Easy Recipe Edition

 

 

About once a month I write a “Do Listen Read” post with a list of what I’ve been listening to, watching, and reading lately. In the “do” section, I often include recipes, but I haven’t shared any in months. I’m not sure why since I’ve actually been cooking healthy recipes regularly, often using ideas I find online. Today I’m sharing the ones that have been a hit in my house.

 

Breakfast

These baked oatmeal cups have been good occassional snacks or breakfast options for me, Bryan, and the kids. They freeze well and I’ve made them with the flax seeds and also the version with the egg. I used 2% milk rather than almond milk because my youngest is allergic to nuts.

My friend Serena suggested this quiche recipe to use in a muffin tin instead for an easy breakfast. I make it with more eggs, without the croutons, and with no meat. (I think she does, too.)

Any version of a sunny side up egg on toast with avocado is good in my opinion. Here’s one way to do it. I love the levain bread at Rustica, a local bakery in Minneapolis. I freeze a small loaf and use throughout the week.

 

Dinner

This Greek sheet pan chicken with lemon and potatoes recipe from Pamela Salzman is fabulous. I love most sheet pan recipes. They’re all easy, adaptable, and fast to clean. Skinnytaste.com has some good ones as well. Replace salmon with any of the chicken in these recipes and cook for less time.

My kids really like these crispy baked chicken breasts. I leave off the lemon zest, lemons, and parsley.

I still like these rosemary meatballs and zucchini “noodles” from a post I wrote three years ago.

 

Planning to make soon:

The list below is not random. I organize my recipes often and get rid of anything that is more complicated than I had first thought or too aspirational.

My friend Amy promises that the no-knead bread recipe from the New York Times is the real deal.

The Tuscan chicken skillet from Kitchn.com looks fabulous.

The Punjabi-style black lentils from Smitten Kitchen is high my list. My kids promise they’ll try them, at least.

I’m thinking about getting an Instant Pot because so many of the food sites I follow swear by them. I will report back if I do! This Instant Pot beef stew from Pinch of Yum would be one of the first things I’d try.

 


THERE ARE ALWAYS A FEW RECIPES IN MY MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

 

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Nina Badzin hosts the podcast Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship. She's been writing about friendship since 2014, co-leads the writing groups at ModernWell in Minneapolis, and reviews 30+ books a year on her website.

12 Responses

  1. I kid you not – I have a real “thing” with both quiche, and meatballs. So suffice to say, I’m going to investigate and probably pin!

  2. Mmmm. I just pinned the sheet pan chicken and the white bean chicken recipes to my What’s for Dinner Pinterest board. Thanks for the ideas. Your rec for the slow cooker chicken tikka masala remains a fave and I love giving it to people when I want to bring a meal after a new baby.

  3. Thank you for this lovely recipes Nina. Oatmeal is the perfect breakfast food- full of protein, fiber, and relatively cheap. If you’re not too great around the kitchen, though, oatmeal can be bland and boring. Instant oatmeal can be easy to pour hot water over but often don’t deliver on flavor. There are many ways to sweeten oatmeal in a healthy way. Stevia is my personal favorite, which comes in a liquid or powder form. Stevia is 300 times sweeter than sugar and is a natural herb. It’s free of calories and is about the same price of other artificial sweeteners that are on the market. You can always use the well loved brown sugar, but only to taste. Dried fruits can deliver some sugar too and the benefits of fruit. For people who prefer less sweet oatmeal, all these recipes taste perfectly fine without any added sugar.

    Cheers then.
    Alice Clover recently posted..Health and beauty benefits of garlicMy Profile

  4. Avocado toast is my jam. I cannot have enough. And totally going to test out those other breakfast recipes. I’m all about easy and delicious. Thanks for this!

  5. Thanks for all this! You’re always a wealth of ideas and resources. I’ve been hearing a lot about Instantpot lately. For some reason, it brings images to mind of that childhood book in which custard endlessly boils up and out and into the village. Do you know which book I’m talking about? Anyway, that and muffin tin and sheet pan meals sound great. Always looking for new, simple recipes.

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Hi, I'm Nina

HI, I’M NINA BADZIN. I’m a writer fascinated by the dynamics of friendship, and I’ve been answering anonymous advice questions on the topic since 2014. I now also answer them on my podcast, Dear Nina! I’m a creative writing instructor at ModernWell in Minneapolis, a freelance writer and editor, and an avid reader who reviews 50 books a year. Welcome to my site! 

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Hi, I'm Nina

DEAR NINA: Conversations About Friendship is a podcast and newsletter about the ups and downs of adult friendship. I’m the host, Nina Badzin, a Minneapolis-based writer who accepted a position as a friendship advice columnist in 2014 and never stopped. DEAR NINA, the podcast, started in 2021, and has been referenced in The Wall Street JournalThe Washington PostTime Magazine, The GuardianThe Chicago TribuneThe Minneapolis Star Tribune, and elsewhere

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