I was recently asked what excites me about cooking now that spring is underway. My answer wasn’t a specific recipe, but rather, the feeling I get from finding new ways to cook with seasonal ingredients. While I have my repertoire of go-to recipes, basic preparations, and no-cook ideas, I want to spend time this season exploring new ways of bringing joy to my cooking. And I’m letting my cookbook collection lead the way. The new cookbook I’m especially excited to dive into is Chef Abra Berens‘ latest: Pulp. And the recipe that’s truly blown me away (and that I’ll be making all spring long) is this simple poached salmon with gingered apricots.

But readers, this isn’t just any old poached salmon dish. While I think of fruit as more of a snack, as part of my proclamation to celebrate seasonal ingredients, I’m following Berens’ lead and showcasing it as the star of sweet and savory recipes alike.

It’s an approach to cooking that blends well with the ease and simultaneous elegance of the season. Berens’ new cookbook highlights both the simplicity of cooking with the seasons and the innovation to be found in leveraging a new technique. And at the core of it all is a careful, well-attuned understanding of flavor—how an ingredient as simple as an apricot or berry can elevate and transform a recipe.

We chatted with Berens about her favorite flavor pairings, how to choose the best piece of fruit every time, and why this simple poached salmon recipe is perfect for any weeknight.

Pulp: A Practical Guide to Cooking with Fruit by Abra Berens

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Pulp, $31.50

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How would you describe your cooking and food philosophy and how has it influenced recipes like this one?

My cooking and food philosophy is ingredient-focused. I like familiar combinations and adding a gentle twist that feels interesting but not forced or out of left field. And ideally, I want my recipes to be efficient so that you have energy after cooking the meal to sit and enjoy it without a mountain of dishes.

For this recipe, I wanted to showcase the delicate flavor of apricots by poaching them, which is also handy because it can be done in advance. Then the bok choy and salmon are steamed at the same time for ease and efficiency. 

What was your process for developing this recipe?

I tend to develop recipes by tasting the primary ingredient that I want to showcase and thinking about flavor combinations that would complement it. The combination of flavors for this dish—ginger, chili, salmon, and bok choy—are inspired by Thai cuisine but pulled together to highlight the apricots. 

What makes this recipe your go-to?

I love this recipe because it meets all my requirements for a dish. It is super tasty while still being light, it feels a touch out of the ordinary by featuring apricots in such a savory application, and it is easy and efficient enough to achieve as a midweek meal. 

Can this recipe be made with minimal tools?

Both the apricots and the chili oil can be made in advance so the final cooking is in one pan. I tried making it by poaching all of the ingredients in the same poaching liquid as the apricots and that didn’t pan out. One of my goals is to be sure that if a recipe has extra steps or pans, it is really worth it. This is one of those cases. 

Is there a kitchen tool you recommend we have to make this dish?

I love a steamer basket. It is not fancy, inexpensive, and pretty old school. But I have been steaming more and find that it keeps the flavors very delicate, which often pairs well with a very flavorful condiment. 

What are your favorite standout ingredients in this recipe?

The apricots and bok choy. I was surprised by how well they paired together. They share a subtle sweetness and vegetal quality that really worked. 

What are some ingredient swaps to know about?

I love that this dish is free of most allergens. If you don’t eat fish, I would substitute chicken breasts or tofu. If you don’t have apricots, I would use peaches or even plums. 

We love a good cooking hack. What techniques make this recipe special?

It isn’t really a hack, but I rely on super flavorful condiments to make simply prepared dishes super tasty. In this dish, the chili oil and flavors in the poaching liquid add a ton. 

Can you share any quick tips for choosing the best seasonal produce?

Fruit tells you when it is ready. It should look appealing, it should smell great, and be generally inviting. That’s the first step. The second is that even the most scrutinized fruit can be disappointing. I find that either cooking or adding some sweetness or acid can salvage a disappointing piece of fruit. The cooking concentrates the flavor. Acid, like citrus or vinegar, lifts the existing flavor. Sweetness, adding sugar or honey, will mimic the sweetness found in a perfect piece of fruit when it is naturally lacking. 

What do you hope people feel or learn when they make one of your recipes?

I hope that readers feel confident after cooking one of my recipes. I write these recipes to have a bit of flexibility in them, so if you don’t have apricots (for example) you feel confident swapping in another fruit. I also hope that once making this recipe, readers will feel confident steaming salmon and bok choy even when not following this recipe. That poached fruit, chili oil, or steamed salmon will become part of the repertoire.

What other recipes from your book do you think readers should cook first?

I love the rum plum clafoutis recipe because it is so simple and so good and can be made with a variety of fruit—cherries, cranberries, rhubarb, or even blueberries. I also hope people make the brined cherries and salty snacks. It is such a surprising combination of flavors and is perfect for summertime happy hours!

Scroll on for the recipe for Abra’s Ginger Poached Apricots and Salmon, and if you make this poached salmon, be sure to leave a rating and comment below.

Pulp: A Practical Guide to Cooking with Fruit by Abra Berens, © 2023. Published by Chronicle Books. Photographs © EE Berger.

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Ginger Poached Apricots and Salmon

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  Author: Abra Berens
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  Total Time: 35 minutes
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  Yield: 2

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A simple salmon recipe packed with flavor thanks to ginger poached apricots and chili oil.

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Ingredients

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• 2 cups dry white wine
• 1 orange (about 3 oz [90 ml]), zest and juice
• 1 lemon (about 1.5 oz [45 ml]), zest and juice
• 2 inches of ginger, peeled
• 2 whole star anise pods
• 2 green cardamom pods
• 2 pounds of apricots, halved and pits removed
• 1/4 cup neutral oil
• 2 tablespoons of chili flakes
• 4 salmon fillets (about 4 oz [120 g] each), skin removed
• Salt
• 4 to 6 baby bok choy (about 11/2 lb [680 g])

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Instructions

1. In a medium pot over medium heat, bring the wine, orange zest and juice, lemon zest and juice, ginger, star anise, and cardamom to a simmer. Add the apricots and poach until tender, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool in the poaching liquid.
2. In a small frying pan, heat the neutral oil over high heat for about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and add the chili flakes. Steep for 10 minutes.
3. In a large pot fitted with a steamer basket, bring 3 in [7.5 cm] of water to a rapid boil. Season the salmon all over with salt. Transfer carefully to the steamer basket. Steam, covered, for 5 minutes. Add the bok choy and steam for 4 minutes more.
4. To serve, place a fillet of the fish on a plate next to a couple of bok choy. Top with a few poached apricot halves and drizzle all over with the chili oil.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: Dinner

Keywords: salmon, apricots, ginger, chili oil

The post Abra Berens’ Poached Salmon With Apricots Is Sweet, Savory, and What We’re Making This Spring appeared first on Camille Styles.

Pizza is my love language. What’s not to love about a chewy dough paired with a plethora of topping combinations that can range all the way from sweet summer peaches and balsamic to savory caramelized onions and prosciutto? With endless options, it takes a lot for a pizza to achieve standout status, but there’s one pizza that gets me every time. If you’ve watched Chef’s Table Pizza and caught the episode of Chef Ann Kim in Minneapolis, just know this: the Boise pizza at her restaurant, Pizzeria Lola, is one of my all time favorite pizzas ever. It’s a potato pizza. And it is so dang good.

If you’ve never had a potato pizza before, let me enlighten you as to why it’s the ultimate pie. The Pizzeria Lola version includes gruyere, caramelized onions, and thinly sliced potatoes that work so perfectly together. The potatoes get so soft that they almost melt in your mouth while adding this extra texture to the pizza and when paired with the other toppings is just incredible. As an ode to my favorite pizza and as we enter spring and summer pizza season, I just had to create my own potato pizza.

Ingredients for this Potato Pizza

The best part of this pizza is that with a few shortcuts and store bought items, this pizza has a very light ingredient list.

Pizza dough. Homemade like Camille’s version or store bought pizza dough will work just great here.

Pesto. We’re deviating from the Pizzeria Lola version, but I like green things on pizza, and the herbaceous flavor of a basil pesto on this pizza is a must. Use store bought or homemade if you’ve got it!

Potatoes. I’m going to be picky and tell you to use a yukon gold potato here. The starchiness and the way they kind of melt in your mouth. Prep these with a mandolin to get as thin of slices as possible and toss generously with olive oil.

Gruyere cheese. You could absolutely use a mozzarella cheese here, but I like gruyere with the potatoes on this pizza and how melty it gets.

Salad. Weird to see salad as a pizza ingredient? Never. I love salad on pizza. I like that it adds a bright freshness to the pizza and can also be served alongside it. For this springy version, I used shaved asparagus, arugula, and peas tossed simply in lemon juice and olive oil.

Tips for Making Pizza in the Oven

Let’s be honest, we’re never going to get the charred leopard spots on a pizza in the kitchen oven that we will from a pizza oven. But because not all of us have a full pizza oven, here are a few tricks I’ve learned to try and get the same effect.

Use a baking steel and preheat in the oven.

Prep your dough on a pizza peel with flour and semolina to avoid sticking.

Less toppings can be more. I know the temptation to load up your pizza with everything, but being a little more light handed and selective with ingredients, especially with a thinner crust pizza, is just as delicious.

How to Serve Your Potato Pizza

As I mentioned above, I LOVE salad on pizza. And especially because the toppings on this pizza lean on the richer side, it’s nice have a little acidic and fresh bite to balance everything out. Prep your salad while the pizza cooks, and top when ready to serve. Even if you just have some arugula on hand, giving that a quick toss in lemon juice and olive oil for the pizza is so delicious.

Other Pizza Recipes to Try

We love pizza here at Camille Styles, so you know we have a whole roster of go-to combinations we love.

Peach Pesto and Balsamic Pizza

Bacon Apple and Sweet Potato Pizza

Spinach and Ricotta Pizza

Pepperoni Sheet Pan Pizza

Scroll on for the recipe, and if you make this potato pizza, be sure to leave a rating and comment below.

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Spring Potato Pizza with Asparagus and Burrata

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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

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  Author: Suruchi Avasthi
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  Total Time: 35 minutes
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  Yield: 1

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An easy spring potato and pesto pizza to make for your next pizza night.

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Ingredients

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• 1 store bought or homemade pizza dough
• 1/2 cup pesto, homemade of store bought
• 1 cup gruyere cheese, grated divided
• 1 large yukon gold potato, thinly sliced with a mandolin and tossed in olive oil
• 1/2 cup asparagus, thinly sliced
• 1 cup arugula
• 1/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 ball burrata

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Instructions

1. For the pizza. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F and place a large baking sheet or baking steel in the oven to heat as you prep the pizza dough. Stretch pizza dough into a round shape on a pizza peel coated with semolina and flour to prevent sticking. Top with pesto, half of the gruyere, then the potatoes, then the other half of the gruyere. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the pizza to the sheet. Place back in the oven and turn the temperature up to 500 degrees F. Bake for 15-18 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and golden.
2. For the salad. Toss the asparagus, arugula, and peas with the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
3. To assemble. Remove the pizza from the oven when done, top with salad and torn burrata. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 20
• Category: Pizza
• Cuisine: Italian

Keywords: pizza, potato, vegetarian, pesto

The post If You’ve Never Had a Potato Pizza, It’s Time to Change All That appeared first on Camille Styles.

Chicken and I have a complicated relationship. I’ll go long stretches of time when it just doesn’t interest me, and then—I’ll try a bite of perfectly-prepared chicken and suddenly, I’m feeling it again. And that’s the thing about chicken—it’s all in how you season it. Its reputation as a bland protein source only reflects a boring preparation. If I’m going to cook chicken, I’m going to infuse it with so much flavor in the form of herbs and seasoning that it’s supremely satisfying and excites my taste buds. And my favorite way to make sure chicken stays moist and succulent, whether it’s seared on the grill or baked in the oven? Using yogurt in my marinade.

