese

Bolognese

Spaghetti Bolognese is a delicious classic. There are a million recipes out there for this meat-based sauce, or ragu, but I think I've got a really delicious one.  This isn't an ordinary weeknight meal - the simmer time alone makes it a recipe to try out on a night where you're already digging into some leftovers, or on a weekend where you've got a little more time. You can make it ahead of time; let it simmer while you sit down for dinner, and then store it for another night. It's rich, flavorful, and so wonderfully hearty. Even better when it's topped off with tons of freshly shaved Parmesan :) Let's get cookin!