Entree

Asian Turkey Lettuce Cups (Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free)

Dairy-Free, Entree, Gluten-Free

Goodbye Chinese takeout, hello Asian turkey lettuce cups.

I first came up with this recipe about two and a half years ago, and it’s been a family favorite ever since. Asian food can get really greasy really fast, but these turkey lettuce cups are a wonderful exception. The tamari-almond butter sauce adds a nutty richness, balanced out by the crisp lettuce and fresh veggies. You are definitely going to want to try this one.

Also, this meal is great for sharing! Everyone can build their own lettuce cups, adding whichever toppings they want. You can mix up the toppings, too. Fresh squeezed lime and crushed peanuts can add a new depth of flavor!

Prep Time: 20-25 minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
Serves: 3-5 lettuce cups

Ingredients:

Filling

  • 1/2 lb. ground turkey
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • 1/4 small yellow onion
  • 1/4 medium bell pepper

Sauce

  • 1 1/2 tbs. almond butter
  • 2 tbs. tamari
  • 1/4 tsp. grated ginger
  • 1 tsp. honey
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Lettuce Cups and Toppings

  • 1 small head of green leaf lettuce
  • Sliced carrots
  • Sliced cucumber
  • Cilantro

Recipe

Preparation:

  1. (Filling) Mince garlic, and dice the onion and bell pepper into small pieces.
  2. (Sauce) In a small bowl, mix together the almond butter, tamari, ginger, honey, and red pepper flakes until a creamy mixture forms.

Cooking:

  1. Add garlic and onion to a medium non-stick pan over low heat. Sauté until fragrant.
  2. Add the ground turkey to the pan and use a spatula to break into smaller chunks.
  3. Once the ground turkey begins to brown, add the bell pepper and sauce. Stir occasionally for about 10 minutes, or until turkey is cooked through.

Assembly:

  1. Add the desired amount of filling and toppings into a lettuce leaf (“cup”). Enjoy!

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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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One-Pot Thai Coconut Curry (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

Dairy-Free, Entree, Gluten-Free, Vegan

Warms up the body and soul!

My local vegan Thai restaurant serves an amazing coconut curry, and I had to recreate it. The spice from the red pepper and the creaminess of the coconut milk adds an incredible depth of flavor. It’s perfect over rice or as is! The best part is, it’s full of plant-based protein, including both tofu and chickpeas. A delicious, warming meal for chilly days!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
Serves: 4-6 bowls

Ingredients:

  • 28 oz. chickpeas
  • 16 oz. firm tofu
  • 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth (adjust up or down for thickness)
  • 3/4 cup lite coconut milk (adjust up or down for thickness)
  • 1/2 small yellow onion
  • 1 tbs. minced garlic
  • 1 tbs. grated ginger
  • 1/2 red bell pepper
  • 1/2 small zucchini
  • 1/2 cup carrots
  • 3/4 cup tomato
  • 1 1/2 tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 3/4 tbs. curry powder (adjust to taste)
  • 3/4 tbs. turmeric (adjust to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional, for spice)
  • 3/4 tbs. salt (adjust to taste)

Recipe

Preparation:

  1. Dice onion into 1 cm pieces. Chop bell pepper, zucchini, carrots, and tomato into roughly equal sized 1/2-1 inch pieces.
  2. Mince garlic and grate ginger.

Cooking:

  1. In a dutch oven over medium heat, lightly sauté garlic, onion, and ginger with oil, curry powder, turmeric, and red pepper flakes.
  2. Stir the chickpeas to the pot and cook for 5 minutes over low heat.
  3. Add the vegetable broth and coconut milk to the pot. Do not cover the pot with a lid–let the soup reduce to concentrate the flavors.
  4. After 5-10 minutes, add the vegetables to the pot. Cover with a lid and let it cook over low heat.
  5. Press as much water from the tofu as possible. Cut the tofu into 1×2 inch blocks or triangles. In a lightly oiled pan, fry the tofu until lightly browned on all sides.
  6. Add the tofu to the pot. Let the soup simmer, uncovered. Adjust seasoning and liquid as needed to achieve the desired soup or stew consistency.
  7. Serve hot as a soup or over rice. Enjoy!

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Easy Asparagus Frittata (Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free)

Breakfast, Dairy-Free, Entree, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free

A quick and easy party pleaser!

Frittata, a.k.a. a simple and delicious way to clean out your fridge. After planning a last-minute brunch, it was a relief to have this quick and simple dish ready to go! I threw in my favorite veggies, but you can really mix up this frittata with anything you’ve got. Bell peppers, broccoli…whatever you have on hand! It’s a “kitchen sink” sort of deal. Quick, easy, and SO GOOD.

Plus, your friends and family will never know just how easy this frittata is to whip this up…

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 6-8 slices

Ingredients:

  • 6 eggs
  • 14-16 asparagus stalks
  • 2-3 medium Bella mushrooms
  • 5-8 cherry tomatoes
  • 1/4 medium yellow onion
  • 1/3 cup cooked, roughly crumbled sausage (your choice of meat or vegan)
  • 4-5 basil leaves
  • 1-1 1/2 tsp. salt (adjust to taste)
  • 1/2-1 tsp. black pepper (adjust to taste)

Recipe

Preparation:

  1. Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and lightly oil medium cast iron skillet.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs until light and fluffy.
  3. Dice mushrooms, tomatoes, and onion into 1/2 to 1 cm pieces. Cut basil leaves into strips or small pieces. Stir into to egg mixture with salt and pepper.
  4. Pour egg mixture into cast iron skillet.
  5. Cut asparagus stalks to 1/2 the diameter of the skillet. Toss lightly with oil before arranging in circular pattern on top of the egg mixture.

Baking:

  1. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until egg mixture has set up and is lightly browned. The frittata will continue to cook once removed from the oven.

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