Why do you marinate chicken in yogurt?

Marinating chicken in yogurt is a tried-and-true technique that’s beloved by chefs, and frequently used in middle eastern cuisine. The yogurt slowly tenderizes meat, leaving it pull-apart tender and full of flavor. A yogurt-based marinate also creates a delicious crust on any type of meat, especially when grilling. I really can’t describe to you how effective and delicious this technique is on chicken—you’ve just got to try it.

I like to use full-fat plain greek yogurt in my marinade. It’s a good consistency for forming that perfect exterior crust, plus it’s usually what I have on hand in my fridge.

A very green marinade for spring

I didn’t set out to make a marinade that was so green, it might as well be a St. Patrick’s-themed recipe… yet here we are. It likely has something to do with the fact that I threw in an entire bunch of fresh parsley into the blender. Yes, it’s a lot of parsley, and yes, it’s delicious. And this herb-y sauce is so versatile. It adds bright color and bold flavor to everything from this yogurt-marinated chicken to slathered over flatbread or tossed with pasta. I’ve even mixed it with an extra splash of oil and vinegar for a delicious salad vinaigrette.

If you’re growing fresh herbs this season, this recipe is the perfect time to harvest your own and blend up in this marinade. It’s equally delicious when made with basil, mint, chives, or (my favorite) a mix of all of them. Either way, once you’ve made it, let the chicken marinate for at least 8 hours (or even better, overnight.) Yogurt is a “gentler” marinade than a typical citrus-based one, so it takes a bit longer for it to reach its full effect.

What is chicken paillard?

I’ll forever associate chicken paillard with one of our favorite restaurants in Paris, Hotel Costes. I’ll preface this by saying that Costes isn’t really a place that you go for the food. The lunch is pretty good, but let’s just say that last time we were there, Lenny Kravitz was sipping champagne at a table nearby. You go to Costes for the people-watching.

Anyway, one of their signature dishes is a chicken paillard that’s pounded as thin as a pancake, lightly grilled, and topped with arugula. We always order it with a bowl of matchstick-thin pommes frites, and it feels so classic and celebratory. Especially with champagne.

Paillard is a french bistro classic, and it’s a term for a piece of chicken (or other meat) that’s been thinly pounded and seasoned before cooking quickly. It’s often served with fresh greens, making it a simple one-dish dinner that sounds fancy, but is perfect even for busy weeknights.

What to serve with grilled yogurt-marinated chicken

I like to finish off this grilled yogurt-marinated chicken with a handful of bright peppery arugula, some big shavings of fresh parmesan, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Try it with a side of grilled asparagus or some oven-baked fries if you’re feeling french bistro vibes. Either way, it’s best eaten outdoors in the sunshine, paired with a very cold glass of rosé.

Scroll on for the recipe for this grilled yogurt-marinated chicken

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Grilled Yogurt-Marinated Chicken with All the Herbs

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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

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  Author: Camille Styles
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  Total Time: 8 hours 40 minutes
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  Yield: 4 servings

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Marinating chicken in yogurt makes it tender and full of flavor. This simple grilled chicken recipe is perfect for summer gatherings and easy enough for a weeknight dinner.

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Ingredients

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for the marinade:

• 1/2 bunch parsley
• 2 lemons, zest and juice
• 1/2 shallot
• 1 garlic clove
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp hot water
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup full-fat plain greek yogurt

for the chicken:

• 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves, pounded thinly
• kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
• 6 cups fresh arugula
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• garnish: flaky salt, fresh shavings of parmesan, lemon wedges, and extra-virgin olive oil

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Instructions

1. First, make the marinade by blending everything together in a blender.
2. Place the chicken in a baking dish or large ziploc. Pour the marinade over it and let marinate in the fridge for at least 8 hours (or overnight.)
3. When ready to prepare, prepare a grill or grill plan to medium-high heat. Let the excess marinade drain off the chicken, then season both sides with lots of salt and pepper.
4. Grill on each side for about 5 minutes per side, until lightly charred and cooked through. Place chicken on a serving platter or individual plates, top with arugula, then sprinkle over sliced shallot and shaved parmesan.
5. Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over arugula, add a pinch of flaky salt and pepper, and serve with lemon wedges. Eat!

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Marinating Time: 8 hours
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: dinner
• Method: grilling

Keywords: easy grilled chicken, yogurt-marinated grilled chicken

The post If You Aren’t Adding Yogurt to Your Chicken Marinade, You’re Doing It Wrong appeared first on Camille Styles.

Ahhh… the sweet taste of a new season is in the air and we’re salivating over all the spring produce we get to play with in the kitchen. Think asparagus, artichokes, arugula, mint, peas, and radishes—there’s so much to explore. But just because it’s getting warmer doesn’t mean we have to take one of our favorite meals off the menu. Enter: spring pasta recipes. Loaded with all the freshest green vegetables and herbs, these delicious dishes will make you feel just as good as they taste.

There’s something about pasta in warm weather that makes us crave a trip to Italy. I think it’s safe to say we’re all feeling the travel bug (and have been for a while), but who says you need to get on an airplane to be transported to the Italian coastline? Why not book a ticket to the food capital of the world via your tastebuds? It’s as simple as that.

Featured image by Michelle Nash.

16 Spring Pasta Recipes to Celebrate Fresh, Seasonal Veg

If, like us, you’re longing for an Italian jaunt, then head to the farmer’s market this week and pack your pasta with all the incredible seasonal ingredients to make these spring pasta recipes. After that, it’s just a matter of closing your eyes and letting your senses take you away. We’ll see you there!

Lemony Spring Pasta Salad with Olives, Artichokes, and Bacon

Why We Love It: While we haven’t ever met a pasta we didn’t like, our favorite recipes are the simple, fast, and delicious ones. This perfect-for-spring pasta is all of that: 30 minutes, a blender dressing, and ingredients you’ll likely have on hand. But… it’s also on our list of top spring pasta recipes because it has plenty of what we love: crispy bacon, briny artichoke hearts, and plenty of peppery arugula. We guarantee you’ll eat it with your eyes first.

Hero Ingredient: Two tablespoons of honey in the dressing might come as a surprise, but it adds the perfect balance of sweetness to this brightly-flavored dressing.

Pesto Pasta Primavera

Why We Love It: I love a good alliteration, especially when it comes to three words that describe my perfect meal. This recipe is always Camille’s answer when the inevitable what should I make for dinner? question strikes. It’s light but satisfying and easy enough to whip up any night of the week. Mondays included.

Hero Ingredient: Frozen peas are the secret weapon of many a simple (but stunning!) weeknight meal.

Green Goddess Pasta Salad

Why We Love It: This deliciously easy vegan option is perfect for spring holiday gatherings because you can make it ahead of time. It’s also loaded with in-season vegetables, chickpeas, and a dressing that’s bursting with fresh goodness (basil, spinach, chives, and green onions). Spring pasta doesn’t get much better than this.

Hero Ingredient: If you’re looking for a plant-based solution to fulfill your cheesy cravings, nutritional yeast is always the answer.

Creamy Vegan Pasta with Tomatoes and Basil

Why We Love It: Creamy and vegan? Better believe it. Inspired by Amy Chaplin’s gorgeous cookbook Whole Food Cooking Every Day, Camille set out to make her own version of the cookbook’s walnut sauce. With zero dairy required, this sauce still manages to coat every noodle with creamy goodness. Oh, and if you needed any more convincing: the sauce can be made ahead of time.

Hero Ingredient: Garnishing your pasta with just a little lemon zest keeps its final flavor bright and balanced.

Green Sauce Pasta

Why We Love It: When it comes to pasta, anything green immediately cues my mind to pesto. But this five-ingredient sauce gets the job done with its own creative take on the classic. The basil and parmesan are to be expected, but peas, asparagus, and spinach send this pasta’s vibrant green hue home. Pasta perfection? You bet.

Hero Ingredient: Throughout spring and beyond, basil is hands down my favorite herb. It’s sweet and slightly spicy while still feeling light. I love how it incorporates seamlessly into this sauce.

Ratatouille-Style Roasted Vegetable Pasta

Why We Love It: With the warmer weather comes outdoor gatherings, and after a few (long) months indoors, we’re ready for a party. While this pasta does require a little more prep than the other spring pasta recipes on this list, we can say without a doubt that it’s totally worth it. If only to see your dinner guest’s eyes light up at every plate’s veggie-filled beauty.

Hero Ingredient: Opt for Italian seasoning or Herbes de Provence. Whichever you choose, it’s the key to tying this dish together.

One Pot Garlicky Mushroom Pasta with Sausage & Arugula

Why We Love It: “Garlicky” is my new favorite adjective. I’m a forever fan of its pungent, borders-on-spicy flavor. It’s a surefire way to bring a bright, punchy flavor to your pasta. Oh, and if you’d prefer a pasta that’s fully plant-based, feel free to omit the sausage. The pound of baby bella mushrooms are meaty enough. Consider your carb cravings satisfied.

Hero Ingredient: Even if it’s not the primary flavor, the lemon juice and zest help enhance all the many flavors this pasta packs.

Summer Veggie Pasta Salad with Feta & Lemon-Tahini Dressing

Why We Love It: Summer or spring, the beauty of this pasta salad is that it’s tasty all throughout the year’s warmer months. At first glance, tahini might seem like an odd addition to a pasta sauce. (We’re not making hummus here, after all.) But it’s thanks to the Middle Eastern condiment that you get an umami-filled, super smooth pasta salad dressing that’s 100% plant-based. And it plays perfectly well with the salty feta and citrus flavors.

Hero Ingredient: The cucumber cools the entire dish down with a lovely refreshing bite.

Miso Tomato Pasta

Why We Love It: Low effort, high reward. This is one of the easiest meals to throw together, but it tastes like a hundred bucks. The trick to filling this pasta with flavor is slow-roasting the tomatoes and garlic in lots of olive oil. You’ll bring out all their sweet, caramelized goodness. Who doesn’t love a soft and succulent tomato that bursts in your mouth?

Hero Ingredient: Miso is the ultimate umami booster.

Tikka Masala Pasta

Why We Love It: If you’re looking for spring pasta recipes that double as comfort food then look no further than this genius pasta that fuses Italian and Indian cooking. For the food purists at heart, you’re missing out. Expect plenty of heat, flavor, and saucy goodness. If you need a shake-up in your spring dinner routine, this is the perfect solution fit for any night of the week.

Hero Ingredient: The spices are unmatched—and each delivers something a little different to the resulting dish. Cinnamon, turmeric, red chili powder, coriander, cardamom, cumin, and garam masala. This is the perfect pasta for those spring snow days that take you by surprise.

Vegetarian Pasta Bolognese

Why We Love It: As you can tell by the “vegetarian” label, this is not your typical bolognese. And while the sauce is easy, it’s far from basic. Tofu, carrots, celery, and mushrooms are the plant-based answer to perfecting this classic Italian pasta. It’s proof that you really don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen to make a delicious meal either. If you want to level up, use freshly sweet, sun-ripened tomatoes. But know that canned tomatoes also work in a pinch.

Hero Ingredient: Use a heavy hand when topping your pasta with (freshly grated) parmesan.

Rigatoni with Brussels Sprouts & Kale Pesto

Why We Love It: Brussels sprouts may lean more toward winter, but the burst of fresh flavors and the verdant color is all spring, baby. The kale pesto infuses this delightful spring pasta recipe with all the flavors of the season, but with a carby, comforty twist. Oh, and it takes just 15 minutes to make from start to finish. Have we convinced you yet?

