Spring Minestrone

Olive oil 
Yellow onion (diced)
Garlic (minced)
Celery (diced)
Carrot (diced)
Green beans (I use canned cause that’s how I grew up!)
Oregano, basil, pepper, salt, whatever else you are feeling
Can of diced tomatoes 
Broth (chicken, vegetable, whatever!)
Can of beans (kidney, white, garbanzo, your choice)
Pasta (you choose the shape!)
Parm cheese

Feel free to throw in any other vegetables you have laying around the house (zucchini, peppers, etc.) 

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot, add the onion and cook for a few minutes then add the garlic. Add in the rest of your vegetables starting with the crunchiest first (celery, carrots) and let those cook a bit before adding in your other vegetables. Don’t forget to season!

2. Once the veggies are cooked down, add the can of tomatoes and chicken broth and bring the soup to a boil. Taste it! 

3. Once it tastes good, add in the beans and pasta. Keep cooking around medium until the pasta is tender. 

4. Serve with a mound of parmesan cheese on top and enjoy! 

Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Mozzarella

1 bag of shelf-stable gnocchi
Marinara 
Olive oil 
Fresh mozzarella (or burrata if you’re feeling fancy)
Basil (fresh or dried)
Any other vegetables lingering in your fridge (or maybe some Italian sausage...yum!)

1. Throw the gnocchi on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper

2. Bake at 425 for about 25 minutes, tossing around halfway through. Gnocchi should be puffed and crispy on the outside. 

3. While gnocchi cooks, warm up marinara in the microwave or on the stove

4. Combine gnocchi with marinara and top with mozzarella and basil. 

Caesar Pasta Salad

It’s summer in Chicago which means we try and keep our home as cool as possible. Not turning on the stove for hours at a time is usually the name of the game when it comes to dinner. That is how we ended up with Pasta Caesar Salad in our weekly rotation. You can make anything in it from scratch or use ready-made ingredients – whatever works! 

• Caesar dressing

• cherry tomatoes, halved 

• parmesan cheese, shredded 

• lettuce (anything you want! Romaine, arugula, blend, etc.), chopped 

• croutons 

• cooked pasta noodles (short works best like rotini or rigatoni)

• chicken (rotisserie is our go to) or shrimp 

Not much instruction here plus the ratios are totally up to you! Toss all ingredients together and serve. Some nights we go heavier on pasta and others on lettuce. We also have fun adding in other ingredients like avocado, olives, or chickpeas. It’s always a crowd pleaser! 

Ribollita

I wanted to share my go to one pot meal as it’s easy prep, clean and cheap to make (the trifecta of dinners!). No need to be precise on measuring plus you can add in any other veggies in your fridge. It can also be vegan easily by omitting the cheese (bummer), and using vegetable stock. 

1 onion
3 carrots
3 stalks of celery
2 small zucchinis
A bunch of garlic cloves
2 bunches of kale or escarole (ripped into bite sized pieces) 
Parmesan (if you have the rinds of some older pieces, that is ideal!)
1 can whole peeled tomatoes (separate the juice & tomatoes with a strainer but keep both!)
About ½ of a loaf of crusty bread like sourdough (cut into pieces)
1 can of white beans
Chicken or vegetable stock 
Olive oil, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes 
Balsamic vinegar (for serving)

Get your oven going to 450 degrees and grab a big heavy bottom pot. 

Take all your veggies (except the kale & tomatoes) and chop them up into large bite sized pieces.

Heat your pan up with some olive oil and start cooking the garlic and veggies until they are soft but not mushy. Once soft, add the tomatoes (not the juice yet) and cook down for a few minutes. 

Add in the beans, tomato juice, parmesan, seasoning and about 3 cups of stock and bring that to a simmer. Once bubbling, add in your kale and most of your bread and give it a good stir. 

Add the remaining bread to the top and drizzle with some good olive oil. I also shave some more parmesan on there because more cheese is always better. 

Pop it in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until it’s bubbly and golden brown. 

For serving, top with some more olive oil, cheese and balsamic. Yum!  

Mediterranean Bowls

No measuring or recipe to follow with this one – just pour yourself a glass of wine and put the toppings on the counter! Use the rice as a base and then build from there. Enjoy! 

Rice (we like the frozen Trader Joe’s brown or Jasmine rice)
Cucumber (large dice)
Tomatoes (large dice)
Chickpeas (canned, we like the Trader Joe ones!)
Feta 
Rotisserie chicken 
Tzatziki 
Hummus 
Olives
Pita 

Other favorites are Mexican (store bought guac, salsa, beans, cheese, sour cream) and BBQ Chicken (rotisserie chicken, black beans, corn, tortilla chips, avocado, lettuce). Let the ideas run wild!

Fruit or Vegetable Muffins

Inspired (and then edited) by a recipe found in the New York Times 

1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
2 cups blueberries or any fruit/veg you want to use 

1. Preheat the oven to 375.

2. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla.

4. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder, and add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk.

5. Crush 1/2 cup blueberries with a fork and mix into the batter. Fold in the remaining whole berries.

6. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with cupcake liners and fill with batter. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30-35 minutes. (if doing mini muffins, they usually take around 15-18 minutes).

7. Remove muffins from tin and cool.

8. We usually keep some for immediate eating and freeze the rest for future busy mornings.