20 Minute Meals

Honey Miso Salmon (Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free)

20 Minute Meals, Dairy-Free, Entree, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free

Easiest salmon ever.

This recipe is a powerhouse of healthy ingredients—and you only need five! With salmon, we’re getting a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. With honey, we get a load of antioxidants. With miso, which is made of fermented soybeans, we’re packing in the probiotics and vitamins. But, science aside, this recipe is just too delicious not to try. You can make salmon so many different ways, but I love the Asian twist on this. If you don’t know what umami tastes like (umami is the “fifth” taste outside of sweet, salty, sour, and bitter), you’ll definitely get it with this savory miso. 

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 12-18 minutes
Serves: 2-3 fillets

Ingredients:

  • 12-16 oz. of salmon (2-3 fillets)
  • 1 tbs. honey
  • 1 tbs. white miso
  • 2 tbs. coconut aminos
  • 1 clove garlic, finely diced

Recipe:

  1. Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together honey, miso, coconut aminos, and garlic. Reserve 1 tbs. of the glaze for topping.
  3. Place salmon skin-down on a lined or oiled baking pan. Brush glaze over the top.
  4. Bake for 12-18 minutes, depending on your desired level of “doneness.” For reference, 15 minutes cooked my salmon to a medium level.
  5. Drizzle the reserved glaze over the salmon and enjoy!

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Southwest Bean Salad (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

20 Minute Meals, Appetizer, Dairy-Free, Entree, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free, Vegan

Texas in a bowl.

I started work this week and am in need of quick, easy recipes. I whipped up this salad during my lunch break, and it is here to stay! I love the light creaminess of the cilantro lime dressing, which pairs perfectly with the bright freshness of the corn and tomatoes. Plus, the beans and chickpeas add great protein to get me through a long work day!

This salad also keeps well in the fridge, so you can make it ahead of time. It’s perfect for a quick meal or your last-minute summer barbecue with friends. Delicious!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2 bowls

Ingredients:

Salad

  • 1 cup canned kidney beans, unsalted
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn, defrosted (or fresh if in season!)
  • 1/2 cup cooked or canned chickpeas
  • 5-10 cherry tomatoes, sliced (depending on size)
  • 1/4 cup yellow onion, diced
  • 1/2 ripe avocado, chopped

Dressing

  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, packed
  • 1 tbs. tahini
  • 2 tsp. lime juice (adjust to taste)
  • 1-2 tbs. water (adjust for desired thickness)
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp. salt (adjust to taste)

Recipe:

  1. In a medium bowl, mix together kidney beans, corn, chickpeas, tomatoes, and onion.
  2. In a food processor or small blender, blend cilantro, tahini, lime juice, 1-2 tbs. water (add in increments until dressing reaches desired thickness), and 1/4 tsp. salt.
  3. Toss salad with dressing, plus a few more pinches of salt (adjust to taste). Mix the avocado in last to avoid getting mushy. Enjoy!

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Pesto Egg Toast (Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free)

20 Minute Meals, Breakfast, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free

As TikTok once said, pesto eggs are delicious.

Eggs on toast. What a concept. In this recipe, we’re taking “eggs on toast” to a new level. Pesto eggs have been taking over the Internet, so today I decided to give it a try. I had a bunch of pesto leftover from my pesto pasta the night before (recipe linked below!), so I thought it was the perfect time to hop on the bandwagon. I have no regrets.

So, grab your favorite bread and pesto (homemade or store-bought!), and let’s get into it…

Cook Time: 4-10 minutes
Serves: 2 toasts

Ingredients:

  • 2 eggs
  • 2 slices of toast
  • 2-3 tbs. of pesto (adjust to taste)
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Recipe

  1. Spread pesto in a thin layer over a medium non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. No need for oil! The oil in the pesto will prevent the egg from sticking.
  2. Crack eggs over the pesto and cover the pan. Let the eggs cook to your desired level. I like mine a little gooey and runny on the inside (about 3-5 minutes).
  3. Using a spatula, transfer the pesto egg onto your toast. Optionally top with red pepper flakes.