Hero Ingredient: Rigatoni gives the kale pesto something to grip onto, resulting in perfect, lightly-coated tubes of pasta.

Spaghetti alla Nerano

Why We Love It: After watching Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy, Camille Styles food editor Suruchi was prompted to create her own version of the famous Spaghetti alla Nerano—and she did not disappoint. This pasta will transport you to the Amalfi Coast with its delicious Italian-inspired flavors.

Hero Ingredient: While we might think of zucchini as only a stand-in for pasta, pan-frying it with shallots and garlic and tossing with your noodles does the veggie justice.

Easy Caprese Pesto Penne

Why We Love It: Transport yourself to the island of Capri with this spin on the famous caprese salad. Bursting with our favorite fresh flavors, we’ve all made it a part of our weeknight rotations. It literally takes 10 minutes to prep from start to finish. Truly, what’s not to love? (FYI—If you’re looking to build your repertoire of caprese pasta, we’re also obsessed with Half-Baked Harvest’s Caprese Pesto Pasta, too!)

Hero Ingredient: The key to emulating the Italian version is to use the creamiest, most mouthwatering buffalo mozzarella you can find.

Lemony Pasta Carbonara With Peas and Zucchini

Why We Love It: It was during Camille’s first evening in Italy when she twirled a strand of al dente pasta and bit into the most perfect carbonara that this recipe was born. Maybe it was the fact that she was sitting in a vineyard in Italy, or maybe it was actually the perfect spaghetti carbonara recipe passed down from the chef’s Nonna, but she’s been chasing those flavors ever since. Whatever the inspiration, this is the recipe she concocted to replicate that magical pasta.

Hero Ingredient: We recommend you make it with bucatini pasta. It looks like thick spaghetti from the outside, but the inside is hollow, meaning it fills up with sauce. Nope, you’re not dreaming!

Almond-Mint Pesto Pasta

Why We Love It: The secret to taking your pesto to the next level? Blanching the herbs and garlic first before adding to the rest of the ingredients totally enhances the flavor and removes bitterness. I love this recipe’s interpretation of the classic pesto. While the basil helps it retain the original’s recognizable bright bite, the two bunches of mint lend it all a little freshness.

Hero Ingredient: The mint is unexpected but totally brilliant.

This post was originally published on April 15, 2021 and has since been updated.

The post 16 Recipes That’ll Have You Convinced: Pasta Is the Perfect Spring Meal appeared first on Camille Styles.

Everyone needs a delicious spring pasta salad in their repertoire. There’s something about a colorful, packable pasta that just tastes like beach days and picnics in the park. That said, the family reunion-style macaroni salad, made with mayo and highly questionable when served at room temperature, is a hard pass for me. Thankfully, today’s recipe is a far cry—made with green olives, artichoke hearts, lemons, and tons of shaved parm, it’s got that zesty, briny, salty punch that elevates this to summer dinner party status. Read on to see how this very green, spring pasta salad comes together, plus a few tips for pasta salad success.

My inspiration for this pasta salad actually came from one of my favorite pizzas at Gjelina, IMHO the best Italian spot in LA. It’s got green olives, guanciale (an Italian cured meat), and chiles for heat, and the combo is absolutely addictive. I wanted to achieve that same flavor profile in pasta form, swapping in crispy crumbled bacon for the guanciale and parmesan instead of the mozzarella. The goal? To get that delicious combination of flavors in every single perfect bite.

How to make this spring pasta salad

A recipe that’s made for breezy warm weather gatherings should be just as breezy to make, so I created this pasta salad to be super easy—you can toss it together in less than 30 minutes.

First, I put my pasta water on to boil, since I want to cook the pasta and let it cool down a bit before I add it to the rest of our ingredients.

While the pasta is cooking, I make the bright zingy dressing by adding parsley, lemon zest and juice, shallot, garlic, and olive oil to a blender. I thin it a little with hot water, then blend it up and store in a mason jar until I’m ready to use it.

I grab the biggest serving bowl I’ve got, add my cooked and drained pasta, then toss in our green olives, artichokes, crumbled bacon, and pistachios (that crunch is absolutely essential.)

Next I drizzle on a big pour of our green dressing along with some salt and pepper, toss it around until each piece of pasta is lightly coated, then add handfuls of arugula and a ridiculous amount of shaved parmesan. Toss it again, add as much heat with red pepper flakes as you like, and it’s ready to roll.

Bring it to a potluck or picnic

I often get questions from you guys about what dishes to bring to a gathering, and this pasta salad happens to make the perfect potluck side.

For one, it can be made completely in advance, and holds up beautifully when transported. Back in my catering days, I quickly learned which dishes taste just as good after sitting on a buffet for an hour, versus those that got sad and wilty. Pasta salads proved to be one of the heartier options, and the ingredients in this one really lend themselves to hanging out for awhile.

This is also a really versatile dish that’s a crowd pleaser with kids and adults alike. I made it for a pool party last weekend, and everyone went back for seconds and took home leftovers. It’s full of veggies and makes a delicious side dish with grilled chicken or steak, but it’s also filling enough to stand in as a main course.

Tips for success

Here are a few things to know that will make this recipe a home run.

What to serve with this spring pasta salad

For a simple weeknight dinner, this pasta salad is hearty enough to be a one-dish meal—pair with a glass of chilled rosé and it’s officially spring.

For a gathering, I love to grill some marinated chicken, salmon, or steak, and serve this alongside. Since it’s packed with veggies and pasta, it’s the only side dish you need.

How to store leftovers

I can say from experience that this pasta salad is just as delicious the next day—just store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, and serve cold or room temp.

Ideas for swaps and modifications

This pasta salad is the perfect dish for riffing based on what’s in season and your personal preference. A few ideas:

• Make it vegetarian by omitting the bacon.
• Turn it into an antipasto salad by adding those tiny balls of fresh mozzarella.
• Swap in any green veggies for the olives and artichokes—blanched sugar snap peas, grilled zucchini, or lightly cooked broccoli would all be delicious additions.
• You can use any short pasta—gemelli, fusilli, or even penne all work great in this dish.

Other spring pasta salads you’ll love:

We obviously love warm weather pasta salads around here, and these are a few other favorites from our archives:

Green Goddess Pasta Salad

Pasta Salad with Feta and Tahini Dressing

Grilled Veggie Pasta Salad

Scroll on for the recipe, and if you make this spring pasta salad, be sure to leave a rating and comment below.

Print

Lemony Spring Pasta Salad with Olives, Artichokes, and Bacon

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★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

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  Author: Camille Styles
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  Total Time: 30
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  Yield: 6 servings

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Description

Pack this bright and zesty spring pasta salad for every picnic all season. Super easy to toss together, it’s bursting with vegetables and so much flavor.

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Ingredients

Units
USM

• 1 pound cavatappi or other curly short pasta, cooked according to package directions
• 1/2 cup green olives, halved (I buy pitted Castelvetrano or Cerignola)
• 1/2 cup chopped roasted and salted pistachios
• 2 – 3 strips crispy bacon, crumbled
• 1/2 cup Artichoke hearts, quartered
• Spring Green Dressing (below)
• 2 cups arugula
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• red pepper flakes, to taste
• lots of freshly grated parmesan, to taste

For the green dressing:

• 1/2 bunch parsley
• 2 lemons, zest and juice
• 1/2 shallot
• 1 garlic clove
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp hot water
• Salt and pepper

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Instructions

1. First make the dressing by combining all ingredients in a blender. Store in a mason jar in the fridge until ready to use.
2. Add the cooked pasta to a large serving bowl.
3. Add the olives, pistachios, bacon, artichoke hearts, and a big drizzle of the dressing. 
4. Toss well to combine—add more dressing if needed.
5. Add the arugula, red pepper flakes, and parmesan. Give it a light toss, taste for seasoning.
6. Serve, passing more red pepper flakes and parmesan at the table.

Notes

• You can make this pasta salad ahead—combine all ingredients and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
• Use any short pasta you like: gemelli, fusilli, cavatappi, or penne all work great.
• Feel free to make it vegetarian by omitting the bacon.
• Double or triple the recipe to serve a crowd.

• Prep Time: 30
• Cook Time: 10
• Category: pasta, side dish

Keywords: spring pasta salad, easy side dish, potluck side

The post Pack This Bright & Zesty Pasta Salad for Every Spring Picnic in Your Future appeared first on Camille Styles.

As an avid cookbook reader, I always get excited to find a cookbook I connect with immediately. I’ll dog-ear multiple pages and plan all of my upcoming meals around the recipes. That’s exactly the feeling of excitement and awe when I came across Foodwise, by board-certified nutritionist and classically trained chef, Mia Rigden. With approachable recipes that prioritize nutritious ingredients and delicious flavors, Foodwise has quickly found itself a regular spot on my kitchen counter.

And because we love a weeknight hero, we just had to get the details on one of Mia’s go-to recipes from the book—this Za’atar Crusted Chicken. Keep reading to learn more about Mia’s approach to cooking, her words to live by (“If it’s not delicious, it’s not good for you.”), everything to know about her guided reset, and of course, the joy of za’atar.

Mia Rigden Shares Her Best Cooking Tips

How would you describe your cooking and food philosophy?

I’m a nutritionist, so of course it’s important to me that my recipes are nutritionally-balanced and include health-promoting ingredients. But as a classically-trained chef and food-lover, I want them to be equally exciting and satisfying. I think the combination of nutrition and gastronomy makes for a more enjoyable experience, and that’s always the goal when I am creating a new recipe.

I like to think of myself as a guide. I’m not here to tell you what to eat, but rather guide you through your personal nutrition journey.

Personalized nutrition is about figuring out your nutrition needs and how to apply them to your lifestyle so that you can be successful. I like to think of myself as a guide. I’m not here to tell you what to eat, but rather guide you through your personal nutrition journey.

What flavors did you want to emphasize when creating this recipe?

I wanted to make something gluten-free with a dynamic flavor profile, so I swapped breadcrumbs for almond flour and za’atar—and it worked!

What makes this recipe your go-to?

Foodwise is all about recipes that are easy enough for a healthy weeknight dinner, yet exciting enough to serve to friends or loved ones over the weekend. This is one of those dishes. It’s just as quick and easy as it is fun and flavorful. Plus, my three-year-old will eat it, so that’s a major win!

We love a good one-pan, minimal-equipment recipe. What kitchen tools do you need to make this recipe?

This is a one-pan dish. You’ll need a couple of shallow bowls to create the crust, but it does not require any special tools. Make sure you have a pair of tongs for easy flipping and taking the chicken out of the pan. 

What stand-out ingredients make this recipe special? 

Za’atar is one of my favorite spice blends. Specific blends may vary, but it usually includes spices like oregano, thyme, sumac, marjoram and cumin, and sesame seeds. It’s such an easy way to add so much flavor (and nutrition!) to the dish. 

What are some ingredient swaps to know about?

If you don’t have za’atar, you could use another spice or spice blend, like an Italian blend or—my personal favorite—gomasio (a Japanese sesame salt that should be in everyone’s pantry!). 

We love a good cooking hack. What techniques do you use in this recipe to make it special?

Brining your chicken makes it immensely juicer and more flavorful. It requires a little advanced planning and prep, but it is well worth it.

“The Reset” is a crucial part of your nutrition approach. Can you tell us more about it?

I have been doing The Reset for over a decade and it has been life-changing for me. It’s given me so much vitality and energy and a deeper understanding of my body and what works for me. I look forward to it every year. 

The program [from Foodwise] encourages 21 days of delicious, nutrient-rich, and satisfying foods to help you feel your very best. If you want to have more energy, sleep better, re-evaluate your relationship with certain foods, kick habits that don’t serve you, or feel more confident in your body, you have to be consistent. I think it’s easier to be successful with it when you have a plan to follow and delicious food to eat. After those 21 days, you will have developed some healthy new routines you love while having the opportunity to rethink some of your old habits. 

