Chicken tenders are my go to choice for quick and easy weeknight meals. They cook fast and stay moist, especially when combined with a marinade. Most of the ingredients are simple pantry staples and you can swap dried herbs for fresh if that’s all you have. For a vegetarian option, I use strips of extra-firm…
Beets and Chickpeas with Yogurt
This flavorful side dish or salad is similar to a raita which is a traditional Indian sauce or side. I based this recipe off a traditional raita but because I didn’t have all of the ingredients, I had to make some swaps. I used a thicker Skyr type yogurt, swapped parsley for cilantro and since…
15-Minute Shrimp Tacos
This recipe cuts a few corners without sacrificing flavor and nutrition. By using a taco seasoning packet instead of making your own blend of seasonings and a pre-shredded bag of coleslaw mix, you can pull these tacos together in 15 minutes. Frozen shrimp should always be in your freezer because you can defrost them quickly…
Tahini Granola
This will be the fastest granola you’ll ever make. Basically, it’s stir and bake and with just 5 ingredients, you will never buy granola again. The flavor is so well-balanced because the hint of nutty bitterness from the tahini plays well with the slight sweetness from the maple syrup. Most granola recipes take 45 minutes…
Tahini Brownies
Deep, dark chocolate brownies with a swirl of nuttiness from the sesame-based tahini. These brownies are rich and fudgy and the great news is they’re also good for you! A chocolate treat with health benefits from nutrient-rich, low saturated fat tahini which allows you to use less butter. And you get the bonus benefit of…
Chicken Piccata Meatballs
Meatballs are such a convenient little package of delicious protein. They are easy to make, can be batch cooked and frozen for future meals and can be made with a variety of ingredients for lots of flavor combinations. Chicken piccata is such a classic dish so when I stumbled on this recipe for piccata meatballs,…
Shredded Tofu Stir Fry with Shitake Mushrooms
Sometimes changing the texture of a food can transform an entire recipe. This brilliant idea of shredding tofu from Melissa Clarke at the NYTimes completely changes the way you’ll think about tofu. Shredding it allows the tofu to absorb more flavor and get coated in the sauce. It’s deliciously combined with umami rich shitake mushrooms…
Whole Grain Carrot Cake with a Light Cream Cheese Frosting
With Easter quickly approaching, I searched my recipes for a lighter dessert option and found this carrot cake which is one of my favorites! Easter dessert is solved. This whole grain carrot cake is deliciously moist, just the right sweetness, and is topped with a lucious, creamy, light cream cheese frosting! The whole wheat flour,…
Peanut Butter Greens
Peanut butter in your greens? It’s delicious! This recipe is from the Culinary Nutrition Collaborative’s Taste from Around the Globe conference that I attended featuring Southern African cuisine. Peanut butter is as staple seasoning used in many Southern African dishes and here it is mixed with greens, lending a creamy, rich texture and a brilliant…
Creamy (Creamless) Ranch Dressing
Raw cashews are the perfect non-dairy substitute for cream or mayonnaise in lots of recipes. Soaking them in water then whipping in a blender creates a smooth, creamy texture (more or less water will make a thinner or thicker cream). I love using this recipe hack for creamy salad dressings because you’re getting the added…
Irish Soda Bread for St. Patrick’s Day (or any time of the year)
Although a delicious addition to any St. Patrick’s day celebration, this easy, whole grain Irish soda bread can be baked any time of the year. No yeast, no kneading and no rising necessary so that means fresh baked bread in about 45 minutes. I often double the recipe so I have a loaf to eat…
Sheet Pan Veggie Frittata
One pan. Tons of veggies. Feeds a crowd. Great for any meal. This sheet pan veggie frittata ticks all the boxes. Mix everything together in a bowl, pour into a sheet pan and bake. 20 minutes later you have a delicious meal that’s also healthy!
Judy Matusky, RDN, LDN 