A Whole Week of (Almost) Effortless Dinners

It has kind of been the lasting joke in our marriage that I haven’t really liked to cook. That was until Joe and I realized that we had been going out to eat way too much and were just plain sick of unhealthy/processed foods. Now that I have a good routine down with Levi, I have made it a point to start cooking (for REAL this time!). It’s been a month and I am actually developing a love for cooking – who would have thought!? Since we live with my in-laws, I usually cook for the whole family, which is fun because I get the opportunity to serve them. It’s also a nice perk that they call me “Master Chef”, now. 😉

Because I don’t have hours upon hours to prepare dinners (and who really does?), I have come up with six go-to meals that are healthy and take less than 45 minutes to create. They are so simple yet very tasty, so try them out!

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients: bell peppers, feta cheese, any rice, garlic, onion, tomatoes, olive oil, basil, salt & pepper

Instructions: half bell peppers and bake in oven for 45 minutes at 450°F. Cook rice (I use a rice cooker & it takes about 30 minutes). While peppers are baking, sauté finely chopped garlic and diced onion for about 3 minutes. Add diced tomatoes, basil, salt, & pepper to taste and stir in for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add rice and feta cheese. Once bell peppers are browning, remove from over. You can either stuff the peppers and put them back in the oven for 5 more minutes, or eat as is (I haven’t really noticed a difference either way!).

“Taco Tuesday”

Ingredients: uncooked corn tortillas, lime, cabbage, fresh salsa (I buy mine from Costco, or you can make your own), corn, black beans, onion, cheese (I love feta), avocado, tomatoes, bell peppers & your choice of meat (optional)

Instructions: cook tortillas for 40 seconds total. Cook corn, beans and meat on stove while finely chopping the remainder of your ingredients. Chop bell peppers and eat raw or fry in olive/coconut oil, whichever you prefer. It’s as simple as that! I like to mix it up every time but this is our basic taco.

Chicken & Vegetable Soup

Ingredients: rotisserie chicken, celery, carrots, zucchini, sweet potatoes, onion, chicken stock (optional, depending on how flavorful you like your soup), spices (such as garlic, basil, paprika, chives, and bay leaves)

Instructions: we usually pick at the rotisserie chicken on Sunday and make soup with the leftovers on Monday. Boil the whole chicken (including bones) and then let cool. Remove bones from soup. (Note: bone broth is very healthy because it contains much needed gelatin!!) Add chopped ingredients and spices and let boil.

Paninis

Ingredients: bread, avocado, lunch meat, sprouts, lettuce or spinach, cheese, tomato, and condiments

Instructions: place cheese and meat (optional) on bread and cook (if you don’t have a Panini maker, you can also do this on a pan or griddle). Add cold ingredients such as vegetables and condiments once sandwich is removed from heat.

Breakfast Night

Ingredients: eggs, sweet/russet potatoes, pancake mix (I use a gluten free one with coconut flour from Sprouts & it’s really good!) raw honey for spread, and your choice of fresh fruit

Instructions: I don’t know why but breakfast food is appealing to me at all hours of the day… email me if you have any questions on this one. 😉 I like to make my pancakes with bananas or blueberries, but you can really get creative here (i.e. granola, coconut flakes, chia seeds).

Pasta Creations

Ingredients: pasta (I use quinoa pasta for added protein), pesto or tomato sauce (I buy both from Costco), and your choice of vegetables (I typically use onions, bell peppers, garlic, spinach and broccoli)

Instructions: sauté vegetables on the pan in olive/coconut oil while pasta cooks. I like to add my pasta to a large bowl of spinach to make it more of a “salad”. Add sauce and voila! You can also add your choice of meat (chicken, shrimp, ground beef, etc.).

Happy eating!! ❤ Aubrey