We've all been there. You finish work, you are tired and hungry, and the last thing you want to do is cook an elaborate meal. Or maybe you’ve been chasing a toddler or two around all day and you need to feed your family a nourishing crowd pleasing meal. Whatever your life circumstances may be - save money, improve your health, and avoid takeout by stocking your kitchen with these staples for simple and streamlined nutritious meals. Having these staples on hand makes throwing together a tasty and healthy meal easy and accessible. These are my "go-to" staples and the meals that I create with them - week after week.
Read morebraised chicken and pinto bean tacos aka dump chicken
Whether you live alone, with a partner, or have a family large or small, we all have to eat. Most of us are also just trying to make it through each day the best we can. Juggling child care, remote work, self-care (what’s that?), and everything else that is making the world so heavy right now, do yourself a favor and make dinner a little easier. Braised chicken or, as I tenderly like to call it, dump chicken, has become one of my quick back pocket dinners to toss or dump together in the afternoon (usually during nap time) and enjoy for at least two meals. Sear, dump, leave it, shred it, and leave it again. I have yet to make this in a slow cooker or instapot but, if you have one, I bet it would work great.
Read moreLentil Bolognese
Bolognese or meat sauce, as we used to call it in my household growing up, was a Sunday night staple. My mom would always make it with ground lean turkey, jarred sauce, and it would always be better the next day. Thus the reason why this dish is my comfort food. In my continual effort to think with a more plant-forward focus, I swapped the turkey for lentils, made my own sauce, and added meaty mushrooms and tons of fresh and dried herbs and spices to create a flavorful and comforting meal.
Read moreradish recs: fry your rice
Very veggie stir-fried rice is one of those dishes that you should keep in your "back pocket", as they say. It's super simple, adaptable, and great for leftovers. This version is made with coconut aminos instead of tamari, for my soy-free homies. I like the ratio to typically be more heavy on the veg than the rice, which make's it primarily a vegetable dish as opposed to a rice dish. I also lean towards brown rice as my grain of choice for its density and texture, but quinoa, millet, sorghum, and amaranth would all be tasty, nutritious, and gluten-free alternatives.
Read moresay hello to my little friend
The are many reasons why sweet potatoes are rock star tubers. They are versatile, vibrant in color, and pack a serious nutritional punch. Their flexibility is highlighted in this dish, serving as an edible bowl for spicy and flavorful beans. These stuffed spuds could be a great dish at a causal dinner party with a few options of fillings and garnishes to suit your guests taste preferences. Whole roasted sweet potatoes are also a great item to have on hand. They can serve as a blank canvas and are amendable to a multitude of toppings and fillers - especially useful on "clean out the fridge" kind of days.
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