What do you hope people feel or learn when they make one of your recipes?

My hope is that readers will love the taste and ease of the recipes as much as they love how this style of eating makes them feel. There is so much uncertainty and fear around nutrition. I want people to feel confident and empowered by their food choices; to love what they eat and feel great eating it. 

Are there any other recipes from Foodwise that readers should cook first?

The spiced tomato and shrimp bisque is a favorite, as is the chocolate avocado mousse.

Foodwise: A Fresh Approach to Nutrition with 100 Delicious Recipes by Mia Rigden

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SHOP NOW

Get the recipe for this Za’atar Crusted Chicken below, and follow Mia Rigden on Instagram and at her website, where she also has online courses, Nutrition for Food Freedom and Meal Prep Made Easy, and works with clients 1:1. 

Excerpted from Foodwise. Copyright © 2023, Mia Rigden. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.

The post PSA: Your Weeknight Chicken Should Be Full of Flavor—Mia Rigden Shows How It’s Done appeared first on Camille Styles.

I’ve never understood the hype around a fancy dinner reservation for Valentine’s Day. Don’t get me wrong, I love going out to restaurants and savoring every meal with a dinner date, but doing so on Valentine’s Day is rarely my vibe. Perhaps as I’m getting older, I’m learning to appreciate the little everyday moments over the grand gestures. But whatever the case, there’s nothing more romantic and cozy than putting on a playlist, lighting a few candles, and cooking a meal together at home. And what V-Day meal would be complete without a specialty cocktail or mocktail to sip while you cook? By now you’re wondering what I’ll be making this holiday. My answer: this very special, totally vegetarian coq au vin.

What makes this recipe a great date night dish? Though it’s a one-pot meal, it requires a decent amount of chopping—perfect for two sets of hands. And while one person tends to the stew, the other can work on the potatoes. In this ultimate date night recipe, two is definitely better than one.

What is coq au vin?

The name alone sounds fancy (another reason it feels special for a day like Valentine’s). Coq au vin is a traditional French recipe consisting of chicken braised with wine and aromatics, historically developed to make tough meat more tender. And while I don’t eat chicken, I do feel like I’ve experienced the dish myself through many a Julia Child binge-watch and read. But if you’ve never had coq au vin (vegetarian or otherwise), allow me to tease its magic. What makes this dish iconic is the beauty that comes in allowing aromatic ingredients to cook low and slow in the pot and develop an incredible depth of flavor.

What ingredients are used in this Vegetarian Coq Au Vin?

As you might have surmised from the name, there is no chicken in this coq au vin. So how do you get the coq au vin minus the… coq? Let’s dive in.

Aromatics and fresh herbs. To help create that cozy flavor, we’ll use a generous helping of aromatics. Onions, garlic, rosemary, and thyme add a lovely, savory warmth.

Tomato paste. Tomato paste adds a bit of acidity and richness. Pro tip: Freeze leftover tomato paste in tablespoon-size servings in an ice cube tray. In the future, all you need to do is pop a cube into whatever you’re cooking.

Vegetables. I use chopped mushrooms, preferably Bella mushrooms, and carrots. The mushrooms add some bite and make this a filling vegetarian dish.

Lentils. You can use green or black lentils in this recipe. If using dried lentils, soak them for at least 6-8 hours before cooking to reduce cook time and ensure they are cooked all the way through.

Red wine. Preferably dry with just a slight sweetness. But use what you have on hand.

Vegetable broth. Homemade or store-bought—just use the good stuff.

Butter and flour. A roux gets added to the pot at the end of cooking, making the texture of this stew silky and smooth.

Are there any ingredient swaps to know about?

I’ve experimented with some ingredient swaps the last few times I’ve made this recipe. It can be an easy way to make use of what I already have on hand.

Swap the lentils for beans. While it makes this feel a little closer to chili than a coq au vin (which feels slightly scandalous to admit), using a canned white bean like a garbanzo or cannellini bean adds body to the coq au vin and keeps it vegetarian.

Vegetable substitutions. While I usually stick to the onion, mushroom, and carrots as my go-to combination, I have also added some chopped potatoes or a handful of spinach to work in more greens. Again, very far from tradition, but sometimes I’m just trying to use up ingredients.

Warning: don’t swap the wine. While you might be able to get away with a zero-proof red wine, the flavor and acid from the red wine are very hard to replicate with something else. I will generally use whatever red wine I have on hand and adjust the flavor based on the wine. For a drier red wine, I’ll add a teaspoon of sugar to round out the flavor. For a sweeter and fruitier red wine, I’ll add a splash of soy sauce or a bit extra salt just to mellow out the sweetness. Just taste as you go!

How to Serve This Coq au Vin

I firmly believe that this coq au vin tastes best over creamy and fluffy mashed potatoes. It’s just the ultimate cozy combination. But, this coq au vin is equally good over rice, with crusty bread, with whole potatoes on the side, creamy polenta, or on its own and served with a green side salad.

Some recipes to try:

• Make-Ahead Vegan Mashed Potatoes
• Salt and Vinegar Crispy Potatoes
• The Best Simple Green Salad
• Faux Parmesan Cauliflower “Potatoes”
• Creamy Polenta Bowls with Garlic and Mascarpone

Tips for Making This Recipe Ahead of Time and Storing Leftovers

Yes, you can make this ahead of time! If the idea of cooking for date night gives you any level of stress, know that you can make the entire thing in advance. Simply store it in the pot in the fridge and reheat in the oven when ready to serve. If the stew thickens up a bit, thin out your coq au vin with a little vegetable broth until you reach desired thickness.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat when ready to eat. Happy cooking!

Scroll on for the recipe, and if you make this vegetarian coq au vin, be sure to rate and review below, and show us on Instagram!

The post Staying in? This Vegetarian Coq au Vin Is the Perfect Dish for Two appeared first on Camille Styles.

For everyone shoveling their way out of inches of mid-winter snow, these creamy polenta bowls are for you. Over the chilly weekend, I was craving something warm and hearty that my mom used to make on cold nights. I wanted palak paneer, I wanted sambar, I wanted rajma. Unfortunately for me, after rummaging through my pantry and fridge, I had exactly zero of the ingredients I needed to make any of these dreams happen. After sulking for a good 30 minutes about my terrible planning, I knew I’d have to get creative in the kitchen and work with what I had. One thing I did have? A bag of polenta sitting in the very back of my pantry.

How to Make These Cozy, Creamy Polenta Bowls

While I’ve had polenta many times before, I’ve rarely made it for myself. I always thought it took too long or that I wouldn’t be able to get the texture right. (There’s a reason the bag of polenta had been pushed to the very back of the pantry!) After texting with one of my best friends Kristin—my go-to polenta consultant—I jotted down some notes that she and her mom have used to get the perfect bowl of polenta. After that, I immediately got to cooking. Because as everyone knows, nothing is better than a warm dinner on a cold winter night.

What is polenta?

Forever curious about substitutes, the inevitable question popped into my mind: can I swap cornmeal for polenta? Are they the same thing? The grocery store has a bag of cornmeal sitting next to a bag labeled polenta after all, so I understand why it’s confusing. But a little internet deep dive helped clear up some of the confusion. Polenta is a dish made from cornmeal, and if a package is labeled polenta, that just means that the grind of the corn is okay to make polenta. But yes, you can substitute medium or coarsely-ground cornmeal instead.

Tips for Making Really Creamy Polenta

In my research, I found that if you want a smooth and creamy polenta, you need finely ground cornmeal. But not too fine, or your polenta might end up pasty and gluey. So in testing, I met somewhere in the middle thanks to one handy kitchen tool. The food processor! I pulsed about 3/4 of my cornmeal in a food processor, and then made sure to sift out any clumps. This helped the cornmeal be finer in texture and also cook a lot faster. I personally like a little bit of the grit and texture of cornmeal, so I didn’t want to eliminate that completely. This hybrid approach helped achieve the best of both worlds while also highlighting how rich and creamy you can make your polenta.

I also took this version a step further by adding caramelized garlic to finish it off. You roast the garlic with the rest of the veggies so it becomes all sweet, soft, and delicious. Then when you take the vegetables out of the oven, simply squeeze out the garlic from its peels, mash it up, and stir it into the finished polenta. It’s absolutely divine.

A few other polenta cooking tips I learned along the way:

Toast your polenta! It’s an extra step that if you want to skip, you can, but I loved the nutty and toasty flavor it adds to the cornmeal.

Whisk constantly while incorporating the liquid. I used vegetable stock for my polenta, and while I poured that into my toasted polenta, I whisked consistently while doing so. This helps to minimize lumps. DO NOT add all the liquid at once.

Salt is your best friend. Like pasta, salt generously. Also, use really good parmesan. It’s worth it.

Fat’s your best friend, too. My friend Kristin told me to “use more butter than you think is possible.” I will hold that advice deeply to my core. I used about 1/4 cup of mascarpone instead of butter, and it added that nice depth of flavor and creaminess. A dollop of crème fraîche or sour cream would be a nice addition.

Ideas for Easy Weeknight Polenta Prep

While this recipe might look a little fancy for a weeknight dinner, I aligned everything so it would all finish at the same time. The result? Dinner on the table in a flash. Prep the veggies and have those in the oven to roast while you prep the polenta. Because polenta is more hands-on with consistent stirring, I wanted the toppings to be completely hands-off. By the time the polenta is finished on the stove, the veggies are finished roasting and you can assemble everything at once. It’s all about allocating effort in the best way!

How to Serve These Creamy Polenta Bowls

I’d love to hear your favorite flavor combinations to top your creamy polenta bowls with. A few combinations I’m thinking of trying:

• Roasted tomatoes with a big dollop of pesto and some burrata

• Shittake mushrooms and parmesan, perhaps with an egg on top?

• Sautéed kale and lentils with lots of lemon

• Sweet maple roasted squash with a little chili oil

Be sure to rate and leave a comment, and tag us on Instagram so we can see your creamy polenta bowls!

This post was originally published on February 4, 2022, and has since been updated.

The post Need to Cozy Up, Stat? These Creamy Polenta Bowls Are the Perfect Chilly Winter Weeknight Meal appeared first on Camille Styles.

If there’s one meal we have been craving above all else lately, it’s warm and hearty soup recipes. I could honestly have soup every night of the week—OK, maybe every other night—it’s that good. So, of course, I’ve been on a mission to find the best chili recipes. It’s like a soup and a meal all rolled into one. (Plus a side of cornbread? Chef’s kiss.) Not only is chili delicious, but it’s also nutritionally-packed with veggies, protein, and spice to fire up your body from within and keep you cozy until spring.

Featured image by Michelle Nash.

17 Best Chili Recipes for Cozy Winter Weeknights

It also helps you stick to your health goals without sacrificing comfort or flavor. I’ve collected a few of my favorite chili recipes that you’ll love to have simmering away in your kitchen. One tip I’ve learned from Camille is to make extra to store in the freezer for those days when you don’t have time to cook dinner. You’ll thank yourself later!

Vegetarian Black Bean & Sweet Potato Chili

Why We Love It: This sweet potato and black bean chili is foolproof and full of flavor. I always make enough for dinner, leftovers, and maybe even a batch to freeze. It’s packed with hearty black beans, flavorful veggies, and load of spices. You won’t even miss the meat!

Hero Ingredient: The sweet potato makes this vegetarian chili all the more nutritious, filling, and totally tasty.

Slow-Cooker Chicken + White Bean Chili

Why We Love It: To make this Chicken and White Bean Chili happen, all you really need to do is chop up an onion and open a few cans. It really is that easy. Plus, after hanging out in the slow cooker for eight hours, it tastes like you’ve been slaving over the stove all day.