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Microwave Chocolate Mug Cake (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

20 Minute Meals, Dairy-Free, Dessert, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Vegan

For those late night chocolate cravings…

The late night munchies. We’ve all been there. But when my sweet tooth hits—more like when my chocolate tooth hits—I don’t want to make a whole batch of cookies or brownies, let alone wait for them bake. I want a single serving, and I want it fast! Ever since microwave mug cakes took off on social media, I’ve been playing around with my recipe and trying new flavors almost every week. I’ve finally nailed it. A basic chocolate mug cake is delicious by itself, but when I add a gooey chocolate-y center, it takes it to a whole new level. In particular, I’m talking about using my favorite chocolate cups from Edie’s Sweets!

My friend, Edith, co-founded Edie’s Sweets to put a spin on the classic chocolate peanut butter cup. I’m using my favorite flavor: Dark Chocolate Black Sesame Cup. The black sesame adds a fun twist to the typical chocolate cake, and I’m all for it. Plus, all Edie’s Sweets are vegan, organic, and fair-trade!

So, next time the munchies hit, grab a mug and dig into this baby. It takes less than five minutes to make and absolutely hits the spot.

Prep Time: 2-3 minutes
Cook Time: 1 minute
Serves: 1 mug cake

Ingredients:

  • 1 Edie’s Sweets Dark Chocolate Black Sesame Cup (or 1 tbs. of your favorite chocolate)
  • 2 tbs. oat flour (I ground rolled oats in a food processer until it forms a fine flour)
  • 2 tsp. cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp. almond butter
  • 2 tbs. unsweetened almond milk
  • 2 tsp. coconut sugar (add another teaspoon if you have a sweeter tooth! Most of the sweetness in this cake will come from the chocolate cup)
  • ¼ tsp. vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp. baking powder
  • 1/8 tsp. salt

Recipe

  1. In a mug, stir together oat flour, cocoa powder, almond butter, almond milk, coconut sugar, vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt.
  2. Press Edie’s Sweets chocolate cup into the center of the mixture, pushing down until it is covered by the batter. The chocolate cup will add most of the sweetness to the cake, so if you’re substituting the chocolate cup with different chocolate, make sure it’s sweet enough or add extra coconut sugar.
  3. Microwave for 50 seconds. Let cool for 2-5 minutes before enjoying!

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Easy Pesto Pasta (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

20 Minute Meals, Dairy-Free, Entree, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Vegan

When life gives you basil, make pesto.

Okay, folks. Here is my favorite traditional pesto recipe. It’s quick and easy, but by toasting the pine nuts and garlic we’re elevating this pesto to a whole other culinary level. It is delicious. You can toss this pesto over your favorite pasta (see below for my go-to’s) and save any leftovers for another day!

That said, I know taking out the food processor can dissuade a lot of people. I hear you. When I do not have the energy to pull out my food processor, I opt for my Nutribullet instead. Saves time and cleanup! Just make sure your blender’s blades are low enough to the bottom of the container to sufficiently blend the ingredients.

Cook Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 2 bowls

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup fresh basil, packed
  • 2 tbs. olive oil (add more for a thinner consistency)
  • 1/3 cup pine nuts
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1-2 cups pasta (I recommend Whole Foods Cauliflower Gnocchi or Banza Chickpea Rotini)
  • 4-6 cherry tomatoes (optional garnish)
  • 2-5 chopped almonds (optional garnish)

Recipe:

  1. Toast pine nuts and garlic over low heat for 3 minutes or until lightly browned. No need to oil the pan, but make sure you keep an eye on the nuts and garlic. They brown quickly!
  2. Begin cooking your pasta of choice. If you’re using cauliflower gnocchi, I highly recommend pan frying the gnocchi until lightly browned. The texture and flavor is great!
  3. Add basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt to a food processer (or blender!) and blend until a creamy consistency forms.
  4. Stir in desired amount of pesto into the cooked pasta. Optionally top with tomatoes and chopped nuts, and enjoy!