Hero Ingredient: The green chiles gives this recipe a unique, warming flavor.

Turkey Chili Verde

Why We Love It: From no-cook lunches to freezer-friendly options and sheet pan dinners, Danielle Walker’s recipes focus on getting healthy meals on the table with ease. And this turkey chili verde recipe checks all of those boxes and more. Plus, everything in Healthy in a Hurry is already gluten -, grain-, and dairy-free so you don’t need to make any swaps! However, this chili could easily be made vegetarian as well.

Hero Ingredient: The cauliflower adds some extra texture and health benefits, without taking away from the chili verde flavor. The perfect way to sneak in some veggies!

Buffalo Chickpea Chili with Mushrooms from The First Mess

Why We Love It: This Buffalo Chickpea Chili with Mushrooms is the easiest vegan recipe that works in tons of spicy flavors. The finely chopped mushrooms are super meaty, making this the ultimate satisfying and comforting meal. Instantly craveable!

Hero Ingredient: The buffalo-style hot sauce, of course! It adds a delicious tang and spice that makes this chili truly one of a kind.

Ultimate Vegetarian Chili from Downshiftology

Why We Love It: Warming spices, lots of veggies, and plenty of hearty beans make this chili comfort in a bowl. It has a smoky, rich broth that makes it good enough to compete with classic, non-vegetarian chilis. Like all the best chili recipes, it’s another great meal prep option that stores well in the freezer.

Hero Ingredient: Fire-roasted diced tomatoes add an interesting depth of flavor that you don’t get from lesser chilis.

Easy Vegetarian Chili from Love & Lemons

Why We Love It: Get your comfort food fix with only a little effort and lots of veggies. This is a hearty, warming, smoky, spicy recipe that only needs a few minutes of hands-on prep. Does it get any better than that? Oh wait, it does. With all the beautiful toppings this chili calls for, the recipe is both delicious and an aesthetically pleasing addition to your dining table.

Hero Ingredient: The corn kernels add a colorful twist and a little crunch. I can’t emphasize it enough: this chili really is as yummy as it is pretty.

Healthy Slow Cooker Turkey and White Bean Chili from Half Baked Harvest

Why We Love It: This turkey and white bean chili recipe is a hearty, cozy dinner that you can feel good about eating. I’d consider it the perfect cold-weather dish to add to your winter dinner recipe rotation. Cooking the chili in the slow cooker is a total game changer, making this a great dinner idea for those busy weeknights.

Hero Ingredient: It might seem weird to use apple butter in this kind of dish, but trust. Its sweetness balances out the chili’s dominant spicy flavor.

Healthy Turkey Chili from Well Plated

Why We Love It: This healthy turkey chili recipe is classic in flavor, thick in texture, and ready for you to customize with all your favorite toppings. The lean turkey gives you added protein, but all the veggies ensure it stays plenty wholesome and nutritious.

Hero Ingredient: Bell peppers are a classic chili ingredient that never get old.

The Best Vegan Chili from Rainbow Plant Life

Why We Love It: This vegan chili is rich, velvety, and packed with flavor. It sounds intimidating to make your own chili powder, but I promise it’s worth the effort. It only takes about 10-15 minutes to make and you can save it to reuse for six months. This recipe definitely has the most unique ingredients, including cocoa powder, soy sauce, masa harina, and more. The result? Absolutely addicting flavor.

Hero Ingredient: Red wine intensifies all the aromatics, spices, and chili peppers in a way that vegetable broth alone could never.

Sweet Potato Walnut Chili with Corn Dumplings from The First Mess

Why We Love It: I’ll begin with a disclaimer: this recipe is definitely not the quickest nor the easiest. But it’s certainly worth the work. The sweet potato walnut chili on its own is so flavorful and satiating, but it becomes even more elevated by the corn dumplings. When you have the time, this is a must-make!

Hero Ingredient: The corn dumplings make this chili extra hearty. They were inspired by a love of corn muffins with chili combined with a passion for soup dumplings. The unexpected, perfect combination!

Ultimate Vegan Chili from Nora Cooks

Why We Love It: Your new favorite family dinner or game day dish. Ready in less than an hour and made with simple ingredients. You can also save time and make this chili in an Instant Pot or crockpot. Easy made easier.

Hero Ingredient: Tofu crumbles makes this chili recipe the ultimate vegan choice.

Easy Stovetop Green Chili Chicken Soup from Heartbeet Kitchen

Why We Love It: A soul-warming, cozy chicken chili soup that comes together in less than an hour. Did I mention that it’s also bursting with bright and bold flavors? Not your traditional stew, but definitely just as comforting. And for all of us who love a good freezer meal, this will keep for up to two months.

Hero Ingredient: Salsa verde. Add a full, store-bought jar to this soup for the easiest addition that makes the most delicious flavor.

The Best Loaded Turkey Chili from The Roasted Root

Why We Love It: This loaded turkey chili is quick, easy, filling, and perfect for sharing with your loved ones. It’s a great foundational recipe that can be tweaked to your heart’s desire. Be sure to double it for delicious leftovers!

Hero Ingredient: All the toppings, please. Suggestions: red and green onion, bacon, avocado, sour cream, and cheddar cheese. Customize to your liking.

Homemade Vegetarian Chili from Cookie and Kate

Why We Love It: A crowd-pleasing vegetarian chili that even carnivores will enjoy. Somehow, the leftovers seem to taste even better the next day. And it’s dairy-free and vegan (if you choose your toppings accordingly). You can also serve this chili as a protein-rich topping on nachos, baked potatoes, or oven-back fries. The options are limitless.

Hero Ingredient: We love fresh cilantro, plus it makes a pretty garnish.

One-Pot Red Lentil Chili from Minimalist Baker

Why We Love It: A great dish to make for hosting (or for yourself to eat throughout the week). It’s made in one pot with simple ingredients—our dream come true! This chili is a flavorful, fiber-rich, gluten-free, and vegan meal that should become a staple in your dinner rotation.

Hero Ingredient: Coconut sugar balances out the chili’s spice to help make this dish a crowd favorite.

The Best Healthy Turkey Chili from Ambitious Kitchen

Why We Love It: An internet-famous recipe since 2015 for a reason. It’s super customizable and waiting for you to make it your own. This recipe is packed with spices, veggies, beans, and ground turkey for the perfect thickness and flavor. It can also be made in the slow cooker for an easy hands-free, delicious dinner.

Hero Ingredient: A special acknowledgment to the perfect combination of spices that will have your house smelling warm and delicious as soon as your start making this dish.

Crockpot Vegetarian Chili from Real Food Whole Life

Why We Love It: Another super easy crockpot recipe, this veggie chili is perfect for big families and leftovers: it serves six and can be easily doubled! It’s so easy to prepare and the beans add both amazing flavor and heartiness. If you’re like me and trying to eat vegetarian meals more, this is a perfect addition to your meal plan.

Hero Ingredient: All those spices are absolutely crucial. They lend so warmth and comfort to this cozy dish.

This post was originally published on February 8, 2021, and has since been updated.

The post Hands Down, These Are the Best Chili Recipes Ever appeared first on Camille Styles.

One of my favorite holiday traditions hands DOWN is the annual dinner party we host for the same small group of friends in the week leading up to Christmas. There’s something about that time that feels magical. It’s the tail-end of the holiday season, just before it crescendos into full-on family time, and it lends itself to major festivity. Every year, we all bring our A-game and show up ready to let our hair down and pop open a bottle of bubbly. In fact, it was at this very party three years ago that I learned to saber my first bottle of champagne. But that’s a story for another time.

Why I Love This Braised Short Rib Recipe

Since I’m more interested in kicking back with my friends than standing around the stove all night, I’ve come to rely on a few standby recipes that feel special enough for the holidays but can be made completely in advance. These are recipes that lend themselves to large-batch cooking for a crowd. Of the various dishes I’ve made through the years, it’s this sweet and spicy braised short rib recipe that’s become an almost-permanent fixture on my menu.

Why do I love these short ribs? Oh, let me count the ways. For starters, short ribs are a cut of meat that feels made for serving a crowd. They let you skip the big hunk of roast at the table. Instead, they’re already divvied up into individual portions that can easily be scooped onto a plate, ready to eat. They’re also luxuriously tender, with a richness that feels perfect for the holidays. I love to serve these easy short ribs with something creamy on the side. Good options include mashed sweet potatoes, polenta, or cauliflower mash. Each soaks up the short ribs’ velvety sauce. The end result is a delicious, red wine-infused flavor in every bite.

The Trick to These Short Ribs: My KitchenAid Gas Range

Perhaps the best thing about this sweet and spicy braised short rib recipe is that it can be made almost completely in advance. In fact, it’s at its very best when made the day before! The flavors deepen over a few hours. When it’s time to eat, all that’s left to do is gently rewarm them on the stovetop. Speaking of which, I made these short ribs start-to-finish on my KitchenAid® 48” Smart Commercial-Style Gas Range. As you guys know, we installed it as part of our kitchen design refresh last year. One year in, I’m still relishing the opportunity to get creative in the kitchen with my trusty sidekick.

This range is obviously beautiful. (Y’all ask me all the time on Insta who makes it!) But you may not know that the range is available in nine curated colors to fit a range of styles. I kept it classic with stainless steel. Its professional-level performance really becomes evident during the holidays, when I might be simultaneously boiling potatoes, frying sage leaves, and letting my short ribs finish off in the oven nice and slow. The range lets me have full control over all my different temperature settings so the end result is nothing short of perfection.

The Perfect Cut for Braised Short Ribs

To make things even easier on myself, I get help from my butcher by asking him to cut bone-in “flanken-style” beef short ribs into two-inch pieces. That way, there’s no additional butchering for me to do at home before seasoning and searing. Generally, I portion two pieces per person, give or take based on their appetite. You’ll love this easy braised short rib method that requires little more than chopping some veggies and throwing it all in the pot. The end result is so flavorful, fall-off-the-bone tender, and destined to become a keeper for all your holiday gatherings.

As delicious as these short ribs are straight out of the oven, it’s the chimichurri that takes them over the top. I whip up a batch of this sauce all the time and keep it in the fridge for drizzling over meats, fish, and even pasta. Made with cilantro, parsley, garlic, and vinegar, it’s got that acidic punch that keeps the entire dish from feeling heavy.

And, since we eat with our eyes first, I love adding a few garnishes that bring color, flavor, and freshness. Just before serving, I tear more fresh herbs over the top, then scatter on some paper-thin red onion and lemon zest.

If you make this braised short rib recipe, be sure to give it a rating below. And don’t forget to tag us on Instagram @camillestyles, so we can see your short ribs in action. Happy holiday cooking!

This post was originally published on November 9, 2021, and has since been updated.

The post Sweet & Spicy Braised Short Ribs Are the Holiday Dinner I Make Every Year appeared first on Camille Styles.

Our love for sweet potatoes knows no bounds. We’ve stuffed them with kale and chickpeas, smashed and thrown them on the grill, and topped them with feta and drizzles of hot honey. And just when I thought I couldn’t possibly put another twist on my favorite vegetable, I stumbled upon a simple yet game-changing new technique that turns out the most crispy roasted sweet potatoes you’ve ever tasted.

How to Make Perfectly Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Here’s how to make it happen. Halve sweet potatoes lengthwise, rub with oil and salt, then roast facedown on a foil-lined sheet pan. So far, pretty straightforward, right? I’ve long been halving my sweet potatoes when I need to cut their roasting time in half. But the trick comes after you remove the fully tender sweet potatoes from the oven.

In a large cast iron skillet, heat up a little butter and honey (if you like). Sear the sweet potatoes cut-side down so they get caramelized, sweet, and nutty from that brown butter. This method ratchets up the flavor and texture, turning a basic sweet roasted potato into a dinner-worthy dish.