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Tahini Lemon Salad (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

20 Minute Meals, Appetizer, Dairy-Free, Entree, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Vegan

You’ll never buy a store-bought salad again…

This is hands-down my favorite salad I’ve ever made. A few months ago, I started experimenting with tahini, and it is a GAME. CHANGER. It adds such a great creamy, nutty flavor to the dressing and pairs perfectly with the bright tanginess of lemon. Plus, all the protein and veggies make this salad satisfying, which I can’t say the same about all the salads I’ve had…

I’m including my favorite ingredients below, but I tend to switch it up every week. Some of my go-to’s are cooked beets (adds a nice pop!) and shelled edamame (extra protein). I also love to top this salad with falafel or chicken.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2 bowls

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium bunch of mixed greens or kale (or the amount of greens you like to add to your salad!)
  • 1/3 cup cooked chickpeas (or canned)
  • 1/2 ripe medium avocado
  • 1 cup frozen broccoli (if using fresh broccoli, flash boil it to soften the stalks)
  • 2 tbs. chopped almonds
  • 1-2 tbs. lemon juice (adjust to taste)
  • 1-1 1/2 tbs. tahini (adjust to taste)
  • 1 tsp. salt (adjust to taste)
  • 1 tsp. black pepper (adjust to taste)

Recipe

Preparation:

  1. (If using kale) Chop kale into small pieces and massage in a large bowl with 1 tbs. lemon juice and 1/2 tsp. salt. This will make the leaves tender. The leaves will wilt, so make sure you have enough to build your salad.
  2. Cut avocado into 1/2 inch cubes.

Cooking:

  1. Add broccoli to a well-oiled pan over medium heat. Toss broccoli as it begins to brown, adding in 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper (or to taste). Sauté until broccoli is browned or lightly charred.

Assembly:

  1. Place greens, chickpeas, broccoli, almonds, lemon juice, and remaining salt and pepper (or to taste) to a large bowl. Drizzle over tahini and toss until well combined.
  2. Mix in the avocados last (or arrange on top) to prevent them from getting mushy.

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3-Ingredient Seared Tofu (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

20 Minute Meals, Dairy-Free, Entree, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Vegan

Packing all the umami punch in just 10 minutes!

I’ve made this tofu three times in the last two weeks alone. It’s that easy and that quick and that delicious. I hear Food Network chefs talk about “umami” flavor all the time, and this tofu steak really brings it home. Tamari by itself is great, but the nuttiness of the tahini elevates it to a whole new level. The tamari-tahini sauce crusts up perfectly in the pan, and the smell only makes it better…

Besides packing the flavor, this crusted tofu takes 10 MINUTES. After an exhausting day, when I have neither the time nor the discipline to cook a gourmet meal, I reach for this recipe. My tip? Use extra firm tofu and press as much water out of it as you can. It makes a huge difference in how the tofu crisps up!

Recipe

Prep Time: 1-2 minute
Cook Time: 4-8 minutes
Serves: 4 tofu steaks

Ingredients

  • 1 block of extra firm tofu, pressed
  • 3 tablespoons tamari (I use a 50% less sodium version)
  • 4 tables tahini

Preparation:

  1. Mix the tamari and tofu in a small bowl until it forms a thick, creamy, caramel-colored mixture.
  2. Slice the tofu block horizontally through the side edges. Then slice diagonally across the top to create 4 triangle pieces.
  3. Apply a generous layer of the sauce to one side of each tofu steak.

Cooking:

  1. Over medium-low heat, place the tofu steaks sauce-side down on a lightly oiled, non-stick pan. Apply a layer of sauce to the face-up side of the tofu. Cook for 2-4 minutes or until the bottom crisps into a brown crust.
  2. Flip the tofu steaks and cook for another 2-4 minutes or until the bottom crisps into a brown crust. Serve and enjoy!

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