How to Serve Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes

There are a few tips and tricks that’ll take the flavor next-level. To make these a one-dish meal, I’m liberal with my layers of toppings. This creates a good mix of protein and healthy fats that make sweet potatoes filling enough for a meal. For these, I add dollops of full-fat Greek yogurt, chunks of avocado, a pinch of everything spice, and drizzles of lime juice and sriracha. Then I finish with a shower of whatever fresh tender herbs I have on hand. Cilantro, basil, parsley, and mint are all solid picks.

Tips to Make These Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes Delicious

These crispy roasted sweet potatoes are the perfect canvas for creativity. I love going crazy with whatever toppings I’m craving. Black beans, crumbled bacon, goat cheese, sautéed greens, even finely chopped cooked broccoli—they’re all great additions. I’ve been getting lots of questions from y’all lately about adapting recipes for kids. This dinner is a tasty, nutrient-dense option that everyone will love.

I usually set up a sweet potato bar with a few different toppings in little bowls. Everyone gets their own cooked potato and tops them with whatever they like. If Henry wants to add just a little butter and salt, totally fine. He’s still getting so many nutrients from the sweet potato itself, I’m not worried.

Scroll on for the recipe! And don’t forget to tag @camillestyles and leave a review below if you give these a try.

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Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Yogurt, Herbs, and Everything Spice

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  Author: Camille Styles

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This bake-and-sear method is my new favorite way to get really crispy roasted sweet potatoes. I top mine with greek yogurt, avocado, and herbs.

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Ingredients

• 4 medium sweet potatoes, washed
• olive oil
• kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon honey
• optional toppings: fresh herbs (basil, cilantro, mint, etc.), plain greek yogurt, lime wedges, chopped avocado, sriracha, everything spice

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425. Use a sharp knife to halve sweet potatoes, then drizzle cut sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
2. Place cut side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then bake for 45 minutes, or until a knife can easily be inserted into the potato. You want it to be very tender, but not totally falling apart.
3. In your largest cast iron skillet, melt the butter along with the honey over medium high heat. Add the cooked sweet potatoes, cut side down, and sear facedown for 3 – 5 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are caramelized and golden brown.
4. Add whatever toppings you love: fresh herbs, greek yogurt, lime wedges, avocado, everything spice, sriracha… Enjoy!

This post was originally published on January 13, 2021, and has since been updated.

The post I Could Eat These Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes for Dinner Every Week (and I Do) appeared first on Camille Styles.

As someone who has a deep love for vegetables, I’m never one to raise an eyebrow at meatless mains. But when it’s time to figure out a vegetarian Thanksgiving main course to feed the non-meat eaters in our family? Stumped. Although Thanksgiving is really all about the sides for me, I still want everyone around the table to know that they’ve got a main event with their name on it.

So this year, I decided to create a show-stopping vegetarian main that even the meat eaters would love, and my Butternut Squash Tart with Ricotta was born. A flaky pre-baked pie crust layered with creamy herbed ricotta, then topped with layers of squash, sweet potato, and apples that get caramelized and golden in the oven—this is a major stunner that brings so much wow factor with minimal effort. Scroll on for everything you need to know about this butternut squash tart—and bonus points that it also happens to be perfect for your next cozy brunch.

Here’s why you’ll love this Butternut Squash Tart

I’ll admit—I was kinda shocked at just how easy this tart turned out to be. You will want a mandolin to make quick work of slicing all the veggies thinly, and if you don’t have one, I’m officially giving you permission to finally pull the trigger. I use mine constantly.

The creaminess of the herbed ricotta is the perfect savory filling on top of the golden, buttery pie crust. I used store-bought dough (Pepperidge Farm, baby), and pre-baked it before filling.

My favorite part of making this tart was the process of layering all the squash, sweet potato, apples, and onions in a flower-like shape. It’s really more of an art project than it is a recipe—so get creative and don’t overthink it, because it’ll turn out gorgeous no matter what.

All the savory fall ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this Butternut Squash Tart with Ricotta:

Frozen Pie Crust

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again: unless you love making pastry from scratch (bless you) keep it simple with a store-bought pie crust. Homemade pastry can be fickle. Some crusts are better than others, and especially at Thanksgiving when you might be turning out multiple pies in one day, reliability is the name of the game.

Ricotta Cheese

Go with whole milk ricotta here—you need the creaminess and rich flavor that low-fat versions just don’t have. For an alternative, a whipped herbed goat cheese is delish, too.

Butternut Squash

A classic fall flavor that just screams coziness for me, especially when its kissed with garlic and thyme.

Sweet Potato

For more earthy, fall flavor. You could also use yukon gold potatoes here, or any other root vegetables like parsnips or beets.

Apple

I love the sweetness that the apple lends to this dish. Any really firm red apple works here—I used Gala.

Red Onion

It gets caramelized and so sweet in the oven, and the pop of red adds a gorgeous touch.

Thyme

Thyme is in both the herbed ricotta and tucked among the vegetables, but you could use other winter herbs like fresh sage or rosemary here, too.

Honey, Red Pepper Flakes, and Olive Oil

A tablespoon of each of these flavor boosters makes those veggies sing.

How to make this Butternut Squash Tart (it’s easy, promise!)

First, bake the pie crust.

Memorize this simple technique for pre-baking a store-bought pie crust with perfect results.

• Thaw the pie crust in the fridge overnight. Remove from fridge 10 minutes before you’re ready to use.
• Gently drape the crust into the tart pan, then gently press into the pan being careful not to tear it. Use a knife or rolling pin to easily shave all the excess dough off the edges. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 min. Preheat oven to 450.
• Remove from fridge and use a fork to make little pricks all over the dough, then fill with dried beans or pie weights and blind bake on 450 for 10 min. Remove beans, and you’re ready to fill.

Make the filling

Next you’re going to make an herbed ricotta base by mixing whole milk ricotta with thyme, honey, garlic, salt, and black pepper. (I make this same combo and use it all kinds of things, like my eggplant ricotta flatbread.)

Add the vegetable layers

Use your mandolin to thinly slice butternut squash, apple, sweet potato, and red onion, and then it’s time to layer! I like to start on the outer edge and move in concentric circles to the middle. Layer and tuck the vegetables in a flower shape, and don’t overthink it—just have fun.

Drizzle olive oil and honey over the top, and sprinkle over thyme, a pinch of red pepper flakes and salt.

Bake until caramelized and delicious

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes, until the veggies are cooked through and golden brown. I let it cool for about 10 minutes before slicing and eating.

How to make this tart ahead

To save my sanity on Thanksgiving, I try to make as much as possible in advance, and this butternut squash is a perfect make-ahead dish. After removing from the oven, let it cool completely, then cover and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. When ready to serve, just rewarm for a few minutes in a 350 oven then slice and serve.

By the way, I shared my full Thanksgiving checklist, including down-to-the-minute planning, if you want more tips to stay organized for the feast.

Scroll on for the recipe, and if you make this butternut squash tart, be sure to rate, review, and tag us on Instagram so we can see yours!

The post This Butternut Squash and Ricotta Tart Is the Vegetarian Main of Your Thanksgiving Dreams appeared first on Camille Styles.

Maybe it’s my inner George Costanza, but I’m shifting into soup mode. That means making all the cozy meals, watching Gilmore Girls from the beginning, and wrapping myself in all things cozy comfort. Y’all, I love this season. And while I can’t get enough of the rich and hearty stews and cheesy, creamy delights, I also try to keep a solid rotation of recipes packed with nutritious, delicious ingredients. Enter: Danielle Walker‘s Turkey Chili Verde Recipe.

With her latest book, Healthy in a Hurry, the New York Times bestselling cookbook author is back with all her best gluten-free, grain-free, and dairy-free recipes. From no-cook lunches to freezer-friendly options and sheet pan dinners, Danielle’s recipes focus on getting healthy meals on the table with ease. And this turkey chili verde recipe checks all of those boxes and more.

Keep reading for Danielle’s kitchen tips and ideas for make-ahead, packed-with-flavor meals. Plus, she’s sharing the ingredient swaps for this turkey chili verde recipe that even a vegetarian like myself can’t wait to try.

How would you describe your food philosophy?

The easiest way to describe the way I eat is the paleo diet. It focuses on nutrient-dense meals that are high in vegetables, fruits, and good-quality proteins. When you eat a paleo diet, you learn to be aware of the ingredients in the foods you are consuming, and you try to avoid chemicals, fillers, and additives. That means choosing whole, real foods over packaged and processed whenever possible.

The foods that I avoid are those that cause inflammation and digestive issues for me and for many other people. Because good health and a healthy immune system originate in the gut, eliminating these foods has the potential to cause a major positive effect on your overall health and wellbeing.

Despite this, my mission has always been to create dishes that are full of flavor and incredible textures, while also trying to keep things approachable and enjoyable. The recipes in Healthy in a Hurry were all developed with this in mind and understanding that while everyone may want to eat a little healthier during the week, we don’t always have the time it takes to do so.

How did you develop this Turkey Chili Verde recipe?

I grew up eating a white chicken chili recipe that my mom made, and that I loved. I’ve always loved the acidity and brightness that tomatillos or tomatillo salsa bring to a dish, and would choose salsa verde over red salsas or sauces any day. Give me all the tomatillos and green chiles!

Since a paleo diet does not include legumes, getting a chili to thicken to more than just a brothy soup can be difficult. For this recipe, I simmer white sweet potatoes in the chili to give it more of a full body, and bits of cauliflower to add heartiness.

What makes this turkey chili verde recipe your go-to?

I go back to this one time and again because it’s always a crowd pleaser and because it’s so simple and easy. Especially if you take a short cut and use Siete Enchilada sauce. The method in which this recipe is written for Healthy in a Hurry is a make-ahead freezer rendition. It has you prepare it all in just a few minutes, then freeze it so it’s more of a meal kit that you can remove and cook quickly when you’re short on time.

Sure, you can cook it right away and enjoy it for dinner, but my favorite way to do it is double it up and freeze one whole meal as instructed, and the second for dinner that evening.  

What are your favorite methods for making this turkey chili verde recipe?

This is a one-pot meal at its finest! You can do it in an electric pressure cooker, or in a slow cooker. Or even in a Dutch oven on the stove.

I adore my Instant Pot for soups and stews and meal-prep dinners like this one. Mostly because you don’t have to have the forethought to defrost something. You can throw it in completely frozen and don’t have to worry about food-borne illness like you do with frozen meats in a slow cooker. 

What stand-out ingredients make this recipe special? 

The seasoning mixture is really unique with the hint of cinnamon in it and the use of white pepper. If you can, find dried Mexican oregano—it will take the flavors to a whole new level!

Can this recipe be made vegetarian?

Everything in Healthy in a Hurry is already gluten-, grain-, and dairy-free so you don’t need to make any swaps there, but this chili could easily be made vegetarian as well. Instead of the ground turkey, just bump up all the veggies. I’d suggest adding diced zucchini and even some minced portobello mushrooms here.

What are your go-to hacks for making cooking easy and delicious?

When you prep, batch-cook, and freeze meals ahead of time, it can really make your entire week less stressful. Plus it’s always so nice to “find” a fully prepared meal in the freezer on a hectic night or for unexpected company.

What Healthy in a Hurry recipe should readers make first?

The sheet pan Spaghetti Squash with Chicken, Bacon, and Ranch! So easy, and such a crowd pleaser for kids, adults, and even those who don’t have to eat grain- or dairy-free.

What is your favorite part about creating recipes?

Anytime someone has to give up a food they love, whether for allergies, autoimmune disease, chronic illness, or just to eat a little healthier, we mourn those foods that were staples in our traditions. Recreating those foods people think they’ve lost forever and getting to give them back that gift in their kitchens is by far the most gratifying part of my job. 

Reprinted from DANIELLE WALKER’S HEALTHY IN A HURRY by Danielle Walker. Copyright © 2022 by Simple Writing Holdings, LLC. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. 

Photographs copyright © 2022 by Aubrie Pick.

The post This Turkey Chili Verde Is How Danielle Walker Embraces Cozy Season appeared first on Camille Styles.

There’s a certain joy that comes with eating seasonally—not only are in-season veggies more nutrient-dense, they’re also bursting with flavor. You can make simple recipes with a short list of ingredients, knowing they’ll shine. Now that we’re solidly in the fall, it’s as good a time as any to have a pot of cozy stew on the stove as frequently as possible. And since many of us are on the hunt for meatless mains that are hearty enough for cold-weather cooking, it feels like the perfect time to share this incredibly satisfying one-pot vegetarian stew.

Don’t get me wrong, our family loves a classic beef stew—often it’s made with slow-simmered meat, mushrooms, onions, and carrots, served with corn bread to sop up all those flavors. And though I’ll never not love such a comforting dish, I wanted to challenge myself to create a vegetarian stew that tastes just as hearty and comes together in one pot so that its simple enough for quick weeknight cooking. I think you’ll love it as much as we do—and in addition to being packed with fiber, it’s vegan and gluten-free, too. Scroll on to see how this healthy vegetable stew comes together.

How To Give a Vegetarian Stew Tons of Flavor

If you’re already asking, “Where’s the beef?” let me set the record straight: this is no bland stew we’re talking about. You absolutely do not need stew meat, bacon, or any other animal-based ingredients to add tons of flavor to a vegetarian or vegan stew recipe. Here are the elements I rely on in this recipe to spice our stew right up:

Garlic. I sautéed a generous 5 cloves of garlic to infuse the entire broth with tons of flavor.

Spices. A Moroccan-inspired melange of spices—cumin, turmeric, ginger, a pinch red pepper flakes—ensures this stew has layers of flavor and a little heat. Plus, don’t skimp on salt.

Herbs. Here, a generous hit of fresh cilantro at the end adds fresh herbal flavor to counterbalance the rich broth—and it looks beautiful, too. My vegetable soups often feature woody herbs like rosemary and thyme to amp up the flavor of the broth.

Vegetables. A variety of vegetables—potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, and cauliflower—provide sweetness and earthy flavor.

Lemon. A big squeeze of lemon adds just the hit of acidity that this stew needs to brighten it all up.

How To Make a Vegetarian Stew (It’s Easy!)

One of the benefits of a vegetarian stew? It comes together incredibly fast all in one pot—no need to sear the meat, thicken with a cornstarch slurry, or do any of the extra steps that traditional stew usually requires. This stew follows a general formula that can be adapted to whatever spices and vegetables you have on hand. Here are the steps—make it your own!

• Sauté all your aromatics (garlic, onions) and vegetables in olive oil until they get a little caramelized.
• Toast your spices and tomato paste to release max flavor.
• Add the liquid (broth, crushed tomatoes), a bean (here I used chickpeas) stir it all together, and simmer until tender.
• Top with fresh herbs and a hit of something acidic.

That’s it! Couldn’t be easier, and once you’ve got the process down, you’ll be making cozy soups on the fly all the time.

How to Freeze, Store, and Reheat Your Leftover Stew

One of the beautiful things about stew (and soup) is that there’s often leftovers—especially when you double the batch, as I often do, to ensure you have lots left over! It’s called cooking smarter not harder, my friends, and if you haven’t yet jumped on the train, now’s the time.

This stew will keep well in the fridge for a week, but I usually transfer my leftovers straight into a gallon-sized ziploc bag, scrawl “Vegetarian Stew with Chickpeas” with a sharpee on the front, and lay it flat on a shelf in my freezer. Once it’s frozen solid, I line it up with other frozen soups like a little soup library I can pull from whenever I need a delicious dinner in a flash.

When you’re ready to reheat your leftovers, the best option is to let it thaw in the fridge overnight, then gently warm over low heat on the stove. If you really can’t wait that long, run your ziploc of soup under warm water in your kitchen sink, then put it in a big bowl and zap that baby in the microwave.

More Vegetarian Stew and Soup Recipes You’ll Love…

‘Cause it’s soup szn! Get into it:

Big Green Immunity-Boosting Soup

One-Pot Spicy Vegan Corn Soup

My Favorite Butternut Squash Soup

Coconut Curry Red Lentil Soup (YUM)

Scroll on for the recipe for this one-pot vegetarian soup. If you make it, be sure to leave a rating and a comment, and tag us on Instagram so we can see your version!

The post A One-Pot Vegetable Stew to Celebrate the First Day of Fall appeared first on Camille Styles.

I admit that I used to be one of those people who drove my vegetarian friends crazy with questions like, “But how do you get enough protein?” Like most of society, I carried around the belief that the only real way to get all the protein we need for optimal functioning was through animal products. Well, my friends, after years of digging deeper into the issue, my eyes have been opened to the fact that there are major benefits to eating a plant-based diet, both for our bodies and for the planet. That’s why I’ve rounded up a few of my favorite vegetarian dinners with protein.

Through a diet rich in vegetables, legumes, good grains, seeds, and nuts, our bodies will easily get all the amino acids (which form a “complete” protein) it needs. Celebrity nutritionist, Kimberly Snyder broke it down for us here and it all makes so much more sense now. She also predicts the plant-based way of life will only continue to gain momentum, so the more we know, the better!

Featured image by Suruchi Avasthi.

While I do incorporate small amounts of meat and fish into my diet a few times a week, many more of our meals these days are getting all their nutrients from plant-based sources.

If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of a plant-based diet, here are a few sources that I’d highly recommend: Forks Over Knives (the film), Eat Vegan Before 6:00, and The Beauty Detox Solution. Keep scrolling for my current favorite recipes that feature protein-packed meatless mains, and I’d love to hear if you guys are giving vegetarianism a try!

Vegan Flatbread with Roasted Carrot and Red Pepper Hummus

Why We Love It: My favorite vegetarian dinners (with protein!) are those that let me clean out the fridge and use up my veggies before they go bad. And if they taste delicious and look gorgeous on the plate? Well, that’s just an added bonus. This stunner of a flatbread checks all the boxes on what makes an incredible vegetarian meal. Layers of creamy, vibrant hummus get topped with a few favorite veggies for crunch and texture. It doesn’t get better than that.

Hero Ingredient: When you find a hummus recipe that packs as many veggies as this one does and elevates it with gorgeous flavor, you bookmark it and vow to never let it go.

Mexican Chopped Salad with Honey-Shallot Vinaigrette

Why We Love It: This is one of my latest recipes and it might be one of my favorites, too. It combines so many flavors, colors, and textures all in a single bowl. It’s light while still feeling satisfying, and the punchy, slightly sweet Honey-Shallot Dressing sends it over the top.

Hero Ingredient: A pinch of chili flakes wraps your entire salad in the perfect amount of heat.

Kitchari

Why We Love It: When our food editor, Suruchi, first introduced the team to kitchari, we committed to making it on repeat all throughout cold season. Why? Well, apart from being a stunner of a dish, its blend of warming spices will, without fail, cure what ails you. And as Suruchi writes, it’s a “bowl that feels like a blanket.” I don’t know about you, but that’s exactly what my cozy season self craves.

Hero Ingredient: A couple of tablespoons of ghee give this virtuous dish the slightest inkling of indulgence.

Healthy Flatbread Pizza with Eggplant and Ricotta

Why We Love It: I can practically smell these delicious veggies through the screen! Layers of eggplant and heirloom tomatoes melt into the ricotta-topped crust and are then topped with an absolutely stunning finish of fresh mint and toasted walnuts. Honey plus a sprinkle of flaky sea salt mark this pizza’s gorgeous closing act.

Hero Ingredient: I’ve loved ricotta for as long as I can remember. A spoonful of its creamy, milky, slightly sweet flavor is pure joy.

Vegan Pesto

Why We Love It: When I learned that our Executive Producer, Michelle, was making a vegan pesto recipe, you can bet I was on board. Not only because everything Michelle touches turns to gold, but because though I love a parmesan-flecked pesto, I’ve found myself craving something a little lighter. Good news: Not only is this spin packed with flavor and will prevent a post-pasta nap, but it also boasts an impressive amount of protein. Thanks to the blending of hemp seeds, pine nuts, and nutritional yeast, this is a pesto recipe that’s sure to satisfy.

Hero Ingredient: Nutritional yeast is every vegan’s go-to for packing a recipe with tons of dairy-free, cheesy flavor.

Scrambled Egg and Mushroom Toast

Why We Love It: An egg-and-mushroom toast might not seem like much, but when you give time, attention, and care to each of the individual components of this dish, magic is sure to ensue. And though we’d gladly enjoy a slice of this for brunch, it’s an ideal breakfast-for-dinner solution that’s a dream for weeknight dinners.

Hero Ingredient: Good, crusty sourdough bread is your best option for topping. Otherwise, spring for your favorite—just be sure you’re reaching for the freshest loaf you can find.

Cumin Chickpea Salad with Mint Chutney

Why We Love It: Vegetarians are likely used to (and admittedly sick of), the fall-back of leaning on beans for protein. And while many restaurant or supermarket salads simply add beans straight from the can, when you’re cooking at home, you have more control over how you build flavor. Case in point, this chickpea salad. The chickpeas are cooked on the stovetop in a mix of ghee, salt, pepper, garam masala, and freshly ground cumin seeds. Expect a burst of flavor in every bite.

Hero Ingredient: A few leaves of chopped mint infuse this salad with freshness.

Crispy Roasted Butternut Squash and Quinoa with Currant Vinaigrette

Why We Love It: This loaded quinoa bowl takes roasted butternut squash to the next level. Our go-to tip for making your squash super crispy? Be sure you’re distributing it in a single, even layer on the sheet pan. If you crowd the pan, your squash will steam instead of roast. Trust me: it’s the key to making this dish the weeknight showstopper it is.

Hero Ingredient: Definitely don’t knock currants until you’ve tried them. They’re bright, slightly sour and will make your mouth pucker—the perfect balance to the sweet squash.

Creamy Vegan Pasta with Tomatoes and Basil

Why We Love It: This pasta is delicious, healthy, and can be easily whipped up in only 15 minutes, saving you from any dinnertime stress. What’s more, the creamy walnut sauce can be made and stored in the fridge for up to two weeks, so you’ll always have a tasty option on hand.

Hero Ingredient: There’s nothing quite like the sweet burst of flavor you get from cherry tomatoes cooked on the stovetop.

Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes With Yogurt, Herbs, & Everything Spice

Why We Love It: I’ll take any excuse I can find to enjoy sweet potatoes for every meal, every day of the week. This crispy, roasted version is the perfect foundation for all your favorite flavor combos, whether you lean savory or sweet. They’re a staple in my dinner rotation: Quick and easy to make, they’re as delicious as they are healthy and loaded with nutrients.

Hero Ingredient: Even with only a few ingredients to choose from, I’ll pick sweet potatoes every time.

Pappardelle With Shiitakes, Kale, & Jammy Leeks

Why We Love It: When was the last time you had a truly delicious leek dish? You need to put this one on your list ASAP because it is elite.

Hero Ingredient: And while leeks are an attention-grabber, it’s the thick, chewy strands of pappardelle that really have my heart.

Black Lentil Salad with Roasted Vegetables & Goat Cheese

Why We Love It: This unique salad is a rainbow of both bright and muted fall colors, making it a masterpiece in my book. Not only that, but I love that it utilizes both roasted and fresh veggies. The carrots and Brussels sprouts take a spin in the oven together, and are coated with a drizzle of olive oil and honey to play up their caramelized sweetness. Toss with sliced red onion and spicy arugula, and you have a dish that’s perfect for any table or appetite.

Hero Ingredient: Crumbled goat cheese, while optional, adds a creamy element to the salad that’s not to be missed.

Whole Roasted Butternut Squash

Why We Love It: A surprisingly filling dish, it’s creamy, smoky, sweet, and filling enough to have as a whole meal and packs tons of flavor and texture thanks to the toppings. The best part? A little easy chopping and scooping out the squash’s seeds is the hardest part of this dish’s prep—no peeling required.

Hero Ingredient: When fall comes around, I want to consume butternut squash on a weekly basis. This dish gets me one step closer to meeting my quota.

Spicy Peanut Brussels Sprout Tacos

Why We Love It: I know what you’re thinking: aren’t tacos more of a summer staple? While I agree, I love enjoying a few tacos at my favorite patios during the warmer months, the flavors this recipe combines scream fall comfort. The Brussels sprouts are the dish’s main focus and are coated in the most delicious mix of spices and sweetness. A drizzle or two of the peanut sauce, and you’ll be coming back for seconds… thirds…

Hero Ingredient: Roasted Brussels sprouts elevate these warming, wholesome tacos into an elegant and delicious meal.

Rainbow Grain Bowls

Why We Love It: Chock full of fresh, crunchy vegetables, protein-packed maple-tamari tofu, nutty freekeh, and a seriously yummy maple-harissa dressing. These grain bowls epitomize eating the rainbow and are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

Hero Ingredient: With so many colorful veggies and components to choose from, naming these bowls’ hero ingredient is a tall order. But I’ll opt for the avocado because nothing matches its addictingly creamy mouthfeel.

Mango & Coconut Soba Noodle Salad

Why We Love It: The combo of mango and coconut may seem a bit out of the ordinary for a soba noodle salad, but believe me: you’re going to be hooked. These fresh, light, and beautiful flavors are too good to be true.

Hero Ingredient: The honey-lime Thai dressing is the perfect balance of sweet and lip-puckeringly sour.

Yogurt Toast with Peanut Butter and Banana

Why We Love It: While this trendy toast is no longer crowding our social feeds, this pared-back version still has my heart. A thick, full-fat yogurt makes the topping taste almost custard-like. In many ways, it’s almost akin to eating a healthier cake for breakfast—with the best frosting to boot.

Hero Ingredient: A drizzle of slightly-warmed peanut butter is always a winner.

Quinoa Bowl With Harissa Roasted Veggies, Avocado, & Fried Egg

Why We Love It: This dish is easy to prep in advance, so you don’t have to worry about throwing it together during a chaotic dinner hour. And isn’t it gorgeous? You’ll be shocked at how filling this vitamin-packed bowl is—as satisfying as it is a breeze to make.

Hero Ingredient: I’m always sliding fried eggs onto my favorite grain and veggies bowls. It’s the secret to keeping things super satisfying.

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili

Why We Love It: This vegetarian and gluten-free recipe can be easily reheated, is packed with nutrients, fits a variety of dietary needs, and most importantly, is incredibly delicious.

Hero Ingredient: Beans, beans, the magical fruit…

Farinata with Caramelized Onions and Pesto

Why We Love It: Part pizza, part flatbread, and with all these veggies packed in, you might be tempted to consider it the most genius take on a salad you’ve ever eaten. The chickpea flour flatbread gets topped with jammy caramelized onions and an incredibly flavorful hazelnut-arugula pesto. It’s divine.

Hero Ingredient: Caramelized onions are the elusive, humble, and wonderfully sweet addition that makes any dish or recipe a million times more delicious.

Shredded Kale & Cranberry Salad with Crispy Tofu

Why We Love It: This salad has it all. It’s filling (not something you can say for all salads) and incredibly nourishing—packed with protein healthy fats, carbs, minerals, and vitamins. Plus, it’ll look great at all your fall gatherings.

Hero Ingredient: The crispiest tofu takes this from being a potentially boring kale salad to the best, harvest-y salad your autumn has ever seen.

Sweet Potato Falafel Veggie Burgers

Why We Love It: These homemade, veggie-packed falafel burgers combine so much texture, flavor, and spice for a truly luscious, filling, colorful, and fun dinner. Add a side of sweet potato fries and you’ve got a real treat.

Hero Ingredient: Panko breadcrumbs add structure and texture to your veggie burger, mimicking meat versions perfectly.

Caramelized Onion and Spinach Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Why We Love It: This is such a fresh, healthy, and comforting vegetarian meal that will make even the pickiest of meat-eaters obsessed. While stuffed portobello mushrooms have historically been known to lack flavor, these are truly next-level thanks to the addition of slowly-cooked caramelized onions and a sprinkling of parm and mozzarella.

Hero Ingredient: A splash of vinegar added to your onions as they cook cuts the sweetness and brings a little acidity to the dish that’s wonderfully unexpected.

Spring Onion and Goat Cheese Quiche

Why We Love It: This easy stunner of a quiche is the perfect foundational recipe for any and all of your favorite veggies. I love that it wraps nutrient-dense ingredients in parmesan, eggs, milk, and a crispy crust to help you enjoy their vibrant flavor and appeal all the more. While you might already have your favorite, tried-and-true quiche recipe, I encourage you to give this one a spin.

Hero Ingredient: Crumbled goat cheese delivers just the right amount of salty tang.

White Bean & Raddichio Salad

Why We Love It: Raddichio is a seriously underrated salad green. I love that it’s sturdy, colorful, and just a little bit bitter, making it ideal for tossing with creamy cannellini beans and Parmigiano Reggiano. Simple, tasty, and absolutely perfect.

Hero Ingredient: Cannellini beans bring protein to this salad party.

This post was originally published on June 9, 2020, and has since been updated.

The post 25 Vegetarian Dinners That Are Packed With Protein appeared first on Camille Styles.

‘Tis the season for getting back into the weeknight groove of simple, delicious and healthy dinners—and this 10-minute Hot Honey Glazed Salmon recipe certainly checks all the boxes. We eat salmon a lot in our household (it’s one of the few proteins that all four of us will happily devour), so I’m always looking for ways to add a new twist. Thankfully, interesting doesn’t have to mean complicated—the sweet and spicy glaze combined with a coconut crunch topping proves that just a few ingredients can pack a punch. Pop it under the broiler in your oven and you’ve got a delicious salmon dinner on your hands.

Why You’ll Love This Hot Honey Glazed Salmon Recipe

What really takes this salmon recipe over the top is the combination of sweet and spicy flavors in the honey glaze, plus the garlicky crunch of the coconut topping. It all comes together for a flavor profile that’s actually addictive, which isn’t a bad thing when you’re talking about a beautiful piece of salmon packed with protein, iron, vitamin B-12, and super healthy omega-3 fatty acids. (Go ahead, get addicted.)

Plus, you can’t overstate the beauty of a dinner that literally comes together in under 10 minutes. It’s easy enough for busy fall weeknights, and special enough to serve for a weekend dinner with friends.

Ingredients for Hot Honey Glazed Salmon with Coconut Crunch

Here’s a rundown of what you’ll need to make this honey glazed salmon recipe:

Salmon. For this recipe, I like to buy a 1-pound fillet of salmon, and then cut it into smaller pieces. You can either have the fishmonger remove the skin for you (which will make it easier to cut), or you can bake it with the skin on and it’ll slide right off when it comes out of the oven. Here’s a handy guide to buying the best salmon when you’re at the grocery store.

Hot honey. You’ve likely seen this trendy flavor profile on restaurant menus, and while you could purchase a jarred hot honey, may I recommend my two ingredient homemade version? Just combine 1 part sriracha to 3 parts honey, and you’ve got yourself a very spicy, very delicious hot honey glaze.

Coconut crunch. Ever since I landed on this toasted coconut crunch topping, I’ve been wanting to put it on literally everything. You warm a little olive oil in a skillet, then toast up garlic slices, sliced chili (because we need more heat, lol), and coconut flakes until it all becomes sweet and nutty. It’s the perfect topping for this salmon, or just about any “bowl” you whip up all season. I do recommend making this just before serving so you get that delicious crunch—it gets a bit soggy if you make it too far in advance.

How to Make Crispy Salmon in the Oven

I go though phases with my salmon, and in all honesty, I love them all. Remember my slow-baked salmon phase? Yes, it’s luscious and buttery and delicious, but sometimes I crave the texture of a crispy golden brown crust encasing a tender fish. When crispy is what I’m after, you can’t beat the broiler. And you may be surprised when I tell you how long to bake honey glazed salmon—the broiler makes such quick work of it that this salmon is in and out of the oven in 7 minutes or less.

I cut the salmon fillet into 3-inch pieces before cooking, which helps the interior of the salmon to cook through in the same amount of time that it takes the outside to crisp up. If you like a more medium-rare interior, you can leave the fillet whole when you cook it for a pink-on-the-interior finish.

Once my broiler is preheated, I place the salmon on a cast iron skillet, or a foil-lined baking sheet (for easier clean-up), drizzle with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper, and pop it under the broiler, about 7 inches from the heat. After about 4 minutes, I pull it out and spoon on the honey glaze—you don’t want the glaze under the broiler for the entire cook time since it will burn. Place under the broiler for another 3 minutes, and you’ll know it’s ready when the entire surface of the salmon is golden brown.

What Goes with Hot Honey Glazed Salmon

I made this recipe into a complete dinner by turning it into a “salmon bowl” with sweet potatoes and fluffy rice. The combo had slight Asian vibes with the heat of the sriracha and chilis, plus the coconut and cilantro flavors. I brushed the extra hot honey glaze over my sweet potatoes while they roasted in the oven, which brought everything together—and is definitely something I’d do again for a veg-focused dinner.

I also love serving this hot honey glazed salmon on top of a flavor-packed kale salad, or swap the sweet potatoes and serve alongside any interesting veggie side like Masala Corn Salad or Grilled Zucchini with Chili Mint Vinaigrette.

Scroll on for the recipe, and if you make it, be sure to rate, review, and tag us on Instagram so we can see your hot honey glazed salmon in action.

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Hot Honey Glazed Salmon With Coconut Crunch—Yep, It’s As Addictive As It Sounds

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  Author: Camille Styles

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Description

10-minute Hot Honey Glazed Salmon is a simple, delicious, and healthy. With just a few ingredients, it gets super crispy under the broiler.

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Ingredients

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USM

Hot Honey:

• 1/4 cup Sriracha
• 3/4 cup Honey

Salmon:

• 1 pound center-cut salmon fillet, cut into 3” pieces
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Coconut crunch:

• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 red chile or jalapeno, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

To serve:

• Fluffy rice, honey-glazed sweet potatoes, cilantro

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Instructions

1. Preheat the broiler, and place a rack 7 – 10” from the heat source.
2. Make the coconut crunch: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in small skillet over medium. Add garlic, chile, and coconut flakes and cook, stirring, until garlic and coconut turn golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl, and add a pinch of salt.
3. Place salmon in the cast-iron skillet. Brush with olive oil, then sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. Broil for 4 minutes.
4. While the salmon cooks, combine sriracha and honey in a small bowl.
5. Remove salmon from oven, brush with some of the hot honey, then return to oven and broil for another 2 or 3 minutes, until caramelized on top and cooked to your preference.
6. Serve salmon over rice and roasted sweet potatoes, drizzle extra hot honey over top, then top with coconut crunch and cilantro. Eat!

The post Hot Honey Glazed Salmon With Coconut Crunch—Yep, It’s As Addictive As It Sounds appeared first on Camille Styles.